Miss Universe winner Grainne Gallanagh shares pros and cons of new life as West Australia FIFO worker

A Miss Universe winner has shared the pros and cons of life as a FIFO worker after making a peculiar career change in WA.

A Miss Universe winner from Ireland has shared insights from her new life as a fly-in fly-out worker on a West Australian mine site.

Grainne Gallanagh, who moved to Perth with her fiance in 2023, took a peculiar career change and traded the glamour of the catwalk for 12-hour shifts under the harsh WA sun.

While some might baulk at the idea of leaving a glamorous life for mine work, the 29-year-old says it was the first time she “didn’t have an ounce of anxiety or stress” about her job.

Ms Gallanagh offered fans a glimpse into the realities of working in the mining industry on Instagram, pointing out both the benefits and the drawbacks to help others decide if FIFO life is for them.

Grainne Gallanagh, Miss Ireland in 2018, is now a FIFO truck driver at a West Australian mine. Picture: Instagram

While some might baulk at the idea of leaving a glamorous life for mine work, the 29-year-old says it was the first time she ‘didn’t have an ounce of anxiety or stress’.

She said that FIFO work is a great way to save money quickly, as expenses like food and travel are usually covered by your employer. She also appreciated the rostering, which she said felt like a mini holiday every fortnight.

But Ms Gallanagh didn’t shy away from mentioning the obvious downsides.

She said the “long days, early starts, 40-degree summer days and FLIES” were brutal, adding that often feels like she’s “always at work” and wouldn’t recommend the lifestyle to people looking to relax and explore Australia.

Grainne Gallanagh of Ireland competes in the evening gown competition during the 2018 Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok.

Ms Gallanagh said she enjoyed delivering icy poles and tools to the workers from the cool sanctuary of her airconditioned truck.

“The boys might need supplies or tools and they’re down in the field, so I’ll bring it down to them,” she said.

“And when it was really hot I got to do the icy pole run which was my favourite job. I would just drive around with a big bunch of icy poles and hand them out.”

Given her background in pageantry, she said she was initially unsure how she would be received in a male-dominated industry. But Gallanagh said she was pleasantly surprised by the reality once she set foot on site.

“I was so nervous about starting this job and how I would be received in an environment where I had no idea what I was doing and it was mostly men. But I was so pleasantly surprised, they have genuinely been so unbelievably patient, helpful, kind and have made me laugh every single day,” she said.

Originally published as Miss Universe winner Grainne Gallanagh shares pros and cons of new life as West Australia FIFO worker