RFDS Boxes

We finally have a Royal Flying Doctor Service medical chest for our remote exploration camps, so we headed to their Perth offices to learn whats in it, and the procedures involved in using it. Its got lots of  basic equipment, prescription drugs and some very hardcore drugs (adrenaline, morphine etc etc)

For those that have never really heard of the RFDS, its basically what it says on the tin! It was the idea of the Rev John Flynn, a minister with the Presbyterian Church. He witnessed the daily struggle of pioneers living in remote areas where just two doctors provided the only medical care for an area of almost 2 million square kilometres. Flynn’s vision was to provide a ‘mantle of safety’ for these people and on 15 May 1928, the Australian Inland Mission Aerial Medical Service (later renamed the Royal Flying Doctor Service) came into service in Cloncurry, Queensland. 

It spread throughout Australia, and in 1936 the first services in WA officially started up, working out of Port Hedland. Some planes were working in the Goldfields area prior to that, but not as an organised service. They provide healthcare advice over the phone (and still sometime over long distance radio, but that is being phased out) to people who can't get to a doctor in any kind of reasonable time frame, and provide emergency evacuation when needed.

The RFDS now operates 53 aircraft out of 21 locations across the country, and are a lifeline to people living and working in the remote heart of the country.

Click here for more information.

So what does the chest mean to us?

Well, in theory, we're moving our camp about 4 hours drive away from site, which means we're about 8 hours drive from Port Hedland and probably about 4-5 hours from Newman. You don't want anything to go wrong when you're that far from help. So now, if something does go wrong (broken leg, dislocated shoulder, general unknown illness, car crash, snake bite, even just a bad headache) we can ring up and get a doctor to assess the situation, prescribe drugs to relieve the symptoms and let us know if we need to get them out in a hurry or when we can or if they're going to come and get us.
And everything in the chest is numbered as well as named, so theres no worry about not being able to figure out some random chemical name- "Give him 2 tablets of garble garble-adine, its number 32 and it will be in try B". A very good idea in a stressful situation!

Which means I'm much happier about being responsible for a big bad drill rig and a heard of people in such a random location.

Lets just hope we don't have to use it!

Life out in the Sticks

So, I often say that I'm off "out bush".

But what does that mean, exactly?

See that map of West Australia on the side bar?
The red star in the North is where I work. About 6 hours drive from Port Hedland, the same from Newman. And forget about sealed roads. We have none. In fact, often, forget about roads...

But despite the lack of roads, we have to live somewhere:

But thats just the office and storage space.

We cook on the fire:

And this is my bedroom:

And I mean bedroom; it may look like a swag, but inside are fairy lights, a weather station, alarm clock, "bathroom cabinet" (ok, tooth brush, toothpaste, hairbrush and mirror) and entertainment system (ok, iPod and book). 

  In winter its freezing. Because we're so far in land and on the edge of the desert there is nothing to keep the heat in, so night time temperatures drop to just above freezing. You can pull the top over the swag, and we've got decent sleeping bags, but its still cold. 

In summer, the night time temperature doesn't drop below 30 degrees C, and its horrible and sweaty and its really hard to sleep. I end up pouring water all over me and sleeping in a wet bed with no covers and fly screen down (risking the spiders and scorpions) in attempt to catch any breeze that might cool me down.

Its not all bad though. We have a washing machine, and satellite internet!

And we used to have a gym, but someone took the tarp away, so now we just have a smattering of exercise equipment that we never use because we're too busy, too tired, too hot, too cold, or fed up of falling over in the bull dust.

Welcome to my life!

I'm alive!

But still super busy.

Cairns was amazing! And it was really good to catch up with my best friend again after these long 3 years. Even if I would have seen her in 3 weeks anyway.

I went to my first ever wedding!
SO that was insiteful. At least I know what I'm in for now.

And now I'm posting from my slow satelite internet out bush... roughly -22 S and 120 the other one, if anyone knows Lat/Long.
Drill rig is going big guns, then followup work and cooking leaves little time for typing, even if the internet was better.

Hold out til monday!

