A former Miss Universe winner has revealed the pros and cons of swapping the catwalk for the red earth mines of the Australian outback.
Originally from County Donegal in the Irish province of Ulster, Grainne Gallanagh moved to Perth with her fiancé Ryan Coleman in March last year.
After a short holiday and taking short-term jobs in Australia, the couple began working together on a FIFO basis at a mine in Western Australia.
Twelve-hour work days under the scorching Australian sun were a far cry from Gallanagh’s glamorous life on the catwalk.
The 29-year-old won Miss Universe Ireland in 2018 before placing in the top 20 at the Miss Universe pageant later that year.
However, she said her time as a truck driver at the mine was the first time she “didn’t have an ounce of anxiety or stress” while going to work.
Ms Gallanagh said the well-paid job was great for saving money because most costs were covered on-site, while the extended time off allowed her to travel.
The Irish model admitted there are some downsides to this in a candid Q&A post on her Instagram.
He said long shifts, especially during the grueling summer heat, and being plagued by flies were some of the drawbacks of the job.
Ireland’s Miss Universe 2018 representative Grainne Gallanagh (pictured) has revealed the positive experience she had working FIFO at a mine in Western Australia.
Ms Gallanagh added that work meant she was on site more than at home, making it difficult to “make friends, join classes, clubs” outside of FIFO.
Despite that, she said she will “miss” her time at FIFO after returning to Ireland in July this year to get married.
Ms Gallanagh said she was worried and had “no idea what to expect” when she took the three-hour flight from Perth to her workplace for the first time.
Her anxieties quickly dissipated after meeting her coworkers and finding them “so nice, so friendly.”
“I thought, ‘Great! I know I’m going to be absolutely fine,'” she said. Doireann Garrihy in a podcast in July.
Facing temperatures well above 40C in the summer, Ms Gallanagh said she was lucky after being given a job that kept her in an air-conditioned truck.
“The kids might need supplies or tools and they’re out in the field… so I’ll take them to them, there’s a lot of work and it’s good,” he said.
“And when it was really hot, I had to do the ice-stick race, which was my favorite job. I would just drive around with a bunch of ice-sticks and hand them out.”
Despite being one of the few women on the job, her positive attitude helped her fit in and win the “Employee of the Year” award, an honor she intends to frame on her wall.
She moved to Australia with her current fiancé Ryan Coleman (both pictured), with whom she worked on-site until July this year.
Ms Gallanagh said the well-paid job was great for saving money because most costs were covered on site, while extended time off site allowed time for travel.
Having arrived in Australia on a work visa, Ms Gallanagh and her partner had to work 88 days in a rural area during their first year.
In April, she told her social media followers that they had both overcome the visa condition and had chosen to continue working FIFO because they enjoyed it.
The couple even got engaged on their R&R in November and have since moved back to Ireland for their wedding.
Ms Gallanagh said she would miss FIFO, in an Instagram post marking her last day at the site in July.
“I had no idea what I was doing and it was mostly men,” she wrote.
“But I was pleasantly surprised. They have really been incredibly patient, helpful, kind and made me laugh every day.”
He also recommended others to come to Australia and try FIFO working.
“It’s not easy to leave your family and what you know, especially if you love your home and you have a great job and you’re surrounded by your family, it’s never easy,” he said.
“Australia is a wonderful country and I love it. The weather is amazing. You have to approach it with a realistic mindset and a plan.”