Our Year 11 Outdoor Education students had the pleasure of welcoming back ex-student Taylah Chettleburgh (2019) in August to speak about her path from Dunedin to working on the water in Cairns, Far North Queensland.

After leaving school, Taylah initially worked as a makeup artist before taking a leap into a year-long Dive Instructor course at Dive Otago. Realising makeup wasn't the right career path for her, she decided to put her new qualification to use. She contacted every dive operator in Cairns, packed her life up in Dunedin, and moved to Australia with no job lined up and no prior industry experience.

Within a few months, Taylah secured a position as a dive instructor on a scuba live-aboard boat, trading the cold Otago waters for the Coral Sea. While diving alongside whales, turtles, sharks, and rays, she developed a passion for the boats themselves. Seeing how male-dominated the maritime industry is, Taylah felt motivated to gain her own tickets and eventually return to OGHS to let current students know that maritime careers are a viable option for women.

Instead of taking the dive-education route, Taylah enrolled at TAFE to earn her Master < 24m qualification, allowing her to captain 24-meter vessels. She later asked for additional opportunities during the slow season, which led her to a role on the vessel Ocean Quest, where she has worked for the past two years. Today, Taylah works as a Second Mate, helping run groups from Cairns to Lizard Island on a 10-hour overnight journey, and another 10 hours out to Osprey Reef. She has navigated everything from tropical cyclones to calm seas along the way.

Looking ahead, Taylah plans to earn her Marine Engineering ticket followed by her Master < 45m qualification—taking inspiration from her idol, Captain Sandy from Below Deck.

Her main message to our Year 11 class was simple and reassuring: "Trust yourself. You can do it. You will figure it out!"

Thank you, Taylah, for taking the time to share your story and show our students what is possible with a bit of determination!