Since the flood of North West Queensland we've had an endless amount stories streaming online and in our local papers.

Personally I believe in my three years at The North West Star this has been some of our best rolling coverage, but rather unfortunate circumstances.

Both myself and editor Derek Barry have travelled around the North West trying to cover the event best we could, given the mass flood cutting roads in most directions.

Thankfully during my time at the North Queensland Register in 2017, I established great contacts with graziers, mayors and councillors across the Mount Isa to Townsville corridor.

Greg Campbell in Cloncurry, Belinda Murphy in McKinlay Shire, John Wharton in Richmond and Jane McNamara in Flinders Shire.

I just want to apologise for calling many, many times to get local updates. But I also want to thank you for your time and support to the local paper, in what I understand would have been one of the toughest times in this term of council.

All of these mayors, as well as Winton, Carpentaria and Burketown are not only running a council, but also have their own properties that were affected by the flooding event.

Off a cattle station myself, I couldn't help but feel the heartache these councillors and other North West graziers faced during this devastating event.

My rolling coverage of the last two months, hit closer to home then I realised.

I would find myself in the middle of writing a story and just crying for these people who lost everything, their income, home, family pets, belongings and lifestyle.

Witnessing piles of dead cattle in muddy black soil, cows hanging from trees and supporting adult men crying; is not something I imagined myself covering when I left university.

But I am glad I could support councils and graziers across the region.

I do not think this is something I will ever forget in my career, and even afterwards.

- Senior Journalist, Samantha Walton.