Missing man Paul Stevenson’s daughter speaks of heartbreak

The daughter of missing man Paul Stevenson has spoken about the heartbreak of not knowing where her father is on the tenth anniversary of his disappearance.

Paul Stevenson hasn’t been seen in 10 years.

Ten years have now passed since Bundaberg man Paul Stevenson rode off on a morning motorcycle ride and was never seen or heard from again.

It’s a day his daughter Nikki Whelan relives over and over as she remembers the popular and loving dad who was admired by his friends, family and community.

“What I would give above all is just to have my Dad back,” she said.

Now a mother of four, Ms Whelan knows her father would have adored his five grandchildren.

She dreams of being able to pick up the phone and just hear his voice.

Mr Stevenson’s disappearance has been an abnormally quiet event.

According to Ms Whelan, there have been no calls to report men who might look like him, no clues and nothing tangible that points to the fate that could have befallen her father.

Nikki Whelan dreams of the day she will find her dad. Photo: File

“Every day we have all had to push that pain and sadness away and keep going,” Ms Whelan said.

“People think that we cope, but gosh behind those doors, when alone or out of sight, moments can be hard, times tough, heartache shows and memories bring back so many emotions.”

In the years since Paul Stevenson vanished, very few clues have ever come to light.

It’s a heartbreaking monotony for the Bundaberg dad’s family, who still hold hope that someday someone might find something - a jacket, a memory, a missing piece of the puzzle that might finally tie the mystery together.

Diesel mechanic Paul had been on an early morning motorcycle ride on March 11, 2012.

It was the early hours, around 4am, and he was travelling to Paradise Dam before coming back to town.

He’d been wearing a black leather jacket, a black full-face helmet and probably jeans.

A massive search failed to turn up any sign of the former diesel mechanic.

The 45-year-old’s bike and helmet were discovered down an embankment on Mt Perry-Gin Gin Road the next day.

Aside from a busted indicator and some scratches, nothing gave any obvious clues.

The simplest mysteries remain unsolved - what happened to Paul’s leather jacket?

Where’s the phone that rang out when concerned family members called him continuously when he failed to show at a meeting he was due to attend?

As Ms Whelan puts it, it’s a case of “10 whole years of the questions and no answers”.

She prays every day for the dad she believes is “now in heaven”.

“Now I pray every day that we get answers and can find you to bring you back to us,” she said.

“We love you for eternity and one day soon we will see you again.”

Missing man Paul Stevenson was well loved in the community.

Originally published as Missing man Paul Stevenson’s daughter speaks of heartbreak