Wednesday, June 11, 2014
The Pilbara Life - living the dream - no longer
Ahh yes Ive been inspired by Billy http://www.50years50countries.com
Al and I have finally left the Pilbara. Wow! some journeys taken. Al spent 7 years there and myself 4 or there abouts! Me uploading my life in Melbourne and putting all in the back of a red ute to drive across the Nullabor and up the coast of W.A. - I friggin hate that ute......
Working for the Evil Empire (BHP Billiton) taught me many things.
I've learnt about BIG machinery, reclaimers, stackers, ship loaders, conveyors, transfer stations, Ore stacking, ORE, the sample process for big business and what that can cost (financially and mentally) if it gets stuffed up, berthing and sailing of vessels, tight lines!!!, documentation of manuals and procedures and WIN's, dealing with many GREAT people, that people think I laugh "like a hyena" (thank you Munn Chew), that my nick name can be twisted into Arsie (thank you Rod McD and Jack) dealing with racists (black and white), dealing with Management, dealing with stupid people, managing risks that don't need to be managed - I mean really if you can't work out how to put on a life jacket you should be taken out of the gene pool; Training and Assessing and SAFETY or "BHP safety". Till it is no longer safety and its just a joke that we have to put up with at 6:20am every morning. Trying to remember something random that has happened that we can talk about and bullshit our way through to make the pointy heads happy. Hows that 3 legged dog Pete? I think this is him at 6:41 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF44L1YXBIE"> Have posted the link separately as it wasn't working on here when i uploaded this.
I've made loads of friends who I miss already. You know who you are. :) I hope to see you on the east coast soon.
As most of you know I was a ship Loader Operator/ Production Tech/ Team Leader/ CDO Crew Development Officer if you don't know what I did or where I lived take a look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh3_tgeoTk8 Again - Have posted the link separately as it wasn't working on here when i uploaded this. This gives you an idea of the scale of what continues to go on up there. Don't let the media fool you into thinking that the boom is over. Al was working for Jan De Nul (still does) they did most of the dredging for PHPA in the habour.
If I ever get motivated to make a video on my times there I will, but until I do here's one that someone else made. So no, I don't know the people in it but the pics are fairly accurate and the music is completely fitting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTH6790jUCI"> and again! Have posted the link separately as it wasn't working on here when i uploaded this. Oh and at about 1:54 you can see a large building - thats Lawson Apartments where we lived the whole time! great views of the sunsets, cyclones and distantly out to Fini Island. Pity about the industrial Aircon blaring at us the whole time.... So hence we never sat on the balcony. At 3:38 you get a vision of SL4 (ship loader 4) I know how to drive that big girl!
What did I lose in Port Hedland? Pretty sure I sold part of my soul to BHP. I came to realise (and maybe I grew up and realised how the world really turns) that there is no point fighting THIS particular environmental destruction. Lets face it, its a desert. There's not much out there except for really expensive dirt, the Kimberly is something to protect, its already been going on for the past 40+ years, its helping the Australian economy and at the end of the day, even hippies like to have the lights on and put steel structures into their homes or sheds or fences. If you are truly an environmentalist you would do no harm at all, to anything. Yes I'm talking about you - environ ranting meat eaters, not that there are probably any reading this. You'd have no car, phone, electricity or any type of worldly goods and then most probably be living in a cave with no clothes. I've had one person say to me they didn't want to rape/ pillage/ dig holes in the earth as they posted a picture of them stating that they just got their excavator ticket and needed work to pay for it....... the mind truly boggles sometimes.
Yes, I am hoping to become more sustainable when I get to Tassie but that's a yarn for another time. Anyway I'm getting side tracked - What did I lose in port Hedland? -I lost my Jeep keys once when I was at the supermarket, that was not fun and it was expensive as they were the only set I had. I also lost my motivation to exercise, do gardening or anything outdoors, WHY? Cause its too fucking hot. Hopefully I can find that again. On occasions I felt like I'd lost my care free life. I know thats def how Al felt. Stripped bare of anything you remotely once loved because its no longer at your fingertips. That's when you know a place aint working for you any longer and its time to GTFout.
