GRUELLING 27km hikes and shark encounters were all part of a day's work for Holly Flanigan on her way to a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

Holly, 18, said the Duke of Edinburgh course landed her in both thrilling and dangerous situations.

"We went on a canoe adventure journey down the Noosa River and one of the canoes capsized," she said.

"Just as the canoe capsized we saw a shark in the lake.

"One of the girls had a massive freak-out."

The Nanango High School graduate said the adventure thrills continued out of the water and on land.

"Hiking 27km a day was the hardest thing I've done ever," she said.

"We had to walk through creeks, I had blisters everywhere and there were insects, leaches and ticks everywhere.

"Sometimes I just wanted to give up but as soon as I finished I wanted to get straight back out there."

The Duke of Edinburgh also took her on a month- long trip to Germany, but it was a less than smooth start to the exchange.

"My friend had a really bad reaction to some medicine. Her neck shot backwards and it was paralysed there," she said.

"It was very traumatic, I didn't really know what to do or how to handle the situation."

However Holly said once her friend recovered, she used the incident as a learning experience.

"It really helped my quick thinking and decision making," she said.

She said the incident in Germany helped her realise her dream of becoming a paramedic.

"I love the adrenalin side of things, and helping people," she said.

"I'm a type-1 diabetic too, so I know how important it is to have someone calm in a panicky situation.

"So Germany was definitely a turning point to help me realise that."

Holly said her adventures were just one part of her Duke of Edinburgh course, but she felt her hands-on experiences left her with life-long skills.

"The award really strengthened my instincts and taught me how to use them," she said.