Getaway presenter Catriona Rowntree reveals the harsh reality of being a travel reporter… and why it’s NOT a dream job
Catriona Rowntree has been the main presenter of Channel Nine’s Getaway for almost 25 years.
And while many people would think that being paid to travel and talk about exotic destinations is a dream job for any reporter, think again.
In a new interview with TV Tonight, Catriona, 49, revealed that the gig isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
‘It’s not for everyone’: Getaway presenter Catriona Rowntree has revealed why the life of a travel reporter ISN’T all it’s cracked up to be
‘A lot of people look at the life of a travel reporter and think “That’s the dream job” but it’s not for everyone, (evidenced by) the fact that we’ve had so many guest reporters over the years,’ she explained.
‘We work with a tiny crew. I do all my own hair, make-up, wardrobe and I write my own stuff – you’ve got to be pretty multi-skilled,’ she continued.
‘You have to be a people person with the patience of a saint. And regardless of what’s happening off-camera, you have to deliver to the best of your ability, then forget about it and move on. You are not going to be back next week to reshoot.’
‘We work with a tiny crew. I do all my own hair, make-up, wardrobe and I write my own stuff – you’ve got to be pretty multi-skilled,’ she told TV Tonight
After Catriona got engaged to farmer James Pettit in 2007, she relocated from Sydney to rural Victoria to start a family.
The move made things difficult for her job, with long trips to the airport and half-day trips into Nine’s GTV station to record voiceovers for Getaway.
Fortunately, things have become easier now with technology, and Catriona is able to record all her voiceovers from home.
‘You have to be a people person with the patience of a saint,’ she explained, adding that there’s no chance for reshoots if something messes up because they shoot on location
Another hurdle to hosting the popular travel show is that most of the content featured now is sponsored due to budget cuts over the years.
‘You’ve got to be able to survive, certainly in commercial TV, and for us that followed the tune of the major sponsor,’ she said.
‘Our major sponsor for many years now has been Scenic Tours. In the past, we’ve had airlines. When it shifted to Scenic, yes, that shift did mean, we were predominantly doing their chosen locations.’
‘You’ve got to be able to survive, certainly in commercial TV, and for us that followed the tune of the major sponsor’: Getaway now relies on sponsors to survive
However, Catriona still claimed that they’re able to do some ‘independent stories’ too.
At the peak of Getaway’s popularity, the 49-year-old published her own travel book called Catriona’s Australia: My Favourite Aussie Locations.
Getaway currently airs on Weekends and is available to stream on 9Now.
Do you still watch? Getaway currently airs on Weekends and is available to stream on 9Now