It's not about us, it's about him

The Blue Mountains behind Windsor is a beautiful area.  Gorgeous limestone cliffs and ravines set amidst the bush. But nothing that could't be improved with a few mobile towers.

For Tony Abbott  this is the "heartland of Australia" where everyone "knows each others names". Fair dinkum. Ridgy didge. 

Into this rose-coloured setting of Australian "mateship", the Coalition convoy descends in week two of the campaign to announce funding for mobile phone towers.

Mateship though only extends so far; out front of the Colo Heights hall is a group of elderly protestors complaining against a plan to build a new bridge over the Hawkesbury River that will cut through one of the oldest town squares in Australia. 

When I say a group, it was more like three people. But faced with "Protestors disrupt Opposition Leader's campaign" type story, journos and cameras pour off the bus. The protest organiser is only happy to oblige with the megaphone  at her side doing take after retake for the different cameras. 

"Not happy Tony," she repeats each time when asked.

At this point, columnist for the Australian, and former Liberal staffer, Chris Kenny arrives. He's traveling with the Coalition convoy and scowls at the assembled media. He's writing an article on the Coalition campaign but these days it's hard to tell the difference between working for Tony and working for Rupert.

Abbott's wife, Margie, and daughter, Frances, come in late looking awkward as they survey Abbott surrounded by cameras pressing the flesh.

Out back of the Colo Heights hall, locals are gathered waiting for Abbott to speak. It's an Ugg Boot affair and not all are happy to see him.

"It's not about us, it's about him," complains one when Abbott appears surrounded by a phalanx of camera men pushing their way through the crowd.

Abbott delivers a standard stump speech before disappearing with Malcolm Turnbull for a quick briefing on the policy he is announcing. 

"It's a bit like when you and me go get a Cooper's Red," says one of the bystanders, without much explanation. 

Abbott reappears for his press conference after being briefed on the magic of mobile telecommunication. Helpfully, Coalition staffers provide the detail of the policy announcement just as Abbott is winding up his press conference. It's something of an information black spot as well as a mobile dead zone.  

But Abbott wants to hot foot it out front after seeing a fire engine from the local Rural Fire Service. A quick pose for cameras with his RFS mates before jumping back into the bus.