All the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened

"...all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened"
Genesis 7:11/


Now, I'm one of the least religious people ever. But in this case its very fitting!
Remember how it hasn't rained in the Pilbara? Well, it did.
We've still not had much rain, but its been falling further down the catchments in Newman/Jigalong. 


So I innocently went for a drive on friday, joking about how there had better not be any water in some of the more awkward river crossings further down (think steep bumpy washed out drop down into a soft river base with standing water and keeping enough momentum to get you across the next 50m of river gravel...)


How shocked was I to encounter this at the first hurdle?!

Thats the "road" across the Oakover. Its normally a 300, wide gravel and rock crossing, with a couple of standing water pools. Its not normally a 300m wide fast flowing body of water.

My new fieldy was in front, and I saw him starting to out the car into low range to attempt a crossing. Not Good! So I ran up and stopped him, we radioed back to base to see if there had been any reports of flooding the previous day. Nope. It was all new. Flash flood! 

I stood around taking pretty pictures, and as I spun around taking this panorama:

I saw the river rising BEHIND where we had stopped the cars.

Very quick 3 point turn on the little island we were up on and we got the hell out of there. It would have been an interesting incident report! How did you lose these two utes? Well... 

Thats the video of the water rising over the track. We were parked up on the dry bit on the other side...

 I've seen this river in flood before, but I've never seen it actually in the act of flooding before. It was impressive!

Back on site, we warned the road trains, who carry our ore to port, that they should put word out to be cautious of the oakover crossing 50km up the sealed road, because the flood wave is on its way.

We told people at site, and they didn't understand what we were talking about, because the road trains could still get through. Yes, um, because they have a raised sealed road 50km away from where the current flooding is going on, we have a dodgy gravel track that bumps its way along the base of the river channels...

When the flood wave did hit the monitored river crossing 50km away, it rose 2m in half an hour:

Thats how we got 3 road trains washed away a few years ago. One truck crossed OK, so the guy coming in the other direction crossed, but in the 10 minutes between them  the river had risen so dramatically that it washed the truck away. Another 2 went the same way because it was night time and they couldn't see the extent of the water. They ended up doing an air rescue, using a mustering helicopter from one of the stations, and a jet ski, and the driver we taken to hospital with hyperthermia. 

Oh, and the flood also buried on of our contractors pumps that theyd left in the river chained to a tree. Oops.

Another BHP death. R.I.P.

LINK TO ARTICLE

There was another death at a BHP mine today, at Leinster.

My thoughts go out to his partner and kid, along with his workmates and those on the Emergency Response Team who worked so hard to try and save him.

Working underground isn't inherently more dangerous than doing anything else, but when things go wrong they tend to be harder to fix and more widely acknowledged. I feel much more exposed out bush than I ever did underground, and a friend of mine says she had more rocks hit her on the head in the open pit than when we worked together underground. But if something were to go wrong, its so much harder to save you. At least out bush I can just about always drive back out, or someone can drive to me. And the oxygen is never going to run out. 

And so it begins...

Last night was the first night out bush for 2010.
We were a few hours drive away from the mine site on an overnight mapping campaign.
Hot sweaty day walking round recording rocks for posterity.

We were meant to grab some extra cooking gear from the regional caravan halfway out, but *someone* forgot the key... OOoops. Luckily we had a camp oven anyway, and thats all you need for instant pasta! And baked beans and bread. And plastic knives and forks. So using a screwdriver as a stirrer we still put together a hearty meal. I hate instant pasta. Yack! But it was a short notice trip and it was only one night. All the small portion food in the freezer is frostbitten and all the rest of the food is in massive packs- 5kg steak anyone? I feel a trip to Newman for small goods coming on.

After/during food prep, I got my poi out and had a play with the LED settings. There are some very cool patterns!

By 7:30 I got ready for bed, after nearly falling asleep in the middle of the creek watching for shooting stars (only saw one). Asleep at 8:30. I sleep so well out bush. No distractions I guess. I was expecting it to be harder to sleep because of the heat and humidity (about 34 degrees and 35% humidity according to the BOM at Telfer), but it wasn't too bad. Maybe I'm getting used to it, or maybe its cooler than last year.

