Bamaga - Cairns - Weipa.........

Bamanga - Cairns - Weipa.-Packed up in a hurry, hope I got everything this time, not leaving anything like last time. Found a good fishing rod tube another worker most of left behind, James and Pierce dropped Herman and myself to the airport and went back to 'work' (probably the pub, LOL), it was about smoko time, and I realised my flash coffee mug was still in work Ute, no coverage to ring and get it dropped off, will have to get it posted to Weipa. Its a real good cup, Contigo one $35 new, I found it at 2nd hand shop for $0.50, still new. and keeps coffee hot for hours, and spill proof.

So on the plane  to Cairns ,with 2x25kg tool bags and rod tube, everyone was jealous of my home made lunch, it's just a habit now. Down to Cairns, into the workshop, pick up truck, go to Jame's house, repack for Weipa, catch up with my mates at Rusty's Market again for supplies, back to workshop on Monday, mine inductions, and a piss test LOL. and I passed the piss test too, no surprise there. 

Choc banana ice cream/ smoothie,
 2 frozen bananas, 1 egg, cream & water to blend, tsp honey, tsp cacao, tsp coconut oil drop of vanilla.

So fly  to Weipa on Tuesday, now I find out I must wait in Weipa for the full induction on Thursday, so I picked up the work Ute from parking and went to the house our boss has for his Weipa workers, & went fishing. Tried a few spots with a lure, no luck,and was very windy. Next day I grabbed a small pack of bait and went for a drive to find somewhere out of the wind. I nice quiet spot under the rail bridge on the way to Mapoon. Chucked a bait in and started flicking the lure again, no luck on the lure but while I wasn't watching my other line something grabbed it and snagged it under a log, that's OK, that's what I wanted, to find out whats there. So broke that rig off and set another in the sane spot, instantly had bites and pulled in a 30cm brim, followed by a 25cm, ( I called them dinner and Breakfast  ) and a 20cm which I threw back.  So yes, awesome caught my dinner. Didn't have to buy anything, except bait. 

Now onto induction in the morning with fish in my lunchbox, and ferry over the Embley River. I am unsure what I am allowed to talk about the project on social media / Internet, but it's just work, Air cons in Donga buildings like the old days at ATCO. All in a line all the same, with the addition of a lot of safety rules, and a remote location, oh and a lot of sun & red dust. 

Sometimes I imagine I'm on the moon, work boots, long pants, long sleeve shirt, gloves, hard hat with brim and neck shade, safety glasses, walking through the red bull dust( super fine powder dust) like walking on the moon. Oh and that gear is just normal minimum requirement, have to add lots of extras if you actually want to do any work: face shield, dust mask, earplugs etc. 

Had a camp fire on our Sunday arvo off. For aboriginal culture week, NADOC.- The local elders and traditional owners came to speak, welcomed us to their country, so that the spirits of the old people accept us, and told stories. Was very interesting, and a campfire always makes a place feel like home. 

The food is a bit average, but managed to survive by selecting the better things on offer and sometimes hoarding a bit in my room from dinner & breakfast, for when there is nothing good on offer, and 10days without butter is hard to do. But they finally got some more. Started taking a box of food with me to supplement my diet, makes it a bit more bearable.

Finished installing & fixing the Air cons now I've gotta clean them. Boss sent up some nice new tools. Battery pressure washer, & a big vinyl bag that hangs under the Air con so I can hose it out, works great. 

They let us go to the beach, quite surprised really. Really nice spot, fishing, beach cricket, long walks or just chilling in the shade after a long hard hot dusty week. Caught a few fish, reef sharks, Bluebone, Queenfish, Flathead, Catfish, Brim.  but unfortunately we are not allowed to keep them, which actually makes sense when there so many of us. 

So 4x 3 week swings and we have finished the camp, not sure who they are getting to do the next stage. hopefully  us, yep its us, so ongoing work, hopefully I can stick at it for awhile.its pretty rough this full time work thing.

Fly back to Cairns, change oil in truck & tidy stuff up, if there no work for a while I mite go exploring somewhere.

A soft fresh termite mound,  sprung up out of the dry red dirt overnight. #nofilter that's just how red everything is here. 

Try to catch a few sunsets after work,  on the way to my room, reminds me of camping. 

2 nice brim, 35cm (breakfast)  &45cm (dinner).  Better than the food they serve at work. :( 

New on left,  old on right,  not to fit it all in and carry it: to airport,  on plane,  on bus, on ferry,  on another bus,  then to room and work. 

Bower Birds Bower, an elaborate display that the bower bird builds to attract females each one is different as its built to each birds individual liking, utilising what ever is available including our rubbish. 

Found this under the back hedge in weipa after I saw and herd the bird singing &dancing. 

Another good sunset. 

SUNSET

The Embley river. We catch a ferry across takes 40mins. 

Sunset 

Barramundi painting by a local arukuun artist. 

They actually let us have a campfire for NADOC week  

Sunrise,  Wat you can't view is a bunch of work to be done in the dust. 

My new work mate,  doesn't say much,  or do much work,  just lays in the shade eating caterpillars. 

A glimpse of weipa bauxite mine as we fly in. 

Scar tree display, the scars left from stone tools of aboriginal, most from harvesting native honey from stingless bees.  The mine gets the traditional owners  to identify them in areas that will be cleared and save them. 

Couple of air-cons I finished off in cairns while waiting to get mine clearance. I actually prepared this job on my first day of work nearly 1year ago. 

Icy,  it's not supposed to do that. 

They actually let us go to the beach. In singlet, shorts & jandals/barefeet  shocked. It's a good spot to relax in the shade after a 66hr week, on our only 4hr afternoon off. Better that looking at buildings and red dust.