Take me to Australia 2022 winner: The trip of a lifetime

Earlier this year, law firms across the UK gathered in board rooms, or huddled around a laptop eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winner of our annual 'Take me to Australia' competition.

The moment finally arrived, and Sameera Saleem, a Legal Secretary from Bretherton Law, was revealed as the fortunate ticket holder. 

Bretherton Law, renowned for their proficiency in both residential and commercial conveyancing, had embraced InfoTrack as an integral part of their workflow. With each order of Property Report, Searches, eCOS and a number of other products equating to an extra entry in the draw, the firm’s employees had a fair number of entries. "We've really rolled out the system. I use InfoTrack a lot, and our team, as a whole, pretty much use it for everything," Sameera says. 

Winning came as a real surprise. Sameera's initial reaction can be summed up in a single word – "surprise." She recalls the moment, saying, "When I won it, I went to my manager and I said, I've just been called by InfoTrack, they're saying I've won a trip to Australia. She looked at my face, and I looked at hers, and I said, I think someone's pulling my leg." 

Of course, we weren’t. And once that initial shock had worn off, it became clear to Sameera that a break was exactly what she needed. Sameera explained, "I think winning the trip for me was a big deal because I had just finished my mayoral term, and after having a hectic year, I felt worn out. A year taken out of my life. It was constantly go." 

She added, "It was nice to be rewarded because in that year I gave up, I hadn't done anything for myself. To get this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go somewhere on the other side of the world - it couldn't have come at a better time, to be honest." 

Reflecting on her time in the Land Down Under, Sameera shared, "The trip was eye-opening. Each place I went to was completely different from the other." 

"The excursions were really good, the hotels. Each one of the places had its own unique selling point," Sameera says. 

Australia's vastness is well-known, offering a range of experiences for tourists. One location that stood out to Sameera for its rich cultural heritage was Uluru. She explained, "We found out a lot about the indigenous peoples' background and the way they live. It was really unique and gives you completely different insight. I enjoyed learning about how people actually lived out there."

In the final leg of her journey, Sameera and her friend jetted off to Port Douglas, the city of sun, sea, and sand. "The beaches were beautiful," she says. 

Australia's incredible wildlife and the unique ecosystem of the reef are renowned, and Port Douglas didn't disappoint. They explored the Great Barrier Reef in a glass-bottom boat, witnessing the diverse marine life. Sameera described the experience, saying, "We saw turtles, and there was a little white shark in the water circling our boat. It was really different." 

Summing up her remarkable journey, Sameera emphatically says, "I would recommend that everyone should go at least once in their lifetime."  

Could you be following in Sameera's footsteps?  Join us for the live draw on Wednesday 14 February.