Erin Horsnell
Age: 19
Home town: Springfield, NSW
IT WAS a post on Facebook that gave Erin Horsnell her shot at ringer life in the Northern Territory.
Scrolling down a Facebook page set up for alumni of the Urrbrae Agricultural High School in Adelaide, South Australia, Ms Horsnell came across a job advertisement.
Tammy Kruckow, a fellow past student, was looking for a nanny to care for her children at Manbulloo Station near Katherine.
Ms Horsnell grew up in Springfield, on the NSW central coast, and had always wanted to experience life on the land full-time.
Tastes of this life on her uncle's and grandfather's nearby sheep and cropping properties, as well as at the agricultural high school, only deepened her desire.
So when she saw the Facebook post, she jumped at the opportunity and applied immediately.
"Because I was a townie, I needed something to get me into [station life]," Ms Horsnell said.
"I was too scared to go straight into it.
"I didn't care where I went; I just knew I wanted to go up north."
When she arrived in January 2014, keen as a bean, station manager Cameron Kruckow made her a proposition.
"Krucksie said if you stick around for one year, you can be in the [stock] camp next year," Ms Horsnell said.
She accepted the challenge with pleasure.
"I really enjoyed it. People ask if you get homesick and stuff, but I didn't really care.
"I was too excited about everything that was going on and it was good so I didn't find it too hard."
Returning with gusto to take on her role as ringer was not without its challenges though.
"Stock camp was a bit different - at first I really struggled.
"It was hard work because I'm not used to it."
Six months into her life as a ringer, Erin could not be happier with her decision to take a leap of faith and follow her heart.
The 19-year-old said her confidence had increased and she was already looking to the future, when she hoped to one day work for a horse breaker.
