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My pleasure
Last night’s shift began on a high and I kept smiling all the way through. A normal enough Friday shift, and by normal I mean rest-of-the-year normal, not month-of-Sundays-January normal. There was plenty of work, and I was well into the afternoon rush, shuttling passengers to the airport.
Once again, the airport road system has changed, so that was an added challenge. Paul, my day driver, has been telling his passengers that the new layout is a joint venture between the airport and the taxi industry to make the trip as long as possible, and honestly the roads in and out are the most appalling series of loops and zig-zags and detours.
I dropped my passenger at the terminal, and headed back into the city empty. Once I was clear of the roadworks, my phone rang. The young lady on the other end identified herself as a Qantas representative, and while I was wondering about the various reasons for Qantas to call me, she totally floored me, telling me I’d won a prize in a travel writing competition.
This was a competition I’d entered well before Christmas, and after looking at the vast quantity and quality of the other entries, displayed online, I’d given up hope that my modest little piece about Guernsey had any chance at all.
But apparently it had ranked ninth, giving me a shot at one of the twelve prizes on offer. I’ll have my choice of four weekends away at an Australian resort, and a condition of accepting the prize is that I have to write and submit a 500 word article on the weekend, with photographs and video footage shot on the Nikon camera which comes as part of the prize.
“Ooooh, with pleasure!” I sighed into the phone.
So I’ll be a guest writer for Qantas’s Travel Insider e-magazine, once I return from the weekend, which I’ll have to take in the next three months. Maybe this will be a shot at a new career - taxidriving is a job I love, but travelling the world and getting paid to do it, well it just doesn’t compete, does it?
We’ll see. Writing tight, focussed articles for professional publication is a long way from my usual rambling style.
The photograph above is of St Peter Port in Guernsey. A darling little town and it was no trouble at all to write a paragraph about it. The hard part was keeping it down to the 250 words required by the competition terms.
The Qantas lady congratulated me again, the call ended, and I pulled into a government office building to collect a public servant for her trip to the airport. She must have wondered why she had the happiest cabbie on earth as her driver!
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Being paid to write about travel (and food) experiences is marvelous. You will love it.
And a writer does adapt to writing in the shorter, more pithy type of style that is generally required in food and travel pieces - don't worry. You'll adjust easily!
:)
And a Nikon!
Ooooohhhhh!
Which one?
My editor is allowing me to purchase a camera next month - and I have my eye on a Nikon.
How fabulous that you WON one!
Go YOU!
*grins*
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A nice little pocket job. I've got a couple of Canons that are bigger and better, but this one's a little gem.
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That is an awesome camera and should be lovely to work with, fun, different and great for being able to take pictures on the fly. You've won an awesome prize package!
I am so pleased for you.
:)
And, as ever, I am so proud of you that my buttons could burst!
So very cool, Pete...
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Nevertheless: AWESOME!!!!!
;-))
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No "chestnuts" to win this comp, but I was mindful of your advice, and kept my eyes on the T&C. One useful hint the promoters gave was that entries which made the judging panel want to visit the location would be well regarded.
I saw "Jet" cafe at the QVB recently. Featured on some TV show.
And I thought of you. And the teabags.
You inspire me.
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Free holidays are the best! Looking forward to seeing your name in print!
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^ ^
00
=+=
v
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A trip and a Nikon camera! I have a Paul Simon earworm now, LOL
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Here's the relevant sections dfrom the T&C:
Prize 1: Dunk Island
a. two Qantas adult Economy class return flights (inclusive of all ticket taxes), departing from the winner's nearest Qantas serviced domestic airport in Australia ('Point of Origin') to Cairns returning to the Point of Origin;
b. two nights twin share accommodation in a Beachfront Suite at Voyages Dunk Island, Great Barrier Reef (4-star accommodation);
c. two full buffet breakfasts for two adults;
d. horse riding on the beach for two adults (an alternate activity may be taken, at the discretion of the accommodation provider);
e. return transfers from Cairns airport to the accommodation for two adults; and
f. one Nikon COOLPIX S550 digital camera
Prize 2: Desert Gardens & Kings Canyon Resort
b. three nights twin share accommodation - first and third nights in a Deluxe Room at Desert Gardens Hotel, Ayers Rock (4 and a half star), second night in a Deluxe Spa Room at Kings Canyon Resort, Kings Canyon (4 and a half star);
d. Kings Canyon rim walk for two adults;
Prize 3: Brampton Island
b. two nights twin share accommodation in a Premium Ocean View Room at Voyages Brampton Island, The Whitsundays (3 and a half star);
c. two full buffet breakfasts for two adults;
d. a Jetski Safari for two adults;
Prize 4: Cradle Mountain
b. two nights twin share accommodation in either a Spa Cabin or Spa Suite depending upon availability, at Voyages Cradle Mountain Lodge (4 and a half star);
c. two full buffet breakfasts for two adults and one dinner at the Highland Restaurant;
d. a 1 hour Spa treatment at the Waldheim Spa and cheese and wine tasting for two adults;
Prize 5: Heron Island
b. two nights twin share accommodation in a Beachside Suite, at Voyages Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef (4-star);
d. water activities for two adults;
Prize 6: Ayers Rock Resort: Sails in the Desert - Adventure
b. two nights twin share accommodation at Voyages Sails in the Desert (5-star);
d. a half day Uluru tour and Sounds of Silence dinner, for two adults;
Prize 7: Ayers Rock Resort: Sails in the Desert - Relaxation
b. two nights twin share accommodation at Voyages Sails in the Desert (5-star);
d. a Spa treatment at the Red Ochre Spa and Desert Awakenings tour, for two adults;
Prize 8: Wilson Island
b. two nights twin share accommodation in a Luxury Tent, at Voyages Wilson Island, Great Barrier Reef (5-star), between 1 March and 30 April 2009;
c. all meals and a selected range of premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for two adults;
d. snorkelling for two adults;
Prize 9: El Questro Wilderness Park
b. three nights twin share accommodation at the Voyages Station Township at El Questro Wilderness Park, The Kimberly (4-star);
c. two breakfasts for two adults;
d. Chamberlain Gorge and Zebdee Springs excursion for two adults;
Prize 10: Silky Oaks Lodge
b. two nights twin share accommodation in a Treehouse at Voyages Silky Oaks Lodge, Daintree Rainforest (5-star);
c. two breakfasts and one dinner at the Treehouse restaurant for two adults;
d. a 1 hour Spa treatment at the Healing Waters Spa for two adults;
Prize 11: Wrotham Park Lodge
b. three nights twin share accommodation in the Quarters at Voyages Wrotham Park Lodge, Outback Queensland (5-star), between 1 - 30 April 2009;
c. all meals and a selected range of premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for two adults;
d. a Cattle Station tour for two adults;
Prize 12: Bedarra Island
b. two nights twin share accommodation in a Villa at Voyages Bedarra Island, Great Barrier Reef (5-star);
c. all meals and a selected range of premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for two adults;
d. a private dingy to explore private beaches with a gourmet picnic hamper for two adults;
I'm kind of glad that I'll have my choices whittled down to four. Each of them sounds wonderful!
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Way to go! and have a great time...
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You'll be able to read all about it in the emagazine. Trust me, I'll be posting the link!
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I'd take the Cradle Mountain weekend as soon as possible, but delay the rest until April - North Queensland in summer is not my cup of tea!
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When your travel writing career gets off the ground (and it will) you should do some pieces on Canada (HINT, HINT)
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