What I also gained - Ive loved my days off with crew, trips to 80 Mile, drinking games with Arthur, Point Sampson, Broome, Exmouth, Coral Bay, & Perth for some sanity. Having that time on shift to enjoy work make friends have a laugh while doing your job and being able to leave it at the gate when I clocked off after 2 days and 3 nights of 12.5 hour shifts. Reading and enjoying time to read.
thats pretty much it in a nutshell. I have to thank all I worked with its being a pleasure. Also to BHP for training me up.
So, in April Al came home and said they are either sending him to Brisbane or Dampier. 
We thought Dampier would be the obvious choice as he was already in the Pilbara. But being that he was originally employed as a FIFO from Melbourne and they regard him highly, they decided on Brisbane. It was good for us because it gave us our get out of hedland card. The journey has been massive. We spent a lot of time working on the apartment and hopefully its rented out very soon and for a long time with good tenants. Fingers crossed. All our gear arrived Tuesday and I have made it through 6 out of 19 boxes so far. Both cars - Goldy (potential blown head gasket) and Blue velvet (gearbox and general wear and tear) need some mechanical loving.
So what now? Well, Al's hard at work extending the runway at Brissy Airport. Thats a funny thing isn't it- people are cracking it about the barrier reef being dredged for coal extensions but everyones happy for it to happen to make their plane fly on time.
Me, Im just getting our new little pad sorted and looking at returning to School/Uni/ online? to do my Dip of Hospitality. Time to start working towards our goals not some big business'. Al reckons we can afford it. Bring on the wine bar in Tassie.
Peace Love and Mung beans baby!
Friday, September 24, 2010
DeflaTED again,got my Mojo rising though......
Ugh, So didnt want to start my new blog this way; but I guess once you are down the only way is up. And really to be truthful I'm not really that down.
Life is Great, really it is. you know I wont lie to you.
I thought I was a shoe in for a job ~ Apprenticeships Australia under the Hall of Commerce~ under BHP Billiton. Basically looking after the appretices' organizing them, uniforms, etc, going out on site meeting with supervisors blah blah blah. Just got word from Intergrated (recruitment company in port hedland) that they (A~A, hall of comerce, BHP) have "internally" found someone for the position and its a Trainee????? WTF how do you get a trainee to do a supervisors position?
Anyhoo I was really keen and all the rest of it, and obviously not feeling that great now. Anyway nothing I can do about it 'cept HARDEN UP, and call out ~ NEXT!
BUT YES I KNOW THE RIGHT JOB WILL COME AT THE RIGHT TIME. Its just a matter of waiting. and its not like I am broke because~
Over the last week and a half I have been working! First hook up was with Allied Pickfords (large removal Co.) I drove the truck and helped shift 4 houses in one day 7am till 6 pm, no lunch, so if that aint hard I dunno what is! That was for 2 days.
Next was Hi tech express was supposed to be a forklift driver but after bogging the forky - yeah forklifts dont like sand....... what an eegit! And then being warned equipment on truck is worth over $100,0000 each peice, and precariously balanced.
I said I wasnt that confident to get it off the truck. They guy who did get it off said there is no way he would have even attempted this move in his first 4 years of having his fork lic.....
Right!!!!! I have had mine for about 4 weeks so far. So I stayed and helped them out anyhow, and was puzzled as to why i had been employed when this guy worked for them anyway? I got paid anyway so I no care! :)
Then this week I have done 3 days with Coburn cement~ BIG Ship comes into port from China unloads onto trucks~ trucks drive to shed~ we help loop bags onto forklift and they put them away. Each bag has 2 tonne of cement, we unloaded 18,000 tonnes........
very dusty work. Definatley have hardened up after that layer of concrete over everything!
I have a receptionist job coming up next week for Jaxon Constructions, for 2 weeks with a view to longer. I guess they wanna see my performance. :) Im looking forward to that.
I can sing and I can dance! hee hee hee.
