THURSDAY 12 OCTOBER     NORTH POINT CAMP

HO  decreed that, with N and S here, they could take over our work at RV1 for a few days, to give us a little break away – unpaid, of course.  They would then move on to RV2. It would enable S to finalize her “training” in a functioning site office, before heading off down there.

This would be a pleasant respite for us. Not something we had expected, or requested, but appreciated.

We discussed what we could do in our break, and decided to go up to Eighty Mile Beach. It seemed too hot in these parts now to go further inland, to somewhere like Karijini National Park. Not the weather for being active outdoors.

At Eighty Mile Beach, we could book into a cabin and hide away. We would have to feed ourselves again!

There was a most unpleasant incident at dinner tonight. One of the cementers from SA was an absolute pig of a man – foul mouthed, coarse, dirty. He had a day off today and managed to borrow a vehicle and go into Hedland to visit the prostitutes who plied their wares there. Over dinner, he was drunk, sat opposite me and proceeded to treat the table to a very detailed description – in his filthy language – of his activities  of the afternoon. He was, of course, trying to get a reaction from me, but I decided not to give him the satisfaction, though I felt extremely embarrassed and insulted by his presence. One should not be subjected to that sort of thing. In another environment, I would claim harassment and look for him to be sacked – but this was not a normal workplace. However, there was more than one means of redress open to me. I decided that, the next time his wife phoned, wanting me to get him to the phone – which happened about once a week – I would inform her that he was not available because he had gone into town to visit the prostitutes! See what that would bring him, the pig!

I resolved to do all I could to avoid sitting anywhere near him at future meals – hopefully, that firm would be moving on to RV2 soon. I would go late enough to tea for him to be there first, so I could avoid him. I refused to give him the satisfaction of driving me away for meals, like S had been, after only one night. I was pleased for her sake that she had not been there for this night’s performance.