Planning ahead...

BUY:

$314 - air taxes

WHY?

5 nights in paradise...

If you read my action plan for the next little while, you would have seen point 4:

"Spend 5 nights in the Solomon Islands putting my new diving skills* to the test between 24 - 29 September."

You're probably wondering how, on the budget that I have and with no savings, I can afford to head to the Solomon Islands? The story goes something like this...

Last year I attended a product information night for work on scuba diving holidays because, well, I know nothing about scuba diving and figured I could do with a crash course in what people are looking for or  need on such a holiday.  As is common at such industry nights, there were lucky door prizes offered to attendees who put their business cards in the bowl at the door. I was so late for this particular product night that I arrived 5 minutes before the presentation portion of the evening and only just managed to run around to all the stalls to grab pamphlets and information and slip my card into the mix before the bowl disappeared. Luck was on my side because after all the informative talks and presentations by wholesalers and airline representatives my name was the last of about six called out from the bowl of business cards. 

The prize? Five nights accommodation, flights, transfers to and meals on Uepi Island, in the Solomon Islands. All that was needed from me was to arrange the time off, pay for the airfare taxes from Brisbane and get myself to Brisbane... Thanks to another, separate amazing night at a work function I was able to arrange my flights to Brisbane (and that of a friend) for free and yesterday, I paid for the taxes. Have  I mentioned before how much I love my job?

*The diving skills are still non-existent because while I have the requisite doctor's certificate stating that I do not have an elevated risk of an incident under the water, I haven't started the course as yet. This is part of my next pay.