It definitely didn’t. Five days was more than enough of the dirty, half-deserted town that felt like it would cloud you in a layer of deep depression if you lived there.

The inner city was shrouded in a feeling of hopelessness. People walked around past bargain stores and scores of empty shops and groups of drunk, abusive homeless people.

Even during the day I didn’t feel safe walking to and from work.

The work I was given mainly consisted of picture stories, briefs and press release re-writes. It was a good experience to see how completely differently APN and News operate.

The week went fast and I can’t complain but honestly I was so glad when Friday afternoon rolled around and I could walk out of there knowing I didn’t have to spend any more time in Townsville!

But it’s always worth seeing places and now I can say I have been, seen and will try my best never to return!

Panic set in about three hours into my journey up the coast. Small town Australia scared me. Visions of snakes, spiders, cockroaches and all unpredictable slithery, crawling, flying things began to make me seriously consider the impulse to jump off the bus and get back to civilisation pronto. 

But my fears proved unjustified. 

Work at the paper has been a great experience so far. Day one gave me a taste of interviewing, news photography and deadlines in a newsroom. 

Day two I was dropped in the deep end. A local woman went missing and the disappearance was treated as suspicious. 

The chief of staff said: “Go”. I thought, where? “Come back with a picture of this woman, I want to know what she was like, what her friends say, a picture. Go,” he said.

This was followed by countless other requests of differing natures. Not one day has been the same and every day has proved intriguing – from orchids to land claims.

I have interviewed a locksmith who confessed one of his colleagues had his house broken into, talked to 90-year-olds who were obsessed with a model train set, learnt all about orchids, interviewed truck drivers and been yelled at by numerous angry Hervey Bay residents who didn’t take kindly to being approached about a vox pop.

Court reporting proved the biggest challenge – I learnt my lesson: do not go to court if you don’t understand the terminology being used. It leads to utter confusion followed by frustration. All worked out well in the end though. I understand court proceedings now!

And thank god for short hand. There is no way I could have taken proper notes without it. Thank you Julie!

And press conferences. Hmmm. I’m still unconvinced about television reporters…

But I have to say the highlight of the week to date was the rodeo.

If there was one thing I thought I’d never go to it would be a rodeo. Cowboy hats, denim, belt buckles, boots and stubbies reigned supreme.

Oh and the country music inspired some sort of steel-tipped boot tapping around a barnyard. Or something.

The main arena housed countless people who from my point of view all had the same goal in mind. A distinct desire to kill themselves in awful, gory ways.

Crazed looking horses and bulls with intimidating horns bucked and whinnied (not sure if that’s the correct word for the scary noises they made) their way through the day to cheers of mirth from cowboys and girls.

Tempted to scream at various points throughout the day I resisted, but only just, and felt incredibly stupid when upstaged by tiny cowgirls riding round on crazy looking beasts I would be too scared to even get within a foot of.

These cowgirls who would have been only up to my knee not only rode these crazed beasts they whipped them into action and raced around arenas – brave, brave kids.

One ten year old got kicked by a bull and flown to hospital. Brave I tell you.

The editor, who had a broken leg but was dedicated to the cause, made her way round the event in a wheelchair. Our paper did a beef giveaway.

One extremely unlucky cow and one lucky meat-loving reader were introduced. Apparently the prize was about half a cow. The winning family is probably tucking into a hearty meal of poor cow as I write this.

So week one has been great, even though every form of sauvignon blanc has alluded me.

But it’s not. Today John introduced us to a fly-on-the-wall doco that followed local councillors in the lead up to a mayoral election. It ticked all the boxes that seem a must-have for reality shows; constant fights, deceit, flying insults and people who could be described as less than efficient at communicating.

It confirmed again that local councils may go on about working for the people and other equally spun phrases about hard work and goodness but in reality they spend a huge chunk of their time discussing the irrelevant.

Evidently that’s not all the time though – last week I went to BCC’s Homeless Connect event and witnessed what can happen when councillors spend more time doing and less time back-stabbing and soliloquising. 

Clare

Last week’s opera review was another tricky one. In my general blindess I didn’t realise the English translation ran above the stage so was left wondering why everyone was laughing. It took me until half way through to notice the blatantly obvious words staring me in the face. For a first opera experience I enjoyed it though!

Going to a press conference was also a first - the general slow pace of the television reporters was unexpected. This particular press conference was all about the latest high-tech breath tester being released in Queensland. For vision it was decided someone would model blowing into the device. This was repeated countless times until the premium shot was found – to me the whole thing looked the same every time but I guess that’s TV and why I like print. The fact that my brand new heels were sinking into the perfect grass on Speakers Green didn’t help the cause either!

Clare

To start with I can’t pronounce e/i  properly, hidge, wist ind, and six are words I should never say in the company of jschoolers, especially Luke

Sarina Russo doesn’t take well to having her photo taken

Australian federal parliament is hilarious…Minister for FINANCE!

Never speak to PR people about anything

And as for Napoleon, the Magna Carta and Julius Caesar … Beware the ides of March comes to mind

Clare