CAMP LIFE

Epic Sunsets

Mining Selfie

The only patch of grass at Camp

So I have never really worked on a remote mine site. I have done fly in fly out and lived in remote towns but never been based in a camp for the duration of my shift. 

So far I love it here. Even with the rig moral of mine site life.

It's a whole new experience. After 7 hours of online inductions, a day of inductions in Perth and 2 more days of inductions on site, I was finally allowed to start work, but still had to be passed out to operate forklifts that I have a nationally recognised license to do. 

 

Everyday we walk to the food hall on the same footpaths one behind the other, we get on the bus to go to work, we get off the bus, get breathalysed, do morning stretches and have a pre-shift meeting. It's Almost like a dictatorship minus the dictator, the poverty and the fact we get paid a sh*tload of money.

 

 And.. I am so stoked to be here. I'm really lucky to be working with a top crew of people. Everyone so far has been really friendly (possibly helps being part of the female minority) and the work itself is good. 

 The wildlife from the mice that occupy our workspace to the cows

that wander across the road constantly keep me entertained. Apparently we have a resident bungarrow that I am yet to meet.

At the moment I am on nightshift, It's freezing cold up here at night! Whoever said the Pilbara is hot, lied!

 

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SEA RESCUE

 

 

 

This recent trip to Gili T was to do my Sea Rescue dive course. I got there earlier because of my job change and went up to the dive shop where I have previously stayed. The dive shop section seemed to be closed and the accommodation empty. I stayed however for two nights until they kicked me out because they ran out of water. Luckily I ran into the dive instructor the night before - she was on leave but was due to be back to work in a couple of days.

 

I was a tiny bit down and out, I didn't instantly fall back in love with Gili and I was worried my re-visit was going to be a fail. I felt a little sad and disillusioned that the place I had loved so much the previous time didn't feel the same. We worked out that I could start the theory of my course on the Thursday and start the pool/shore dives on Friday and so was keen to give it a go. I decided to go live it up in a hotel in Senggigi, Lombok for a night at a nice hotel and just chill. Turned out to be a beautiful spot and I met some cool people.

 

After my hotel stay I went back to Gili and it just slipped back into the same awesomeness. I instantly met people, ate some delicious satay and the Gili love was back.

Sea Rescue course was another story though, somehow with a lot of things I do, I don't really pay attention to the reality of what is actually required and get lost in the excitement of the concept. This was one of those things. My instructor was awesome and super patient but I didn't really love the course, didn't really have lots of fun pretending to save drowning people... wasn't really my cup of tea. BUT... Its something great to know, especially with my goals of diving and boating. here's to hoping I never have to use it!

 

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AIMEES GUIDE TO GILI T



Restaurant owners favourite dish

Sunrise instead of Sunset - Just to mix it up
 

Ferry port, Gili Trawangan

I have worked Asian travel so that it is cheaper than staying in Australia for my breaks.

For example Gili T in Indonesia - Perth to Lombok direct with jetstar $210 return. 2 hour taxi to the ferry port $20, half hour ferry $1.30. One nights accommodation between $25-$30. Scuba diving $35 per dive. Not to mention $2 beer and $2 for Mie goreng. Gili T in comparison to Lombok is quite expensive and this is me not being a tight ass and being a 'rich' tourist, if I was keener, I could do it cheaper.
 

Gili Trawangan makes up one of the three gili islands and is a backpacker haven for partying and diving. Surprisingly I have had little to do with the partying on the island because I have always been too keen on the diving.
 

I did my Advanced Open Water dive course here on Gili T about 3 months ago and fell in love with the place and the dive shop. All the diving is quite close to shore so it involves basically no travel time. Having dive sites so close means you can get a dive in, in the morning, come back for lunch, get a quick nap in and be ready for your afternoon dive. Then after your second dive, be back to shore by 3:30 to drink beer and swim in the pool. If you want
to get a night dive in you have to skip the beer

The sunset at the bottom end of the island is the 'thing' to do. There is two bars at the best viewing point that fill up about 45 mins before sunset. Sitting out front of the dive shop you can actually see the hoards of bikes heading past in that direction.

Food on Gili T is pretty amazing with lots of fresh Bbq'd seafood. A great place to sample local Indonesian food is at the night markets, with all sorts of variety from chicken noodle soup to fish in local spices with rice. I learnt from a friend that a good way to get good local food is to ask the waiter what their favourite dish is and order that. I have been doing this for a while now... Sometimes I win, sometimes I really lose.

Another thing that helps make for a unique little spot is that there are no motor vehicles on the island. Locals and tourists use horse and cart and bikes to get around. You can ride/push your bike around the island in about an hour.

 

Really not a hard place to spend my RDO's

 

 

 

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CURRENT - ISH

Karajini National Park, Western Australia

Hendo's leverage tool for changing the engine mounts

Diving Baja

Ok so I have found sailing, found Mexico, found a boat and bought it! Now were up to date...ish.

At current to sustain this lifestyle I am in Australia still working. My mate Hendo on the other hand was smart enough to quit his job and is in Mexico doing some work to my boat (absolute gun). He also has big plans of putting it back in the water and cruising around on it for a while. I am working to get back there.

In the meantime however, I have been lucky enough to have a two week on site, one week off site roster. Allowing me to be homeless and just about travel wherever I want for my week off, saving money by not paying rent and for a car, etc.

Over the past 18 months I have been floating between Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Kalgoorlie. And been on trips to China, Mexico (twice), Thailand, Indo (twice), Broome, Kununurra, and briefly Karratha and Karajini. Not a bad effort considering I have had a full time job.

Right now I am in the middle of changing sites with an unexpected 2 weeks leave(paid being debated) in between.

So what do u do when your put on the next plane out of Port Hedland... You book more flights. Too expensive and not enough time to fly to Mexico, so 10 Days diving in the Gili Islands it is!

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