I woke up at 3am, absolutely freezing! Even though the BOM says it was still 30oC... Maybe a 100ks and a weird microclimate makes all the difference... I only had my silk liner in my swag with me, so had to unzip and jump out and grab my sleeping bag from the car. Slept through until 6:30. 10 hours of lovely, peaceful sleep.

I love waking up out there. 

Heaven in the Pilbara.

Endless monstrosities.

OMG.

Just did a training session with a different trainer on site at work.

I hurt and am sooo shaky!

Lots of interval running and boxing and some weights too.

There will be pain in the morning I think.

Shows the importance of mixing it up.
I've not done a huge amount of cross training recently, down to a mix of laziness and Bridges training.


And on that note: Photos from the Bridges Run:

I'm floating!

And also this monstrosity! This was when I was firing through the last km to try and get a 55:XX.
I'm putting it up small, but I think it will enlarge if you mist click on it. On the positive, my legs look good. :)

So I wont be buying any of those!

The other monstrosity if that they didn't record mat times.

They were all gun times. 

Which is s**t. Thanks to CoolRunner djc42 for summing it up nicely:
They also need to get onto the net times for events of this size ; people in C & D will really be penalised and (a) it's not fair and (B) it encourages people to jump their category...
There was no mat at the start - so all times will be gun times. The mat 100m before the finish is for the benefit of the announcer so they know who's about to finish. I think i feel stronger about this than I thought - not having net time is not good enough. People expect it now, given that every 'big' race has them - it leaves a sour taste ....


I thought I heard them reel off my name as part of a huge list as we streamed through the finish but I just assumed I'd heard wrong. What do I care if they quickly get my first name out. I'd rather have had a better idea of my time.
Official time 57:11. I'm sticking with my 56:15.

I think I will drag the boy along to the free group training for the R4R. When he's better!

And also have decided to go to WAMC interval training on tuesday nights. It starts at 5:30, so that gives me an hours worth of interval training then a quick dash down to the airport to pick the boy up at 7.

Sorted!

Snakes!

Yesterday I did the snake handlers course run by Brian Bush. He's a bit of a legend in WA, and even has a monitor lizard named after him.

We started slowly, with general chat and myth debunking and things. Just to let the adrenaline subside.
Then moved on to the lizards...

And the legless lizards...

Then the nasties!

Death adder.

Some brown snake or other.

Shockingly fast Whip Snake

Out came the Pythons, for an up close and personal look and feel of snakes. These ones were definitely pythons and hence non venomous (but can still bite, I do believe, just do less harm) but a lot of snakes look the same, especially from a distance. So always assume a wild snake is venomous. If you're in Australia the chances are it could kill you, so why risk the odds!

Then we were put into the hot seat, learning how to capture and remove snakes from environments where they are causing a threat. Like in my swag or if one gets into our caravan and refuses to budge:

I now feel much more confident around snakes. Not to a stupid degree, but at least now I'm less likely to freeze up or do some thing stupid if I ever do run into one. Its only a matter of time really. I've been here 18 months and have only seen 1, and that was out of the car window... We generally scare them away, but one day there will be one who would rather stand his ground, and now I'm much more prepared for that fact. 

I'm even tempted to get my licence from the government to be a suburban snake remover. But I think that might be a step too far!

And Brian Bush is an amazing character. And that laugh! If you ever get the chance to meet him, especially if he's teaching about lizards and snakes, take it! You won't regret it (unless you're easily offended!)

So sleepy!

I am sooo tired!

I had a really fun break, but it involved lots of late nights (well, 4 in a row). And now I'm back up on site I'm struggling to turn off early enough to get enough sleep in. My alarm goes off at 4 every morning and I slowly wake up, get dressed and stumble out at 4:30, grab breakfast and lunch from the dining room/dry mess and carry on up to work for 5.

Which is normally OK, but I havn't been getting to sleep til after 10 so I just end up really tired all day.

