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Hey there….

So I have never written a blog before and therefore do hope the following information will prove interesting and/or informative. I have also never won a competition before until July 2012 when I received the most amazing phonecall informing that I had won a trip to Australia.

What took me 2 minutes on facebook lead to what I am sure will be one of the greatest experiences of my life. Last year, STA travel and South Australian Tourism ran a competition called Live like an Aussie – where 7 people were given the opportunity to win 7 different working holidays in 7 different locations in Australia. My dear friend Mary (who thankfully is still my friend) recommended I enter the completion online after having done so herself. I must confess I cannot remember the details of the other potential working holidays as I was too taken by the Kangaroo Island option which gave details on Seal Bay Conservation Park and provided the cutest photos of baby seals I had ever seen. Having never heard of it before and assuming a literal definition of its name to be what the island consisted – it looked like a paradise and I entered with very little hope.  So it was to my complete shock that I won and was given the incredible opportunity to fly to the other side of the world and ‘Live like an Aussie’ for 2 months in Kangaroo Island and work at Seal Bay.

I had very mixed emotions before I left – the most excitement however on further consultation with family members and friends (and after convincing them I had been given me all these wonderful things and I wasn’t going to end up in a ditch somewhere) I was given the following advice:

1)      Always check for deadly spiders before you use the toilet

2)      Watch out for Kangaroos as they do kick

3)      Sharks often attack

These as one can imagine did not fill me with much confidence but I endeavoured to think positive and not focus on any deadly animal attacks. I was however looking forward to an actual summer of sun compared those we have in England and overall the opportunity to discover a completely new place. I boarded my 10pm Flight at London Heathrow with a mixture of eagerness, anticipation, nervousness and overall excitement for what I hoped would be great on board entertainment.