CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
And for Brisbane-based paralegal, Corey Monkflat (25) that means he needs a refresher course on the rural Australian art of fistfighting on slippery tiles.
This whirlwind crash course has resulted in Corey taking upwards of four boxing classes a week, as he prepares himself for local townies giving him shit about going soft in the front bar of the bottom pub in front of his old man and pop.
“I know around this parts the noble thing to do is just take it in your stride”
“As in, it’s more honourable to not defend your manhood with violence”
“But things are different back home”
And by back home, Corey means the rural Queensland town of Yawannagokunt – a remote and stoic community of roughly 8,000 people according to the census.
However, there’s about 12,000 people who pick up their mail from the post office. Which means this town is red hot.
It’s a town made famous for two things: an annual rodeo that attracts some of the rowdiest men in the state to ride bulls and broncos – and opal mining, an industry that traditionally attracts some of the most wanted fugitives in the state who are looking for a get-rich-quick industry that allows them to exist out of sight of law enforcement and government agencies.
It’s harsh reputation isn’t an exaggeration either. But regardless, like most Australian country towns, it is a place that treats their city exports with hostilities every time they return.
“It only really dawned on me a couple weeks ago that I am way out of form”says Corey, as he towels himself down at the local inner-city boxing gym this afternoon.
“It would’ve been 5 or 6 years since I proper threw down”
“I gotta work on my left hook. It’s gonna be the last thing that loudmouth putrid cunt Billy Gatlin expects when he starts giving me shit for wearing a button up on Christmas eve”
“I don’t give a fuck if our mums are there. I’m gonna let him and his fucken lowlife brothers have it all this Christmas”
