This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Monthly Archives: August 2020


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2007 Travels January 9

TUESDAY 9 JANUARY     RV2

John arrived back early with our worker. The latter only managed to work for a couple of hours before knocking off with an upset stomach. Too much booze last night before he left Alice Springs?

Brickie arrived in with a forklift on his semi.

The guy from Newman got four of the compressors working. The other would need replacing. I was soooo  sick of compressors!

K reckoned that two drums of paint for the wet mess deck had gone missing from here over the Xmas break.

Two people from BHP – environment and safety types – arrived, to find out about yesterday’s fire. Not sure what business it was of theirs, but I gave them detail – minimal! Word travels fast, it seemed – maybe a train driver saw the smoke?

John was back to Hedland for more purchasing – again with the Acco – and to meet the late plane again. Another over night at RV1 for him.

01-11-2007 RV2 Kitchen Back view

Kitchen/mess

The numbers moving into RV2 really began to increase, now the kitchen was approved and serving the proper range of meals.

I was really starting to feel a much greater sense of remoteness than I had at RV1. It may have had something to do with the outlook from much of the place being limited by the low hills that surrounded much of the camp. At RV1, one looked to distant ranges and it felt much more open and less confined


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2007 Travels January 8

MONDAY 8 JANUARY     RV2

The day was overcast and humid and around 40 degrees. So much for me hoping that the worst of the hot weather was over.

The Spotless manager at RV1 sent through a list of defects they’d had surface, plus some items best classified as wish list! But an urgent problem was a SPQ with a major electrical fault, and this needed urgent attention. K emailed HO asking for instructions about this. I wondered if it was the one that had been faulty weeks ago, when first connected up – and that the electrician was supposed to have fixed.

There were a lot of defective door locks being found here – as there had been at RV1.

Late morning there was drama at the rubbish pit. Spotless put a lot of rubbish into it and left it – presumably thinking our men would burn it later, with our stuff. But there were embers from yesterday’s burn and they re-ignited. The flames headed off north into the spinifex and burned some of the bush. When someone eventually noticed the smoke, K raced off with some of the men to put it out. He was not happy with Spotless. I was not happy with Spotless either – had to prepare an Incident Report for HO. Two of our men then had to stand by and watch the Spotless rubbish burn right down – it took them 90 minutes! It was a big “oops”, but kind of not our fault.

The Shire Health Inspector came to do inspections. He passed the kitchen – good news, because we can continue being fed! He found there was not enough open wall space in the wet mess deck area, and that fans would have to be installed as a result. He would not inspect the pool, because the lighting around it had not been finished! He headed off to RV1 to inspect their pool. I hoped it fared better, because that camp was fully occupied – compared to only a handful of people here – and they really wanted to be able to use the pool.

I sent off a request to HO to replace a dart board (wet mess) that had been damaged in transit, plus supply two sets of pool cleaning gear. Some of the trivial items we were supposed to supply still had me amazed.

John had to do a Hedland trip; enough stuff was needed that he had to take the non-air-conditioned Acco truck. Part of the order was for three drums of hydrochloric acid – apparently the guy who laid the sports court had used drums belonging to Spotless. John also had to pick up one of our workers from the late plane. They overnighted at RV1.

There was a really strong wind storm at night, but no rain.

Resize of 01-05-2007 02 Pilbara


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2007 Travels January 7

SUNDAY 7 JANUARY     RV2

We worked. Without a vehicle to go anywhere on a day off, there did not seem to be much point in not working. Just sitting around in our rooms did not appeal, nor did sharing recreation facilities with the workers, when the place became properly functional. There was plenty of work to do.

I got a couple of the men to move the genset – had noticed its exhaust fumes were being brought into the office by the air con unit. Not healthy!

PENTAX Image

Not the best position for genset – under the A/C!

