No matter how many times Rotorua swimmer Paddy Baylis represents New Zealand, it is a feeling he never gets sick of.
This weekend he is part of a New Zealand team taking on Australia's best age group swimmers at an Australian inter-state competition in Canberra.
It is the third consecutive year the 17-year-old has been selected for the event, during which he will compete in the 400m and 1500m freestyle, 200m medley and 200m backstroke.
It is a team competition and while New Zealand are a guest team and therefore aren't awarded any points for their placings, Baylis said it was an opportunity to test himself.
"It's a really good experience and it's great to be able to race Australians because they're really fast and one of the best swimming countries in the world. It's an opportunity to see how good the rest of the world is and where I'm at in comparison.