On Saturday Griffith East Public School’s Alex Gilbert will swap the city’s soaring summer heat for sub-zero temperatures in the small town of Enterprise, Oregon, USA.

After a disappointing first application to the teacher exchange program found her unable to find a partner willing to live as far west as Griffith, Miss Gilbert decided to try again in 2016.

“It was a ‘why not?’ moment,” she said on Friday.

“Two other staff from our school had been and they said it was a life changing experience.

“I didn’t think I would get an exchange, a lot of people see Griffith as being quite isolated, but I had already done all of the paperwork so I thought I would give it another go.”

Luckily for Miss Gilbert American teacher and mother of two Colby Knifong was up for the challenge and with her family, is set to make the move down under.

“She and her family feel it isn’t that far out west and they are used to a smaller town,” Miss Gilbert said while packing up her home, where the American family will live for the next year.

“Colby said her children are excited for an Australian summer and to see their first snake and redback.

“They are really looking forward to immersing themselves in the Australian culture and learning about things like AFL, but also for her it is a great opportunity to teach in a larger school.”

Similarly Miss Gilbert is preparing for the challenge of classes running four days a week from 7.30am to 3.30pm and a smaller school in an isolated location.

To get to Enterprise, population 1884, she will have to take three flights and then hit the road for a two hour drive.

“Then I will have my first chaperoned driving lesson on the other side of the road at 9am Sunday,” she laughed.

“I am looking forward to the challenge, especially driving on the wrong side of the road in the snow.”

“I wanted to try a new experience and broaden my horizons – hopefully this will extend my teaching capabilities,” she said. “I am excited and eager and I am so pleased that I will be nowhere near mosquitoes.”