Shovelling dirt is a far cry from Lynette Bailey's more glamorous business consultancy work in New Zealand. But Ms Bailey and her husband Gregg Smith dig and move up to two tonnes of dirt from 12 metres underground when they're working in their sapphire mine in Queensland's Gemfields. The couple first purchased their mining claim after Mr Smith toured the region on a trip around Australia in 2013, and they then decided to get off the corporate 'hamster wheel'. The pair spend every winter in Australia hunting for precious gemstones, and then return to their lives in New Zealand once the weather heats up.
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