Productivity is low.

Interest is low.

Care factor is low.

Mojo is gone!

I have a program on my phone that moniters my sleep pattern, and while I don't believe it 100%, its pretty interesting reading. My average sleep for the last few days has been less than 6 hours, and I spent most of that tossing and turning.

Last night I managed 1km on the treadie before giving up due to a stich. Which is pretty feeble. ANd I know that I'm only just finding my stride after 1km, and after than all problems work themselves out. But I just had no interest and no strength to carry on.

Plan tonight is to go for a swim after work, have tea that doesnt involve chips (its fush and chups friday!) and get to bed by 7:30. Even if I'm just lying in bed reading, I'm more likely to fall asleep than if I'm sat at the computer or watching TV.

I need to be doing more training if I'm going to get the HM done in August, and I want to be fresh for Melbourne, and I'm generally fed up of feeling weak and weary. So I will focus on my sleep for a few days and hope things improve!

Over it!

I'm so over work.

The actual work side, not the enjoyable bush side.

I need to finish my drill report, its so nearly there. I just can't seem to focus on it.

I also need to finish my proposals for this year, I just don't see the point because noone reads them and theyre unlikely to get drilled, so why put time, effort and stress into doing them?

It makes for a fun dilema, becuase I love half my job, but the other half brings me to tears. But in time (if we get any money for 2011 anyway) that side should improve, as I move up the ladder and get more confidence in my ability. I say that I'm gone as soon as my residency allows (becuase ATM I would need a new sponsor to stay in the country and while there are a fair few jobs out there most companies aren't sponsoring as much, even though there are very few un-employed geos around... we need so many geos here at the moment but no-one is applying) but I will miss this place when/if I'm gone... Ah well. I dont yet have residency so I dont yet have options! So no point thinking about that yet.

OK, rant over.

Suck it up and finish!

We're going to go watch the Eagles on Saturday. I'm excited! I was going to suggest that we went but the OH isnt much into Footie, so didnt. Then he asked me if I wanted to go! (because his mates from work were heading down and invited him even though they know he's not all that fussed).  It went along the lines of

Him: Oh, and they want to know if we want to go watch the eagles play on saturday. Theyre playing... erm...

Me: Port Adelaide.

Him: Yeah, maybe.

Me: No, really. Port Adelaide.

Him: Yeah, well, them. Do you want to go?

Me: YES!

WCE Vs Port Adelaide.

Me last time we went:

Hopefully this time it wont rain!

First Drive of the 2010 field season

The moment I've been waiting for since about a week after starting in the Perth office. Today Brad and I went for a drive to check the roads and estimate how much work they'll need before we can start properly.

It too us about 6 hours all up, and that distance would normally take us about 2... But can't be too careful when the next corner or hill brings serious bumps!

In general they weren't too bad- just the odd bad washout where we'd constructed heavy duty tracks across gullies, so what can you expect. And build ups of debris in the river crossings that will need to be moved.

The worrying part is the lack of water! Last year there was more water around for months after the wet ended. Even though the cyclone went right over the top of us, and there was obviously some torrential flows down the rivers to have changed the layout and moved so much material, so much there hasn't been much continuous rain. No afternoon thunderstorms every other day... The Davis River (below) should at least have some water left in it!

Hopefully we'll get more soon, or there will be more dead camels and cows than usual, and  the drillers will complain!

Went for a 7km treadmill run last night (til I got bored),  then today was stiff from so much driving on top of the run, so just 30 minutes slow swim. 

Crickets!

I hate crickets.

Actually, I think a singular cricket is a fairly cool critter. They have amazing eyes and come in great colours, and are mechanically brilliant.
But when they swarm they freak me out.

• They fly in that weird circular pattern
• They have spikey feet
• They get stuck in my hair
• They end up eveywhere.
• 
  
  They make a horrible crunching noise when you stand on the masses of dead ones.
• They sit hidden in spinifex, then you walk past and they all jump out and fly at you.
• They end up in your room and jump around once the lights off, but are nowhere to be seen when the lights are on.
• They smell really bad when they burn up in the fly zapper at the wet mess.
• They spend the whole night flying into the nightlight on the outside of my room, so all I can hear at night is the scratching as the tumble down the wall.
• They land in the pool and turn it into dead cricket soup. So no swimming up here for a while!

