Gee, how time flies when you’re having, um, fun? Yeah, not too sure about that, but I’m surprised to realise it’s been over 18 months since I’ve posted anything here. Indeed, it’s been about that long since I did anything online that wasn’t related to work.
While I was working down in St George for the Balonne Beacon back in January 2008, I was offered a job as the journalist for the Western Times in Charleville. At the same time, I got offers from the Dalby Herald, the Toowoomba Chronicle and the Bundaberg NewsMail.

It’s kinda funny really. I never wanted to either be a journalist or work in newspapers, but life’s like that - ya never know where it’s gonna go. So anyway, I said no to Dalby because that’s where I was born and I didn’t really feel like going back there. Don’t get me wrong - Dalby’s not a bad country town, it’s more like - been there, done that. I said no to Toowoomba for a number of reasons - Toowoomba’s a big place now compared to what it was like when I went to college there back in the 1970s - too much traffic and traffic lights! But more importantly, the job wasn’t for me. They wanted someone to write advertising features for glossy inserts and free mags. I loathe advertising. The job in Bundaberg was kinda interesting. They wanted a rural reporter and I reckoned that’d probably be ok, but again, Bundaberg has changed a lot over the last decade or so - too much traffic and traffic lights. So Charleville it was.

Charleville is the main town in the Murweh Shire about 800k west of Brisbane - the Gateway to the Outback; population around 3,000, four pubs and four clubs. When I first arrived here back in March last year, I went into one of the pubs and asked the publican: “So what do people do in Charleville?” He said “Do you like fishing?” “No,” I replied. “Well it’s a good thing you like beer,” he said.

Anyway, I’ve settled into the job and settled into the town. I really like it out here. It’s a great place - great community. Everyone’s pretty friendly. As for the job - it’s pretty much 24-7 - full on, but I’m enjoying it.

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