Although it was the middle of December, I was luxuriating in the warmth of summer thanks to a speaking invitation at a conference in Australia. Dressed in a light cotton skirt, I wandered through the grounds of the conference centre admiring the exotic wildlife. I planned to return later with my camera to photograph the colourful birds.

I was just wondering whether I would be lucky enough to see an elephant when I turned a corner and came face-to-face with a ferocious dinosaur. It roared, and I fled.