After 10 days of frantic, free travel, Dundee model Elaine Harris arrived on the other side of the world to complete a fundraising voyage.
Elaine set off from Scotland on July 21 to see if she could make it Down Under within 10 days and did so thanks to the generosity of strangers.
She celebrated her remarkable venture by posing for pictures outside the iconic Sydney Opera House.
The journey was in aid of her charity work in Cape Verde, which gives dental and eye checks to children on the African island.
Elaine, 38, hopes her journey will raise £3,000, with around two thirds of the goal already raised.
The mother-of-two regularly posted on her social media accounts, keeping followers updated with her progress as well as using it to thank those who helped her along the way.
Companies contacted Elaine to offer their support, allowing her to book flights to Australia.
Elaine said: “I never had a full night of sleep over the 10 days. I slept on buses, trains, lorries, stations and got used to having an hour’s sleep here and there when I could.
“I was relying on the goodwill of people to feed me, for transport and for places to stay.
“After spending the second day hitch hiking with lorries in Europe, companies started getting in touch and paying for my flights, along with people I met along the way.
“It hasn’t sunk in it, but I’m absolutely thrilled to have made it.”
After leaving from Forfar, by the second day, Elaine had already reached mainland Europe after making her way through Scotland and England.
From there she travelled through France, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
She then flew to Israel and flew again to Thailand. From there she passed through Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia before flying to Australia.
“Hitching lorries through Europe, I was really scared,” Elaine added. “My heart was in my mouth but I couldn’t have met nicer people.
“I lived on adrenaline for 10 days.”
Around 50 people helped Elaine during her journey, she estimates.
Last year, Elaine’s charity provided for nearly £40,000 worth of free treatment.
To donate to The Cape Verde Dental And Optical Clinic, visit the JustGiving page.