So working life is ok. I have asked the universe for what I require and I guess its just sorting out the finer points now!
There s a gig 'portbound' going on at the mo at the South Hedland High School and considering its port hedland i prolly should go, not much else on around these parts....
2.5hrs later.......
Well it was good, lots of teenagers running around, crusty demons were there putting on a show over top of the stage.
I walked there and back home, going there no problems.... coming home was a little disconcerting as I didnt feel 100% safe. But I'm still here so all good. South Hedland is not the safest of areas at night for a couple of reasons.
1. Stray dogs, there are alot up here and some of them look to be ex hunting dogs, ridgebacks etc. As i walked home there were 2 that kinda followed me all the way home and when turning into my St I was asked by a group of kids weather the dogs tried to attack me, I told them that it was more likely that the dogs had been scared by all the noise and fireworks and had run away from home; as they didnt look like st dogs.
2. Some of the people. Drunken idiots: the color of their skin does not matter. There is a reason they wont sell 4 litre casks of wine up here and no liquor is sold on a sunday and the drive through closes at 9. I'll let you put 2 and 2 together and work that one out. Al did a First Aid course a couple of weeks ago and the ambulance officers said they go to at least 1 stabbing a week. With a population of 16,000 I think thats fairly high.
3. There are areas that you just wouldnt go as a white person even during the day. As the hatred and the racism is so great, yes it goes both ways; racist whites, but this time its racist aboriginals. How unfortunate.
I wont be walking around at night by myself very often.
So that then brings me to where we are living.
Lawson apartments, I think I am correct in saying its he tallest building- (for living in) in South and Port Hedland. A whole 6 stories! It is in a secure compound with electronic gates. So see, now you know Im safe! The apartment is 2 bedrooms on the 4th floor. We get a fantastic view of the sunset every evening. When Al is on dayshift we generally try to go down to Finucane Island to watch it there, very beautiful. We share the apartment at the moment with Kathryn and her 10yr old daughter Amber. They are both lovely. Kathryn is originally from Sth Africa and moved up here from Adelaide in January. She works for Tom who owns (and generally lives in) the apartment and is the politician for Labor and the Pilbara area. I was a little concerned as to how things were going to go being that there is 4 people in a small apartment; but things are working out smoothly. :)
Al is on nightshift at the mo, and he will have his first week off spending the whole time in PH that should be interesting for him! At least he has his new toy the yakitty Yak Khyak and will probably go investigate the estuarys and see if he can find the crocodile they reckon is hanging around. Its unusual for a croc to be this far down! I think its pretty rare to see great whites up here too.
I start training on Monday night and start at Jaxon on Tuesday at 7:30am.
Al will be in Melbourne at the end of Oct for Molly's wedding in November. I would love to be going but it is really dependant on my work situation.
Like I said life is good. It is what you make it.
Not sure how often I will blog at this stage but see how things go and how interesting life is!
Oh yeah its hot already but bearable. Love and miss you all AlAceyist
Life is Great, really it is. you know I wont lie to you.
I thought I was a shoe in for a job ~ Apprenticeships Australia under the Hall of Commerce~ under BHP Billiton. Basically looking after the appretices' organizing them, uniforms, etc, going out on site meeting with supervisors blah blah blah. Just got word from Intergrated (recruitment company in port hedland) that they (A~A, hall of comerce, BHP) have "internally" found someone for the position and its a Trainee????? WTF how do you get a trainee to do a supervisors position?
Anyhoo I was really keen and all the rest of it, and obviously not feeling that great now. Anyway nothing I can do about it 'cept HARDEN UP, and call out ~ NEXT!
BUT YES I KNOW THE RIGHT JOB WILL COME AT THE RIGHT TIME. Its just a matter of waiting. and its not like I am broke because~
Over the last week and a half I have been working! First hook up was with Allied Pickfords (large removal Co.) I drove the truck and helped shift 4 houses in one day 7am till 6 pm, no lunch, so if that aint hard I dunno what is! That was for 2 days.
