Luxurious bungalows in Hawaii, swimsuit photo-shoots on sun-soaked beaches and a contract with one of the world's biggest surfwear companies.
Rebecca Ronald, the sandy-haired, blue-eyed, bronzed beauty who left Tauranga to become the face of youth fashion company Billabong, admits she's been living the dream life.
But now the 19-year-old is ready
to give away her modelling career to become the only other thing she's ever wanted to be - a teacher.
Ms Ronald was back in the Bay visiting relatives at the weekend, after a year crammed with photo-shoots and Billabong promotions up and down the Australian east coast.
A former pupil at Greerton's Greenpark School, Ms Ronald moved with her family to Australia's Sunshine Coast in 2000, with the dream of becoming one of the models pictured on the tags of her favourite surf labels.
"I used to rip off the pictures, it was this secret passion I had. Now it's me on the tags and there are probably 14-year-old girls out there doing the same thing I did, it seems so unusual."
Ms Ronald found it even more unusual seeing herself stretched across huge billboards across Australia.
"I see myself and I just think, 'that doesn't look like me' ... but I'm pretty chuffed about it."
She said she began modelling four years ago in what started as small showings.
"I decided to send out a DVD of myself surfing, skating and doing beachy things, and then I got a call back from Billabong and they signed me to a contract. I couldn't believe it."
As one of Billabong's 12 ambassadors, she has modelled everything from bikinis to winterwear, rubbed shoulders with Australian stars such as top model Cheyenne Tozzi and professional surfer Joel Parkinson, taught people how to surf, and stayed in Billabong's luxury bungalows during a shoot in Hawaii.
She kept in shape by surfing, running and rollerblading.
"I'm living the life, definitely. But besides Billabong, I've found modelling is a shallow industry, and I've got kind of a big personality.
"I'd rather be around kids and doing things with them."
Ms Ronald plans to study at Griffith University on the Gold Coast next year, hoping to become a primary school teacher.
With her future schedule likely to be less random, she hoped to make another trip back to her old city for a "proper visit".
"I can't believe how much this place has changed. There wasn't all these big buildings around, but the beaches are still just as beautiful as I remember."
