An Australian has just won a cheeky photo competition run by Canadian travel company SameSun Backpacker Lodges which asked entrants to "Show us your Beaver".

SameSun Backpacker Lodges asked contestants to send through any image of themselves posing with their company logo – which just happened to be a cartoon Beaver.

And the company admits that it was a grab for attention, with Craig Kelley, SameSun President saying, “It’s a Canadian play on words and our in-house lounges are named 'The Beaver'.”

“The title was to get people's attention and for the vast majority of our international guests, they loved the name and embraced the contest. We had hundreds of photo submissions from all over the world with thousands of views.”

There were quite a few outraged locals who said the contest took one step too far.

“I don't think it's appropriate to be blasting 'Beaver innuendo's' around cyberspace. Add in the fact that a lot of the photos parlayed a sexual theme and you have a contest that is simply over the top,” remarked Mark Stope, a member of Values Vancouver.

But for the New South Welshman winner Adam Granger from (aptly enough) Booti Booti, there are no protests about the first prize of a plane ticket to anywhere in the world.

“I had seen the contest and wanted to submit something, but didn't know where to take the shot. After a sub-zero lake jump near Banff I felt that this was as vintage Canadian as it gets and had a friend take the shot,” says Adam of his winning entry.

Adam plans on flying to Zanzibar with the prize money.

Winning entry photo from Adam