Despite it being Sunday, I managed to get onto the company in Newman that would come-  next week? -and fix five coolroom compressor units that were not functioning here – two in the kitchen, two in the extra kitchen storage containers, and one in the wet mess. They definitely did not travel well! I suspected the uncovering of faults was going to be a reprise of RV1 – with me in the firing line.

The men had dug a temporary rubbish pit – authorized by FMG – yesterday. There would possibly still need to be some loads taken to the Hedland tip, but the pit should alleviate some of the rubbish volume that had been an issue at RV1. The men gathered the burnable rubbish from around the site, took it to the pit. Late in the afternoon, K lit a fire in the pit and left it to burn down overnight.

John spent some of the day doing bunds – leak proof ground covering for stuff that was not to contaminate the soil. He did it for the genset diesel drum, and the fuel, oil and paint storage areas.

01-07-2007 John on Bob Cat

Sometimes, John got to use the big toys!

They should all, of course, have been done way back, before any spillable chemicals  were brought in but this was not the sort of detail that K was strong on overseeing.


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2007 Travels January 6

SATURDAY 6 JANUARY     RV2

John and his passengers got in from RV 1 at 7.30am, by which time I’d been at work for over an hour and a half.

This time round, the works that were being done about the place were familiar to me, as were the tasks I had to complete.

John set about cleaning and tidying the stuff in the gear container, which was located close by my office. It had come from RV1, where he’d kept it in order there – so he could find the stuff he needed for his safety work, mainly. In the couple of weeks it had been in use here, chaos had largely taken over. Clearly, a lot of gear had been dumped in there just before the pre-Xmas departure.  In the course of tidying, he unearthed a resident death adder. Both he and the reptile were shocked. Snake departed at speed through the open container door and off into the nearby scrub. John departed at speed in the opposite direction, and had to spend a little time in my office, recovering. From then on, John was much more cautious when doing anything in the container.

PENTAX Image

Why would a death adder find this container an attractive home in the heat of summer?

Word came from the head man in Hedland – the roof of the ambulance bay at RV1 was definitely too low – and would have to be raised. K was not happy!

John took the company workhorse vehicle here ( a Nissan) to RV1, loaded with a 200 litre tank, some 44 gallon drums and jerry cans – to be filled with diesel. There was, as yet, no supply at RV2, and the tank at South Point Fly camp was no longer being replenished, now that it was no longer occupied. So fuel was needed to run our machinery. This was yet another example of not thinking ahead and problems arising from divided supervision and overall planning.


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2007 Travels January 5

FRIDAY 5 JANUARY     RV2

Back to the routine of early morning start, breakfast in the mess, walk to my site office, hope that someone had cranked up the generator, and start work at 6am.

I had to familiarize myself with the office here, which was set up as S had left it. There was a large piece of board across one corner, just behind my chair, where cement blocks had broken up through the floor, when the willy blew the building off the blocks, back in December

PENTAX Image

Position of steps showed how far the willy wind had moved the donga

PENTAX Image

Inside the office!

Got the machines fired up and was pleased they all worked. The sat dish had survived the elements. I had been worried about that. Also about whether things like that would survive the possible odd curious visitor, whilst the site was totally unattended, over the Xmas break.

It did not take long for little dramas to start coming my way! The mechanics had arrived at RV1 to repair the company forklift which had broken down and been left there. But no-one knew where the keys for it were. I managed to find the keybox which had been  moved from RV1 to here – but the keys were not in it. I could only guess that they had gone somewhere in someone’s pocket, before Xmas! So the repair could not be done.

Apparently FMG had decided that they wanted eight more SPQ dongas installed at each of the Villages, as soon as possible. So all of that associated building and supply chain would have to be revved up again. I was glad that was the role of HO people, not me!

I phoned the Shire and arranged for inspection of the pools at both Villages, for Monday. Also the kitchen here- although in use, it was not yet “official”.

John was quickly back into the routine too. He had to do some purchasing in Hedland – now the best part of a three hour drive away. After collecting a couple more of the workers from the late plane, they all overnighted at RV1.

