Just as I was getting used to a life of hotel rooms, daily mystery flights, politician-stalking, luggage and plane food... it's all about to come to an end.

With just five days of campaigning, it was time last night to switch from the Abbott camp back to the Gillard camp for the final week.

On Monday, Julia Gillard officially launched her campaign in Brisbane.

There'd been quite a build-up, seeing as she'd left it unusually late. I was expecting the air of excitement and inspiration.

Instead, it seemed Labor went out of its way to make it bland. The PM stood in a boring, flat room, in front of a blue screen featuring the phrase 'Stronger Economy. Better Hospitals and Schools'.

She said a number of things we'd heard before, then borrowed a new slogan from Barack Obama. Not 'yes we can', but 'yes we will'. How's that for originality?

The Liberal launch last week featured a sea of supporters waving colourful banners, a catchy song which stuck in my head for at least a week, and a hero's welcome for John Howard.

By contrast, Kevin Rudd looked awkward and uncomfortable, and snuck away before proceedings had finished. There was no catchy song - just bizarre repetitive rock tunes as the speakers walked on stage.

After so much hype, so many promises, and so much spin surrounding Kevin '07, perhaps Labor was railing against the image of the slick, highly-marketed machine it created for itself last time around.

Perhaps Tony Abbott's jibes about 'all spin, no substance' cut through.

It's all well and good to say 'we should be focusing on policy' but a campaign launch is also about emotion, vision and passion, and I didn't feel much of any of those in that room today.

Over the last month, we've been crisscrossing the country at a frenetic pace - getting up at the crack of dawn, heading to new cities sometimes twice a day. We're told this week it is about to get even more hectic.

On Monday night, the Gillard camp flew from Brisbane to Townsville, set to board the bus at 6:40 in the morning, for another day on the hustings in sunny Queensland.

The Prime Minister has blitzed the evening news bulletins, Tony Abbott's on the ABC's Q&A program as I write, and plans are being finalised for another debate and another people's forum, as well as the leaders' final speeches at the National Press Club.

At this stage, it seems the Prime Minister has the edge. But I learnt on the day of last year's Liberal leadership spill not to underestimate Tony Abbott.

He may be far from winning everyone over, but he could still surprise us yet.