My story involves Internet dating. It was 2007 and I was very skeptical of the whole thing. Two of my friends from overseas though, had met their husbands on a site called e-harmony and were always urging me to try it.

Back then, I was here in NZ on a working holiday visa and using Internet cafes to communicate with people. After catching up with family online, I left to walk home but it was bucketing down outside. I didn't fancy getting soaked to the skin so I went inside and decided to browse this e-harmony website. Two hours later and $30 US poorer, I had signed up for the minimum period of three months. I wasn't very hopeful and soon forgot all about it.

On the very last day of my membership, I received an email to say "Tony from Auckland would like to chat with you" and that's where my love story begins. The site was extremely safe and no personal details were exchanged-we were both asked a series of more questions and could only contact each other through the site. When I finally decided I'd like to meet Tony in person, I discovered he was actually working in America for two months setting up a factory! More chatting online ensued.

Meanwhile, my visa was running out and I'd planned to teach English in S. America. I met Tony in person as soon as he returned to Auckland and decided to just go on holiday there instead. I got another visa and... four years later, we got married! It still always amazes us of the chances of me, an Irish lass, meeting someone from the other side of the world. My friends were right to encourage me!