I felt quite solitary after work, with John away, and no one else occupying the other two rooms in our donga. The usual routine of shower, change into casual clothes, walk to mess for tea, back to room. I read for a while. Felt alone enough to put a chair back under the door knob before I went to bed!


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2007 Travels January 4

THURSDAY 4 JANUARY     HOME TO RV2

It was a very early start for us. After yet more possibly final goodbyes to old cat, M drove us to son’s place – at 4.30am.

Son drove us to Tullamarine Airport. Not too onerous for him as he worked nearby – just an earlier start than normal. At that time, it was still dark, of course, and there was not all that much traffic on the roads.

By the time we got our bags checked in, there was not much time to spare. We travelled on a 767 – seemed huge. The four hour flight to Perth was a bit rough over the Bight, as we flew over the low pressure system that had formed from the cyclone and storm. It was inundating Esperance now.

There was some hanging around at Perth Airport. The time between flights was too short to go away and do anything, but long enough to be boring. We encountered one of the workers – T – who lived in Melbourne and like us was on his way back to the Pilbara. Also M and H, coming back from their Xmas break. Then it was a two hour flight to Hedland – in a one-class jet.

As soon as we landed at Hedland, could see that it had been quite wet. But the day felt really balmy – and we kidded ourselves that maybe the worst of the hot weather was now over. Ha!

The bongo bus had been left at the airport, by the last lot that flew out before Xmas, with the keys hidden on top of the wheel. John drove the five of us – first to South Hedland, where we stocked up on cask water, beer and scotch. Then it was down the familiar road to RV1, where we called in to have a look at what it was like, finished. There were quite a few puddles about the place, after the cyclone rain.

We admired the new “landscaping” around the pool. Called in to the Spotless office  to say “We’re back!” . Chatted with the two managers – almost old friends now. They said they had been a little concerned about the incoming cyclone, but that it had not been as bad as they feared – just some heavy rain.

Resize of 01-16-2007 Landscaping adjacent to the pool

Landscaping around the pool at RV1. Amazing the difference a few plants made.

John arranged to be able to transit overnight at RV1, on occasions when he was coming back late from Hedland, or having to have someone in there for the early morning plane. They basically said they would allocate him a permanent room there. All very pleasant – but the main manager did have a little complain that the swimming pool could still not be used, because it had not been inspected by the Shire. I was surprised that no one had managed to arrange this, back in December, after I’d left. Workers coming back into the Village would certainly be complaining at not being able to swim. I promised to expedite this.

Then it was on south. There was still some water over the Rail Access road, in a couple of places.

It was well into the afternoon by the time we reached RV2. The manager – who I’d not met before – allocated us two adjoining rooms, one of them an end room, in what he said would be a quiet part of Pod 2, the only one yet commissioned. He said that they had not yet received a fresh food shipment, so the evening meal would be a bit limited, for the few people who were in the camp. This camp was only occupied just before Xmas so they were really just starting to ramp up for operation, and it was all quite casual. In the event, tea was ample.

The rooms were quite comfortable. The  air cons were working – most important. No TV’s in our rooms as yet, though. Our rooms would be cleaned by Spotless staff every few days, the sheets and towels changed too. All we had to do was go to work……

Resize of 11-27-2006 Fleetwood SPQ Bed

Home for a while…..

K had driven himself in from the NT and arrived a bit after us.

After unpacking, showers and tea, we sat and chatted for a while – in John’s room, then headed off to our respective beds for an early night. It had been a long day.

Today, we had travelled, in six hours of flight, what it had taken us a week to drive, back in December.


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2007 Travels January 3

WEDNESDAY 3 JANUARY     HOME

After my morning walk around the lake – some 4kms with side tracks – thought I had better just phone Alice Springs and check that they did not now need us.

The new girl said that we were booked to fly to Port Hedland tomorrow! She “thought” she’d left a message for us – somewhere – before Xmas. Good thing I’d checked. She emailed the necessary documentation. That, at least, came through.