Yes, the green tinge to the floor is all cricket carcass...

Off to check the roads to see what damage the wet season has done to them so far.

We get some good washouts, and while it hasnt rained for a while, there are pockets of bull dust that tend to look solid until you drive on to them and sink...

Could be interesting!

My 5 things

So the task of the day is to list the 5 things that you are thankful for. Mine are:

1. 
   
   My lovely OH who just cooked me Chicken Parmigiana salad for tea, all on his own (he has no confidence in the kitchen, and up until he met me never ever even cooked pasta) while I had a bath and a glass of wine. For loving me through thick and thin and across oceans for the last 5 years.
   
   
   

2. That Australia let me in, and hopefully will do on a more permanant basis. After spending 3 months here in 2006 I knew it was where I wanted to live, and here I am. Best decision I ever made, and even better that I convinced the boy over too :)
   
   
3. My education- I was at university before I realised how lucky I was to be there. Decent primary, great Grammar School and straight into Uni without really thinking how much other people struggle to get there. Don't get me wrong, I worked hard and got good grades, but I had support from all sides all the way through and never had to fight against the system. And it opened so many doors (see 2 and 5 and 1 I guess, since thats where we met).
   
   
4. My friends those here and afar. Despite hardly ever being around (due to emigration or work rosters) theyre always there when needed, and I hope I am too, where possible.

5. My job. I hate it at times, but how many other people get paid to spend half the year camping out bush and having crazy adventures?! In this case getting bogged on top of a camel due to the distraction factor, and flooded creek crossings. Love it!

nearly Australia Day!

Now, I know I shouldn't get excited about a celebration of the arrival of an invading nation which turned into a genocide, but y'know... Its Australia Day. Maybe they should change the day, but having a national celebration is a great thing. No one in the UK even notices St Georges Day (sometime in April? Maybe the 23rd but potentially not).
I've never been around for one before- the first year I was in Kambalda and while I seem to remember there was a bit of an Australiana quiz at the wet mess but otherwise all was quiet. I seem to remember I spent the day in the core shed learning how to pronounce 'Strayla the most ocker way possible.

Then last year was the big road trip to learn escape routes out of the southern half of our tenements (we're closer to Newman than the mine down there, so if anything were to go wrong we would be better to head there than home, but only as long as we don't get lost). We got to the southern road and set up camp, then the dust storm came through. Very cool. Then another came through, starting to wonder...

Then the heavens opened:

It put the fire out and the ground was flooding. We knew we had to bolt before it got too bad, or we could have been trapped there for a couple of days due to the rivers and poor road conditions. We got to Newman (2 hours ish drive from there, especially in those conditions) and cooked our camp food on the BBQs in the caravan park then had to head out again because there was no room in town. Anywhere. Gotta love Newman for that. So we ended up in a truckstop just as the sealed road stops, hoping that they wouldn't close the road first thing in the morning and that we'd make it back.
It was my first night in a swag. It rained all night, though not as hard as it started out. And I was terrified that a road train would pull in and somehow run us over, though we were way away from where that could happen.
We got up at first light, freezing cold from sleeping in wet leaky swags, cooked up bacon and egg sangas and wished each other a happy Australia Day.

Then the massive drive back home. We tried to stop off in a small town on the way, but nothing was open because it was holiday, so not even any ice coffee or cola to keep us alive. Definitely different, and very Australian, but not really what I had in mind.

This year, my friend and I have decided to do the Haviana Thong Challenge. Should be interesting :)

Packing a picnic and spending the day at the beach, then heading into town for the Skyworks. I have lots of dodgy Australia clothing and bits and bobs, and intend to look like the worst back packer out there. But at least if anyone from immigration happens to be watching, they'll see me showing my love for this beautiful country :)

So Excited!!