The Team - Laura Csortan

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Being a presenter for "The Great Outdoors" means Laura travels the world on assignment. The former Miss Universe Australia (1997) and Miss World Australia (1998) displays an easygoing on-screen style that made her a standout from the field of more than 600 audition hopefuls for the job on "The Great Outdoors".

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Laura Csortan's Blog

Posted: August 10 04:08PM EST

Top five things to do in my home town

Adelaide, South Australia

1. Visit the Barossa - McLaren Vale - to taste the great local wines! 2. Cruising the Adelaide Hills - the Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas. 3. Whale watching and surfing at Victor Harbour.
4. Water skiing on the Murray River (can also do great rec dives). 5. There are also great restaurants and pubs!
… More

The producers of "The Great Outdoors" were suitably impressed with Laura's natural on-camera performance. Coupled with her impressive outdoor credentials, she was the obvious choice to take on the more action-oriented holidays.

Born and raised in Adelaide, Laura displayed a genuine love of 'the great outdoors' from an early age. One could safely estimate she has spent more of her life outdoors than in. Her skills include: solo sky-diving, rock climbing, cross country snow-skiing, advanced scuba diving, competitive swimming, white water kayaking, horse-riding and water-skiing.

A former model and fitness instructor, Laura did have some previous television experience. She hosted Beyond Production's "World's Best Beaches" for the USA Travel Channel, and a travel show on Australia for Italian television.

She has also co-presented several Adelaide based specials for Channel Seven, including "Fishing and Boating SA" and "Drag Racing Today".

As a model, Laura featured in the Australian Fashion Awards, on "The Battle of The Sexes" on the Ten Network, graced the covers of national sports magazines, and hosted the national and state finals for the 1998 Holeproof Underdaks Hunk Of The Year Awards.

Laura was the Miss Australia entrant for the 1997 Miss Universe and Miss World pageants - the first model to represent Australia in both the two major international pageants. She was crowned Miss Congeniality at the 1997 Miss Universe Pageant.

Laura's first report went to air on "The Great Outdoors" in October 2000.

"The past four years have been amazing," she says. "I have been jumping out of planes at 16,000 feet, mountain bike riding in Scotland, white water-rafting in the US and even clay pigeon shooting! It's a privilege to see the world and also share my journeys with viewers along the way."

Laura's surname, Csortan, is pronounced 'Sortan' and is of Hungarian origin.