Since her CSI: NY boyfriend A.J. Buckley left Australia a few weeks ago, Sharni Vinson has already racked up countless hours on the phone to her beau.

While the Home and Away star previously believed that 'long-distance relationships don't work', she's changed her tune since she met A.J. three months ago at a party in LA. 'I'm head over heels,' Sharni says. 'I was never one for long-distance dating, but it's working!'

Even though they spend most of their time in two different countries, thanks to modern technology the pair still get to see each other every day via their computers. 'Although, when I get home it's 10pm and so A.J. has to set his alarm clock for 5am,' Sharni says.

Thirty-year-old A.J. is equally as smitten. 'There hasn't been anyone who's stopped me in my tracks like Sharni,' he says. 'But it does suck not being able to come home to each other. You have to be prepared to miss each other a lot, but we're determined to see each other every three weeks. I don't think it should go longer than that.'

Sparks first flew in LA when the pair met at a Fourth of July barbecue. Sharni, 24, says: 'I went to stay with my girlfriend and she said: 'There's an actor who lives upstairs and he's really funny. I think you'd get on well with him.' The pair bonded while manning the drinks table. 'We now have a joke where I say: 'You had me at punch!' Sharni laughs.

The pair connected immediately and didn't even discuss their acting gigs. 'We didn't talk about our work for the longest time because there were so many other, more interesting things to talk about,' says A.J. who'll soon be seen on the big screen
in the thriller The Box. 'It's always nice when you meet someone and the vibe's just there.

Sharni had never watched CSI: NY and I'd never heard of Home and Away, so there was no preconceived notions. Plus I really liked how Sharni wasn't from America, there was just a different feeling. We started cracking jokes with each other and laughing hysterically. It's just how it's been between us ever since,' A.J. says with a smile.

The couple were inseparable for the following month before Sharni had to return to Summer Bay. And proving how committed he is to their budding relationship, A.J. paid her a surprise visit shortly after she returned home. 'I had a weekend free so I flew to Sydney to see Sharni,' he says. 'I was only there for 48 hours, but it was worth it. The funny thing is, it's 13 hours by plane, but to me it's really not that far. I guess in life you just have to prioritise things.'

A.J., who was born in Ireland and raised in Canada, surprised Sharni again with another visit when a last minute scheduling change to CSI: NY allowed him two weeks of leave. 'He called me one day and said: 'What are you doing this weekend? Want to hang out?' Sharni says. 'He then explained that he'd just booked a flight to Australia that morning. I couldn't believe it.'

One of the main things the lovebirds have in common is their love of family. Many of Sharni's relatives live in the same beachside street, and A.J. is equally close to his family, which includes a biological sister and five adopted brothers and sisters.
'My mum's a therapist and ran a treatment facility from home for disadvantaged children,' he explains. 'We'd have people from every walk of life living with us - children who were blind
or who had Down syndrome, or children in witness protection. That opened my eyes to life - it humbles you. I think that's why I don't get stressed about a lot of things.'

A.J. has now cemented himself as a series regular on CSI: NY, working alongside Gary Sinise, but he's equally as taken with Australia and could envisage living here. A.J. says there's much to love about Australia including the accents and colloquialisms.
'Sharni said to me the other day that she had lost her thongs by the pool. I thought: 'Why would you lose your underwear by the pool?' Finally she came out holding them, and I said: 'Oh, you mean your flip-flops.' Sometimes I have no idea what she's talking about.'

The loved-up pair will see each other whenever they can.
'You just have to let all the worries and insecurities fall
by the wayside in a situation like this,' A.J. says. 'It's totally worth it, making the sacrifices to see each other.' And a beaming Sharni agrees: 'We're just going to let it happen. It's all working out really well.'

For more on Sharni Vinson and the rest of her cast mates head to the Home and Away site