The Maltese in Australia will probably be holding their breath next Sunday as one of their own takes centre stage to compete for the coveted Australian Idol title.

Natalie Gauci, the 25-year-old who hopes one day to write a song with American singer and guitarist John Mayer, will be singing for the title tomorrow week at Sydney's Opera House.

The young Melbournian has defeated some 35,000 other hopefuls from all over the country to make it to the final, where she will be competing with Matt Corby, 17.

The Maltese in Australia have voiced their enthusiasm for Ms Gauci, posting well wishes on a number of websites.

"We are all very proud of her," Gozitan Frank Schembri, who has been living in Australia for many years, told The Times.

In her online blog, Ms Gauci said the best fan moment she had was during a charity ball when "this lovely lady came up and gave me a big hug and started speaking to me in Maltese, and was so proud of both her and I being Maltese.

"I can't speak Maltese, so I felt really embarrassed! She was really nice and was so proud - she definitely made an impact on me".

The brunette was an immediate hit with judges of the nationwide talent contest, with one of them telling her she could win the competition right after her initial audition.

The singer, who got her first gig at the age of 17, said the contest has helped her get to know herself better.

"When I first started, I had so many doubts about who I was - I felt that to please people, I would have to change myself and I was really shy in front of the cameras.

"I wasn't myself - I put up a wall," she said in her latest posting on her blog, adding that she noticed that the production crew did not show too much footage of her, "mainly because I didn't say anything".

But midway through the competition she realised that if she kept going that way "I'm toast".

"I just broke out of my shell." And it seemed that people liked who she was.

"I started getting a different reaction and I got the confidence to just be myself."

She said that irrespective of Sunday's result, in her heart she feels like she has already won.

"This isn't the end... it's just the beginning for me," she said.