WINNER DONNA STOCKTON

I needed a cheap holiday – a break from my daily routine! I thought that doing a bit of volunteer work with some Australian native wildlife might be the answer. I started to research the Tasmanian devil and became aware of the dangers these little guys are facing. The devil facial tumour disease has already wiped out 59% of the state’s population, and the Department of Primary Industries and Water were looking for research volunteers. I signed up straight away.

After that, all I needed was a travel partner; my friend Sarah quickly volunteered. And some cheap flights… Jetstar to the rescue! Perfect timing: Jetstar was having a “Buy one and your friend flies for free” sale. Sarah and I had return flights for AU$100 each, free accommodation and food for two weeks, and a chance to get up close and personal with a Tasmanian devil. The adventure had begun.

We flew to Hobart and were picked up by our team leader Fiona. What a character! I could tell this was going to be a great two weeks. Our six-hour drive to Granville Harbour on the west coast turned into eight hours, as we kept stopping to photograph the glorious sights.

We stayed in a three-bedroom cabin nestled by the ocean, where the survey began. We set 40 traps, which we checked daily for the next 10 days. Our duties as volunteers were to assist the team leader in recording information and scrubbing and cleaning traps.

We were lucky to be in an area that’s disease-free, and trapped an average of 14 devils a day. They’re the most amazing animals to see up close and when we caught a female devil with four pouch young, it was a moving moment I’ll never forget.

The days were long, the weather unpredictable, mobile phone coverage non-existent and we had no TV in our shack. After a hard day’s work we had time to walk on the beach and watch the sunset. It was great to be away from my hectic lifestyle and to be able to sit down each night and relax by the fire.

A lot of people would say “That’s not a holiday”, but I got to visit one of the most amazing places on earth and do my bit for conservation. If you have a couple of free weeks, they’re always looking for volunteers!

I take my hat off to the dedicated team who are trying to make sure that the Tassie devils survive and don’t become extinct. I think I will go back again and lend a hand.

How to Enter:
If you’ve travelled Jetstar to/from or within Australia in the past year, we’d love to hear from you! Send in your 500 word holiday story from any Jetstar destination and six of your best holiday snaps. The winning entry will be published in JETSTAR magazine and win 2 JetSaver return tickets flying Jetstar between your closest port and a direct Jetstar operated port. It’s that easy! Send your travel story to: writerscomp@jetstar.com

Terms & Conditions:
Contest will run every month. Entry submissions must be received by the 8th of the month. Maximum prize value is AU$756 based on 2 return flights from Adelaide to Cairns. Entrants must be Australian residents. Ink Publishing reserves the right to edit the winning submission and the judges decision is final. Employees of Jetstar Airways and Ink Publishing are not eligible to enter. For full terms and conditions, please visit www.jetstar.com/writerscomp