Next was Hi tech express was supposed to be a forklift driver but after bogging the forky - yeah forklifts dont like sand....... what an eegit! And then being warned equipment on truck is worth over $100,0000 each peice, and precariously balanced.
I said I wasnt that confident to get it off the truck. They guy who did get it off said there is no way he would have even attempted this move in his first 4 years of having his fork lic.....
Right!!!!! I have had mine for about 4 weeks so far. So I stayed and helped them out anyhow, and was puzzled as to why i had been employed when this guy worked for them anyway? I got paid anyway so I no care! :)
Then this week I have done 3 days with Coburn cement~ BIG Ship comes into port from China unloads onto trucks~ trucks drive to shed~ we help loop bags onto forklift and they put them away. Each bag has 2 tonne of cement, we unloaded 18,000 tonnes........
very dusty work. Definatley have hardened up after that layer of concrete over everything!
I have a receptionist job coming up next week for Jaxon Constructions, for 2 weeks with a view to longer. I guess they wanna see my performance. :) Im looking forward to that.
I can sing and I can dance! hee hee hee.
So working life is ok. I have asked the universe for what I require and I guess its just sorting out the finer points now!
There s a gig 'portbound' going on at the mo at the South Hedland High School and considering its port hedland i prolly should go, not much else on around these parts....
2.5hrs later.......
Well it was good, lots of teenagers running around, crusty demons were there putting on a show over top of the stage.
I walked there and back home, going there no problems.... coming home was a little disconcerting as I didnt feel 100% safe. But I'm still here so all good. South Hedland is not the safest of areas at night for a couple of reasons.
1. Stray dogs, there are alot up here and some of them look to be ex hunting dogs, ridgebacks etc. As i walked home there were 2 that kinda followed me all the way home and when turning into my St I was asked by a group of kids weather the dogs tried to attack me, I told them that it was more likely that the dogs had been scared by all the noise and fireworks and had run away from home; as they didnt look like st dogs.
2. Some of the people. Drunken idiots: the color of their skin does not matter. There is a reason they wont sell 4 litre casks of wine up here and no liquor is sold on a sunday and the drive through closes at 9. I'll let you put 2 and 2 together and work that one out. Al did a First Aid course a couple of weeks ago and the ambulance officers said they go to at least 1 stabbing a week. With a population of 16,000 I think thats fairly high.
3. There are areas that you just wouldnt go as a white person even during the day. As the hatred and the racism is so great, yes it goes both ways; racist whites, but this time its racist aboriginals. How unfortunate.
I wont be walking around at night by myself very often.
So that then brings me to where we are living.
Lawson apartments, I think I am correct in saying its he tallest building- (for living in) in South and Port Hedland. A whole 6 stories! It is in a secure compound with electronic gates. So see, now you know Im safe! The apartment is 2 bedrooms on the 4th floor. We get a fantastic view of the sunset every evening. When Al is on dayshift we generally try to go down to Finucane Island to watch it there, very beautiful. We share the apartment at the moment with Kathryn and her 10yr old daughter Amber. They are both lovely. Kathryn is originally from Sth Africa and moved up here from Adelaide in January. She works for Tom who owns (and generally lives in) the apartment and is the politician for Labor and the Pilbara area. I was a little concerned as to how things were going to go being that there is 4 people in a small apartment; but things are working out smoothly. :)
Al is on nightshift at the mo, and he will have his first week off spending the whole time in PH that should be interesting for him! At least he has his new toy the yakitty Yak Khyak and will probably go investigate the estuarys and see if he can find the crocodile they reckon is hanging around. Its unusual for a croc to be this far down! I think its pretty rare to see great whites up here too.
I start training on Monday night and start at Jaxon on Tuesday at 7:30am.
Al will be in Melbourne at the end of Oct for Molly's wedding in November. I would love to be going but it is really dependant on my work situation.
Like I said life is good. It is what you make it.
Not sure how often I will blog at this stage but see how things go and how interesting life is!
Oh yeah its hot already but bearable. Love and miss you all AlAceyist
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