Hey there all of you in Travel Tart land, today I’ve scored an interview with Denham Hitchcock who is a foreign correspondent for the Australian current affairs show, Sunday Night.
I envy his job – he’s filed reports from all over the world covering all sorts of things like presidential inaugurations, earthquakes, and even taking a bike trip down the world’s most dangerous road in Bolivia (which I’ve been crazy enough to do too!). If he wants an assistant to help him out on the road, I’m his man!
Here is his profile:
Denham Hitchcock is a member of the Seven Network’s Sunday Night presenting team. Denham began his career in news straight out of high school at the age of 18, and worked his way through the ranks. During his career his roles have included being chief of staff, producer, executive producer, editor, and reporter. He has worked in seven different newsrooms in two countries, doing a two year stint in the UK that included working for the news giants, Reuters, BSKYB and GMTV.
Eventually, after a few years backpacking, and with the travel bug satisfied he returned to Australia to work as a reporter for the Nine Network. In 2010 Denham was appointed US Correspondent in Nine’s Los Angeles Bureau and worked around the clock for Today Show, 11am, 1630 News, 5pm News, the main bulletin at 6pm, A Current Affair and 60 Minutes. In this role he got a front seat to major historical news events.
Already, during his ongoing career Denham has covered stories in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, central and South America. Those stories included Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the Boston Bombings, the papal election in The Vatican City, Super Hurricane Sandy, the death of Osama Bin Laden, the drug cartel war in Juarez Mexico the massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school, the last shuttle liftoff, the first win by an Australian at the US Masters Augusta, and four years of red carpet mayhem at the Oscars.
Denham has also done many profile interviews with celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, Johnny Depp, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton and Betty White and many more.
Anyway, Denham was a great sport and here is the interview below!
You can say hi to @DenhamHitchcock on Twitter as well!
The Sunday Night Interview with Denham Hitchcock!
The Travel Tart: Hi Denham, thanks for the time to chat. All sorts of travel related characters read this silly blog from all around the world, so tell us a bit about yourself and how you’ve managed to have such a great job!
Denham Hitchcock: Dear Tart. Love the blog. To answer your first question I’ve always been a news junkie, I’ve always asked way too many questions, and I’ve always loved the beauty of the written word. I started by answering phones and filling the biscuit barrel in the Today Tonight newsroom in 1995. Since then I’ve worked as a researcher, a producer, a chief of staff, an editor, an executive producer, reporter and now correspondent. In short, I badgered, elbowed and hustled my way up the ladder. And yes, this particular job at Sunday Night is a little special.
The Travel Tart: I had a big grin on my face when I saw you cover a few stories in South America, simply because I had experienced a few of your story subjects like mountain biking the world’s most dangerous road in Bolivia. I loved that experience so much I wanted to do it again the next day, even though I was mentally exhausted from concentrating all of my brain power to staying on the road. Do you pinch yourself some days? I would!
Denham Hitchcock: Funnily enough I find the magic of the moment comes not during the experience, but afterwards. At the time, I’m concentrating on covering the story, getting the pictures, asking the right questions to the right people. It’s not until later when I get home that I sit back and think hey, I was just in the oval office with the President, or I just watched the last space shuttle take off, or I was at the front lines in Iraq, or even chatting to Brangalina at the Oscars, or like you, riding the death road at speed in a rain storm!
One of my goals for 2016 is to try and be more in the moment.
The Travel Tart: Have you ever woken up one day thinking, ‘where the hell am I?’ because you’ve been on the go too much? For example, have you put on a bulletproof vest and helmet in Sydney thinking you were somewhere else, like a war zone?
Denham Hitchcock: At the witching hour of 3am on any given night in any hotel room around the globe you can find me wandering naked and confused, searching for the bathroom and wandering where on earth I am and in which language I should ask for directions…
The Travel Tart: You’re known for your love of keeping physically fit by using pretty much anything to work out. When you’re out and and about travelling, it can be hard to stick to a routine (you have no idea how hard it is to maintain a one pack…). What’s the most unusual item that you’ve used as gym equipment when you’ve been on the road?
Denham Hitchcock: Yes. I will adapt to my surroundings in order to get a little exercise. Body weight is enough as long as you have the willpower. One word. Burpees. Try 12 per minute any speed you like, for five minutes. Longest five minutes of your life. You might even define your one pack even more! Strangest equipment – imagination.
The Travel Tart: You’ve been to a few places that can have a high likelihood of a fatal visit. I’m sure you’ve come across some pretty hairy situations! Out of all of the places you’ve been to, which single event has left you almost wearing the brown underpants?
Denham Hitchcock: The fireworks story for Sunday Night, my first story. I was pushing a giant paper mache bull through a crowd – loaded with over a tonne of explosives and fireworks that was going off all around me. Three people went under the wheels of the bull, and then my jeans and T shirt caught fire. I promised the nutcase who made the bull that I wouldn’t let go until it was over. I kept my promise, but I thought I was going to end up with some serious burns. My saviour was a Mexican guy who ran in and put out the flames. I left him a gift card for a lifetime of clothes.
The Travel Tart: What’s been the most confronting story that you’ve covered that’s left you questioning everything?
Denham Hitchcock: Any time you see piles of dead bodies, especially children. Unfortunately I’ve seen that far too many times.
The Travel Tart: Yikes, I can only imagine what that would be like. That’s not exactly something you can ‘unsee’. What plans do you have for your future foreign correspondent adventures, and your media career in general?
Denham Hitchcock: Now that I’ve sat for an interview with the Travel Tart, the search for news nirvana is complete!
The Travel Tart: Ha ha ha, I’m glad that this silly interview has ‘completed you’! 🙂 And finally, where was the place where you first thought, ‘hell yeah, I love this travel thing?’
Denham Hitchcock: My first surf trip. Warm water. board shorts. Immersed in the salty goddess without a care in the world…
The Travel Tart: Cool! Thanks so much for the chat and good luck with your future travels!
Great interview with Denham Mr Travel Tart! Love these questions and Denham’s answers!
Thanks mate! I really enjoyed this one!