If you haven’t noticed lately, our AUIP Facebook fan page has been a hive of activity with entries for the 2013 AUIP Photo Contest: Exploring the South Pacific. With more entries than ever before, our judges faced a particularly challenging task of voting.

This year’s entries included an abundance of incredible underwater photography, ranging from scuba diving with sea turtles to up-close looks at reef creatures. Plus, we received a vast selection of amazing landscape shots from the typical New Zealand countryside to both the sunrise and sunset in Fiji.

With the votes tallied and totaled, we can proudly announce this year’s photo contest winners to be:

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained” by Courtney Hughes

Student Immersion

First: Nothing ventured, nothing gained by Courtney Hughes from Florida Down Under Fiji program (pictured right)

Second: Paddle Board Mango Bay by Kaitlyn Luskin from Buckeyes Abroad Fiji program

Third: Fox Glacier Hike by Aimee Gottlieb from Illinois Abroad New Zealand Adventure Tourism program

“Sun Rays” by Reed Arce

Back to Nature
First: Sun Rays by Reed Arce from the North Queensland, Australia program (pictured left)

Second: Swimming with Sea Turtles by Kayla Noble from Wolfpack Abroad South Queensland, Australia program

Third: Petermann Island by Jancarla Ocampo from Hokies Abroad Antarctica program

And, at the time People’s Choice Award voting closed, our extended community elected winners to be:

Student Immersion with 110 votes: My loving Fijian family in Votua Village by Sammie Cline from Florida Down Under Fiji program

Back to Nature with 324 votes: Hay! by Heather Hodge from Lions Abroad Australia program (pictured below right)

Thanks to our generous sponsors, Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas, Hexagon International, Calypso Coaches, City Lodge Auckland, Awesome Adventures Fiji and EvoShield, this year’s winners for both categories receive:

“Hay!” by Heather Hodge

First Place: Starwood Preferred Guest 10,000 points plus an exclusive Kate Spade tote (valued over $500) donated by Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas in Australia

Second Place: GoPro HERO3: White Edition camera (valued at $200) donated by Hexagon International in Fiji and Calypso Coaches in Australia plus an EvoShield training hoodie and hat (valued at $65) donated by EvoShield

Third Place: Osprey Comet daypack (valued at $100) donated by City Lodge Auckland in New Zealand

People’s Choice Award: Amazon $150 gift card donated by Awesome Adventures Fiji

Plus, if that’s not enough, our friends over at Lonely Planet have donated guidebooks for all our winners!

Thanks to each and every one of our contest entrants for participating, and we look forward to seeing more impressive alumni photos in next year’s contest.