Bush not a bad place to be according to Lucy

DON'T be afraid to scare yourself was the message Lucy Kinbacher gave Biggenden State School students at its 61st awards night.

CHAMPION OF THE BUSH: Lucy Kinbacher was guest speaker at the Biggenden State School's 61st awards night. Picture: Erica Murree

DON'T be afraid to scare yourself was the message Lucy Kinbacher gave Biggenden State School students at its 61st awards night.

When asked to put their hands up if they were going to leave Biggenden to chase your dreams, a good percentage of students did so.

Ms Kinbacher explained she was in the same position five years ago.

"Still a school student, I couldn't wait to graduate school and get as far away from the country as I possibly could,” she said.

"My dream was to get an awesome OP, go to a great university and study journalism so I could become a sports reporter at the Courier Mail.”

She said she was so caught up in this dream she even had a theme song to play the day she landed this writing gig.

"But what if I told you that five years later I've taken the completely opposite direction.”

Ms Kinbacher told the students she thought the only way you could be successful was by moving to the skyscrapers.

"But sometimes you have to get lost to find yourself,” she said.

Lucy started her jouralism career at 17 as a crime and general news reporter with Gold Coast Bulletin.

Two years ago, as much as she loved city life, something was missing.

"I didn't feel like I was making a difference,” she said.

The move to Roma she said was one of the best decisions she has made.

"I was there as remote communities welcomed me at their events like I was one of their own and I was there as they shared their successes,” she said.

That job in the bush made her the state's best rural print journalist earlier this year and landed her a plane ticket to the Netherlands for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Conference.

Now livestock editor with a large agricultural newspaper at Tamworth, Lucy told the students the hardest decision you'll make in life is choosing where to start.

"Dont be afraid to take a different turn or head in the opposite direction, even if it is one bound for the bush,” she said.

”It'll be the unexpected twists and turns that led you somewhere greater than you ever thought possible.

”Those are the things that will stay with you for a lifetime.”