From war zones, to the red carpet: ABC journalist Lisa Millar prepares for her first Gold Logie nomination

There’s unexpected career paths, and then there’s the one taken by veteran ABC journalist Lisa Millar. Just a few short years ago she was filing stories from war zones and areas of conflict as the national broadcaster’s Foreign Correspondent. Now she’s filming Muster Dogs with puppies, eating scones with CWA ladies for Back Roads — and prepping to walk the red carpet at this year’s TV WEEK Logie Awards.

She’s loving every second of it.

“Surreal, is the best word to describe it all,” says Millar of her life right now.

“I had to fly from Kingaroy in Queensland this week, where I was filming Muster Dogs and getting down and dirty in my boots and jeans with puppies, to Sydney — for a dress fitting!

“Then last night I flew to Armidale (in New South Wales) and drove an hour and a half to Glen Innes — surreal is definitely the way to describe my life.”

This year, Millar is in the running for a coveted Gold Logie — her beloved ABC series Muster Dogs is also up for a gong.

Preparing for TV’s glittering night of nights — and all the flimflam and glam that comes with that — is a world away from the early morning starts and breaking news flashes of her previous life as co-host of ABC News Breakfast, a role she began in 2018 and walked away from a year ago.

Though she loved her time with the morning news program, the early mornings took a toll. Leaving the show was supposed to mark a change of pace for the 56-year-old presenter; an opportunity to slow down after a hectic few decades on journalism’s frontline.

It’s been anything but, and Millar is now juggling two shows for ABC, Muster Dogs, and the long-running Back Roads, a show she took the reins on after the series’ previous host, journalist Heather Ewart, announced her retirement earlier this year.

“In the last month I have filmed in Shark Bay and Monkey Mia, and then I went from there to Mission Beach (in Far North Queensland),” she explains.

“We’re in winter, and I think I have done more snorkelling on camera over the last month than I have snorkelled in my entire life!

“I just find that hilarious!”

Despite the hectic nature of her new role, Millar is thoroughly enjoying all it entails — and the fresh perspective the show is offering her.

“I feel like also after 12 years out of the country, working overseas in (Washington) DC and London, this is me looking at things through new eyes,” she explains.

“I came back from overseas and then went back into the studio in Melbourne (for News Breakfast) and into lockdown.

“All my family were in Queensland, so if you think about it, since the time I came back (from my Foreign Correspondent posting), I have not been out and about exploring — I’ve sort of been in my own lockdown.

“So I feel like this is me with big open eyes, getting out there and just being kind of like, ‘bring it at me!’”

The best part? She now has the luxury to take time to sit with her subjects, riffing about the nicer things in life.

“And it’s so fun,” she says.

“I have spent 35 years in journalism, where a lot of the time, you are the last person that people want to see turn up, because bad (stuff) has happened.

“But with Back Roads, I am turning up, and people are happy to see me!

“Selfishly, for me, that is awesome.”

But there is one down side — her long-awaited slowdown will have to wait.

“My partner, who is an international pilot, and I have isolated one week in September where we are hoping I might be available to do a trip with him,” Millar explains.

“We will see if that actually happens.

“I keep saying to him, ‘I am sure things will slow down’, and he says, ‘you have been saying that for six months!’

“I would say for the moment they probably won’t, but it’s all so much fun, I wouldn’t want it to slow down — it’s awesome and I have zero complaints.

“I always wanted to live a big life, and oh my God, it is just massive at the moment.

“And I”m just going to enjoy it while I can.”

Lisa’s first road trip for the new season of Back Roads airs August 7 at 8pm on ABC. You can vote for her at this year’s TV WEEK Logie Awards here.

The 65th TV Week Logie Awards will be broadcast on August 3 from 7pm on Seven and 7Plus.