Flinders Island

I left the newsroom at 6pm but I couldn’t stop thinking about the early start tomorrow where I was boarding a light plane to an island I never knew existed. 

Was it going to be like.. those crazy political visits where I need to be in front all the time.. shooting everything and anything that happens… being strictly focused on any expressions or hand movements that might offer a different photo… 

Was I over thinking it again?

Actually it was not this at all, well it was great, except the fact that I had lost sleep thinking about this light plane. I had never done the light plane transport thing and didn’t really like big ones! Did I mention that I was in a space probably no larger than half my bedroom with a pilot, a pollie, a journo, a nice media advisor and a guy in a suit.

We arrived on Flinders Island, a place with only a couple of towns, you can have a beach to yourself and a population of approx 800 people.  (I'm happy to be corrected) There it was.. our hire car and the reality we all had to cram into this old sedan.

God I loved it, driving around with Labour Health Minister Michelle O’Byrne and her people, at the start it was intimidating.. why because I was a young news photographer in Tassie for only a few days, I didn’t know them or there policies and promises .. these people were all dressed and ready for business.

But I knew I had to relax get to know them, talk, be human and have fun! 

After all the official visits to the hospital, school and the local butcher who sells wallaby burgers we had a quick look at the beaches before jumping back on the plane, a placeworth exploring again for sure.  Im so lucky to sent to an island, to photograph the health minister, have lunch on the beach and experiencing something others wouldn’t for work.