In ordinary circumstances, Ana Benham would be catching the Tube to recruiting agencies and auditions for acting jobs in central London these days, beginning to enjoy a northern hemisphere summer along the way.
Instead of that, the 25-year-old is getting all the sun she needs in western Queensland where the grassy paddocks have become her stage.
Ana (short for Anastasia) had just graduated from London's international drama school, Rose Bruford College, early in the year when her world turned upside down along with everyone else's as governments grappled to contain the spread of coronavirus.
In the space of a week, Ms Benham went from auditioning and having a part-time job selling fruit and veg in the borough market in London, to rapidly reassessing her plans for 2020.
"Within two days, I'd packed up my flat and moved with my boyfriend to Scotland where his family are," she said.
"I hadn't decided that I was going home at that stage."
It was the fear of how bad things were going to get, and how many deaths might result, that then sent Ms Benham back to Australia.
"My boyfriend has an auto-immune disease and takes some drugs that meant he was at risk and he wasn't allowed to leave the house but I trusted he would look after himself and do everything he could to not end up in hospital," she said.
"But I didn't trust my own father or grandfather to do that. The thought of being thousands of miles away with that uncertainty - I just wanted to be home."
Two days after she went to Scotland, Ms Benham paid an "extortional" price for a flight back home that lasted some 60 hours, including time on tarmacs when they weren't allowed off the plane.
Because she flew in a couple of day before mandatory hotel quarantines were introduced for overseas arrivals, she was able to collect a car left for her at Brisbane Airport, and head west.
"There was a swag and an esky in the back," she said. "I drove straight out to Coonawarra Cottage north of Roma and self-isolated for two weeks."
As well as 'celebrating' her 25th birthday while she was isolated, Ms Benham got the good news that she could look forward to baling hay once she was released.
"It was, 'By the way, the day after your quarantine, you're going out west', and I've been out here ever since," she laughed.
That was in early April and together with her sister-in-law Trine Jakobsen, the pair have cut the majority of 6000 bales of Mitchell and buffel grass hay, predominantly east of Blackall and around Tambo, since then.
Ms Benham's fears of imminent disaster subsided not long after she arrived back in Australia when it was easier to see that people had responded to lockdown calls and cases weren't growing.
"I can get back (to the UK) because I have residency over there but my next reason for coming back was because, without a job there and without access to any public funds, I was in a very sticky situation financially," she explained. "I'm still paying rent over there."
Thanks to technology she's still able to audition for work in the UK, submitting a video this week.
"I had to use the environment I'm quarantining in and they're assuming I'm in the UK," she said.
"I don't think it's going to be the most relatable content for the home viewers but you never know, I think it will be memorable.
"It was for a bank ad. I think it was going to be one of those 'we know times are tough, we're going to help you get through' ads."
Tractors and dancing featured in an Australian-themed clip.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
