Why an Australian moved from Afghanistan to sunny Cyprus to set up a dog-sledding business

Armed with her three snow-loving pet huskies, this entrepreneur has launched an unexpected business

An Australian entrepreneur has launched dog-sledding on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Courtesy Ali Rhind

An Australian woman has set up the first husky sledding business on the island of Cyprus – and it’s proving to be a howling success.

After rescuing two huskies, one from a roadside kiosk and the other from a shelter, Ali Rhind discovered their true calling on a day trip to the island’s Troodos Mountains.

“There was a lot of snow that year and Dolce and Lulu were having a great time,” says Rhind. “A friend then hired a small sled and introduced it to the dogs, who just knew what to do and loved it.

“After that, I decided this was more than just fun; it was a great thing for the dogs to do because it was what they were bred for and they could truly be themselves.

"So, I had a sled made, bought the proper harnesses and set up shop – and found myself blown away by the response. Everyone adores the dogs; so much so that we are close to booked up before the season even begins.”

Although not famed for its winter sports – Cyprus boasts an average of 320 sunny days a year – the Mediterranean island has two mountain ranges and enjoys snow for at least two months each year. But while most entrepreneurs look to the beach to make their money, Rhind has always taken the more interesting road in life.

From Afghanistan to the Mediterranean  

Following a successful career in banking, Rhind, 58, walked away from Sydney’s corporate world to work for a charity in Sri Lanka, testing elephants for tuberculosis. From there she went to Afghanistan, working for Oxfam and Afghan Aid, before taking a role with the country’s fledgling government, headed by Hamid Karzai.

During her eight years in Afghanistan, she was kidnapped, shot at and nearly caught in an explosion.

While on a mission with Afghan Aid, she says: "The Taliban held me captive for a day in a province called Ghor. I had gone to the area to talk about the National Solidarity Programme – a government initiative to rehabilitate and develop Afghan villages – but they wanted none of it. There were a lot of men with guns and they closed the room I was in.

“I was held for about six hours. Thankfully, international soldiers from the Provincial Reconstruction Team came to get me. However, when my boss said she wanted me to stay in the area another week, I said: ‘Are you insane? I’ve just been held at gunpoint’. That’s when I took the government job.

“I loved the work, but in a country like Afghanistan you have to know when your number is up and after eight years there, I found myself stuck in a traffic jam and knew that time had come. From nowhere, dog handlers appeared and the dogs were going berserk at a vehicle two lanes away from me. The security guys then started screaming at everyone to get out of their cars and run. Clearly, I did as I was told.

"The vehicle had a huge bomb inside it. Luckily the detonator failed to go off and they managed to get it away to detonate it safely, but it was a close call, and my signal to leave.”

Knowing she needed some downtime, Rhind went to visit friends in Cyprus, wanting nothing more than to relax before deciding on her next move. However, she liked the island so much, she decided to buy property and stay.

After buying a village house in Polemi in 2012, Rhind knew she would need to find a way to sustain her quieter life on the Greek-speaking island. So she decided to go back to her first love, sport, and retrained as a fitness instructor.

“I was actually born in Aberdeen in Scotland and moved to Brisbane in 1971 when I was 9. Dad was a builder and Australia was desperate for builders at that time, so we came to build ourselves a better life.

“Within five hours of arriving, Dad got a job. At first, we lived in a migrant hostel, which wasn’t ideal for a family, but we moved into our own house a year later in Graceville, a suburb of Brisbane. It was there that I saw a sign in a shop advertising Scottish Highland dancing. It was something I really wanted to do because I used to dance in Scotland, but my mum said no, that I should find something Australian to do. So, my brother and I played sport – like every other Australian kid – and we both went on to play junior tennis for Australia.”

Having been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 26, Rhind has successfully managed her illness through diet and exercise. For a woman who loves to cook, this could have been a nightmare, but she turned it to her advantage by setting up her second business in Cyprus, Spicy Ali’s Guilt Free Curry Company, offering homemade, gluten-free curries for the health-conscious.

“Cyprus is an island built on small and mid-size enterprises, and there is a very deep entrepreneurial vein running through its core,” she says. “For anyone with ideas and a willingness to work, it’s an ideal place to set up a business and the location is great.

“Because it is famous for its all-year-round sunshine, most people forget that the island enjoys four distinct seasons and they are amazed to find that in the winter you can play in the snow in the morning and be on the beach by the afternoon. Naturally, when I discovered snow in the mountains, I had to take the dogs to see it. And that’s how my third business came about.”

Sledding season 

Now in its third season, Husky Sledding Cyprus has expanded its team with old pros Dolce and Lulu welcoming new boy, Dante, to the team. Rhind offers 90-minute sessions for up to six people for €195 ($238).

“For most of the year, the dogs are pretty much house dogs. We all get up before the sun to go for a 12-kilometre hike and then they chill for the rest of the day, so they are not only fit but raring to go by the time the snow arrives.

“As well as a custom-built sled, the dogs all wear proper dog-sledding harnesses and they only work when they want to. Of course, they don’t really see it as work because they have so much fun – and they love the attention.

“All three huskies start howling on the last 15km stretch of road going up to Mount Olympus, they are that excited and, of course, everyone gets excited hearing them arrive. Though I have done little in the way of advertising, word has quickly got round and during the school holidays we are pretty much booked. For me it really has turned out to be a dream job.

“It’s great that I can turn my love of exercising and my love for the dogs into a viable business. It really is a family business in that sense. And should the day come when the dogs have had enough, that will be the end of it. But right now, we are all having fun – and sharing that fun!”