It was to be a very early morning flight out of Melbourne!

So began a flurry of packing and getting organized. We took the new table to son’s place. They were really pleased with it. John makes great tables!

Discovered that a hose on the washing machine was leaking. We’d been blaming the old cat for having a bad aim at his litter tray!

Resize of 03-23-2006 pantry cat

Old Spook cat had developed some eccentric habits….

Category 1 Cyclone Isobel made landfall at Eighty Mile Beach this morning, with winds around 120kmh. By the afternoon, it had turned into a tropical low, deluging the Port Hedland area and parts to the south east – just where our Villages were! It was threatening to join forces with a big storm system lurking around, so flying up to Hedland could be interesting!

When I got up this morning, did not envisage the way the day would end, for sure.


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2007 Travels January 2

TUESDAY 2 JANUARY     HOME

We spent an enjoyable Xmas/New Year period, catching up with family and just living normally.

A highlight was meeting and getting to know my new grandson who had been born in May. We were visited by John’s daughter, home for Xmas for the break that diplomatic staff receive mid way through a posting. So John met his new grandson, born in Brussels, now 19 months old, for the first time, and renewed acquaintance with the older boy, now nearly 4.

Melbourne’s weather was mostly balmy over that time, with the exception of the cold snap over Xmas itself. The Pilbara heat we’d experienced seemed almost illusory.

I treated myself to a rather expensive Xmas present – a lovely new digital Pentax camera, that had all sorts of refinements that the smaller point and shoot one did not have. There would be a lot to learn about its operation.

There had been no further communication from the company, regarding going back to work in WA. I’d rather expected to hear from them by today, at the latest, since the office resumed work today. It seemed there must have been a change of plan, and no-one had bothered to tell us. We were not overly concerned – home was nice. I was enjoying daily walks at the nearby lake and sewing some new shorts for M. John was making son a jarrah dining table. Less enjoyable was working on tax  matters and getting the relevant paperwork together. Our lovely accountant had gained us an extension of time for the return due last year, but I really needed to do something about this hated task.

We had been watching, with more interest than usual, a low pressure system building off the WA coast, that had the potential to develop into a cyclone. Today, it was named Cyclone Isobel and forecast to cross the coast somewhere between Port Hedland and Broome.


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2006 Travels December 13

WEDNESDAY 13 DECEMBER   BENDIGO TO HOME   225kms

Another early morning visit from the grandson – it was a real game for him to come out and knock on the van door and call out to us. Another cuddle in bed. He was a wonderfully affectionate little kid.

I had been really dreading the task of hitching the van and Truck together, on the sloping driveway. John would be backing the truck downhill, in tiny increments – the idea was to get the poly plastic block on the van part of the hitch, exactly into the metal receiving arms on Truck. But not just that – to get the retaining bolt in place, the hole on the block had to line up precisely with the holes on the metal arms – and when they did, I would quickly shove the bolt in and down.  I had to direct John, not just in distance to back, but also about the precise central alignment – and at the same time, wind the height adjusting handle on the van to bring the block to the exact height where it could slide into the arms. When we were on flat ground, it was easier, because I could wiggle the van sideways a bit if needed. Here, with the van chocked at the back of the wheels, there was no wiggle room, literally, and John had to stop Truck at the precise moment – no rolling backwards!

We waited till the family had left, rather than put on a display for them! But it went better than I had dared hope. John did a pinpoint accurate job of inching Truck back down onto the Treg coupling, whilst I frantically adjusted the height of the van so the bits would fit. It was a great relief when I could push the locking pin down through its holes, and they actually aligned. Whew!

Refuelled on the way out of Bendigo – $1.21cpl.

It was the usual, standard run home, via Heathcote, Seymour and Yea.

We reached home before lunch time.

Resize of 12-13-2006 to home

It was great to see M again. She had our garden looking immaculate – much better than we do!

