Her first solo trip was to Papua New Guinea at the age of 17. Later, in 2011, she decided to return there to conduct her first fieldwork for the Wild Born Project. She had been contacted by a friend who was working as a fixer in the region at the time and was about to embark on a trip with a group of cave explorers deep into the Bosavi region in the country's Southern Highlands. They were due to make a base camp in a village inhabited by the Kosua tribe, and invited Ally along. "The Kosua live in one of the most rich biodiverse jungles on the planet, and in isolation from the outside world," she explains. "The expedition involved hiring a plane to take us into the jungle, and trekking through rough terrain to reach the villages. Knowing of me and the project I had been conceiving, he offered me the opportunity to join so that I could live with the Kosua and hopefully be invited along on a pregnant woman’s journey if there was one living among them who would be willing to collaborate."