Nicquel Rhoden may have returned to Australia, but part of her mind is still in New Zealand, where she climbed through caves, overcame her fear of bungy jumping and even swam with sharks.
The 国产探花 tourism graduate from the Gold Coast returned on May 22 from three months as the New Zealand 鈥渄ream job鈥� competition winner.
While Ms Rhoden was keen to catch up with her family and get some sleep, she was also thinking about writing a book detailing the highlights of her time in New Zealand.
鈥淚 hope to release my top 100 things to do and places to visit in New Zealand. It is such a beautiful country,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 did so much, including cave climbing, underworld rafting, scuba diving, jumping out of planes, bungy jumping, jet boat riding, swimming with sharks and dolphins and riding on the back of a Harley.鈥�
But Ms Rhoden had to admit bungy jumping was a challenge.
鈥淚 never thought I would ever bungy jump. It鈥檚 weird because I鈥檓 not scared to jump out of a plane but the thought of being strapped by the ankles to a rope and jumping head-first into a canyon freaks me out.鈥�
She said celebrating her 21st birthday was a highlight, with her Auckland hosts taking her for a chauffeured trip in a stretch Hummer.
鈥淚 was absolutely spoilt. I got heaps of presents. One gift was Kumara vodka, which is sweet potato- flavoured vodka. The kiwis were so welcoming and friendly. They made me feel at home.鈥�
So much so, Ms Rhoden is thinking of taking on work in New Zealand, with several job offers coming her way in the final days of her three months of touring, attending functions and flying the flag for the country on her .
鈥淭he whole project turned out to be a lot more successful than originally anticipated. It generated a lot of interest along the way and the number of people viewing the website grew significantly.
鈥淭ravelling for three months is a life-altering thing. My values and aspirations have changed significantly. I think I have grown up a lot.
鈥淭he whole trip was a massive learning curve. I realised how many hours people have to put in when working in the tourism industry.鈥�
Ms Rhoden鈥檚 studies at 国产探花 helped her prepare for her time in New Zealand, giving her a 鈥渂ackground knowledge鈥� that helped with writing her blog, understanding tourist operators and building her confidence.
Media: Nicquel Rhoden (0439 773 676) or Erik de Wit (0417 088 772)