It was also great to see the old cat, battling on but thin and rather frail. Getting on for 17 years old now. He seemed happy to see us, too.

It was good to be home again. Now to unpack van, clean it thoroughly, and prepare for Xmas.

Virtually the first thing John did was to get on the phone to arrange for his African mahogany timber to be shipped south.

So, this year’s trip had turned out exceedingly different to what we had envisaged, back at the start of the year. We spent time in all mainland states and territories, except for the ACT. Sort of “around Australia”, but on a mostly inland circuit……..

Resize of 12-13-2006 overall

POSTSCRIPTS

On 14 December, the men at the South Point Fly Camp were able to move to occupy rooms at RV2, although there was still a considerable way to go to complete that camp.

On 15 December, we received an email from boss lady, asking us to go to RV2 in the new year – exact date to be determined. I replied that we would be available from about 3rd January.

On 20 December, a further email said that a new employee at HO would co-ordinate our travel arrangements, out of Melbourne, probably on January 4, if flights were available. She would liase with us. Head Office would be closed until January 2. They were hoping the project would be finished by the end of January.

So – more work! And a FIFO experience…..

Resize of 12-09-2006 BHPcarrying ore to Pt Hedland

This was what it was all about – iron ore trains near RV2

In the last few weeks at RV1, I had been dreaming of green, cold, wet……..Be careful what you wish for………On Xmas Day, it snowed in our part of Melbourne! Real, genuine, cold and wet snow. Huey, you overdid it, a tad!

 

STATISTICS FOR 2006 TRIP:

*  Kms travelled:   18,468

*  Kms van towed:  12,991

*  Cost of diesel:  $3602.92

*  Average fuel consumption:  7.95kms per litre used

*  Dearest diesel:  $1.81cpl – Barkly Roadhouse NT

*  Cheapest diesel: $1.21cpl – Bendigo, Vic

*  Accommodation cost:  $2412.20

* Accommodation discounts gained:  $54.10

*  Dearest accommodation per night: Hidden Valley Caravan Park Darwin – $109 (cabin)

*  Dearest caravan site accommodation: Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park – $34.45

*  Cheapest accommodation per night: $16 – Hiway Inn Daly Waters

*  Number of different places stayed at: 30

*  Longest stay in one place:  Monsoon Cafe, Litchfield NT (employed)

***************


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2006 Travels December 12

TUESDAY 12 DECEMBER     BENDIGO

An early start!

Grandson came knocking on the van door just after 7am. I think he was very pleased to find we were actually still in residence, so he had some cuddle time in bed with us.

Getting his car seat set up in Truck involved rearranging some of the contents, and was a fiddly procedure. Hadn’t thought of that when we offered to take him out for the day!

But the boy was really excited to be spending the day with us, so the hassle was worthwhile. Then we had to work out what we could do with him. How did one amuse a three year old for a full day?

It was a hot day – by Victorian standards.

We went to the Art Gallery – more from our own curiosity, but we thought he might find some interest there. Whilst the Gallery seemed to have much that would interest us, it was not really the right place for a three year old, so we did not stay long.

Walked around the parklands behind the Gallery for a while. He could run about there and play hide and seek with us. Then we were persuaded to take him up the big tower that was the poppet head lookout. This gave us great views out across the city and was worth the effort to get up the stairs. I discovered that I still hate heights!

Then it was back into Truck and to the playground at Lake Weeroona, just north of the city centre. The boy tired himself out some more on the equipment. We were persuaded to walk to the cafe at one end of the lake and buy him an icy pole. By the time he had finished that, we needed to take him back home for lunch and an afternoon sleep. The rest was probably appreciated more by us than him – Grandad John had an excellent nap!

Resize of 12-12-2006 aaron bendigo 1

He played with his toys after his sleep. We sat in the wonderful air conditioned cool and read until daughter got home from work.

Had tea with the family again. Much talk and tales of our adventures this year.

It was a really enjoyable – but tiring – day. Little kids are hard work!