Murrin Murrin

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In early September, Damien started a ‘Fly in Fly Out’ job at a minesite approx 1.5hrs flight NE of Perth. The site ‘Murrin Murrin’ is a Nickel and Cobalt operation owned by a Canadian firm ‘Minara’. His job is on the processing plant working as an electrician on some new construction projects. As part of the safety code at the site, he has to be clean shaven! So now, after 9 years, I have a clean shaven man!! It took some getting use to as he really does look like a different man, but now I can see the little dimples in his cheeks!

Each of the guys working on site are given ‘Personal Protective Equipment’, PPE, which is carried at all times. This includes a full face mask and a H2S gas detector. The full face mask is the reason for the clean shaven policy.

He is on a 2 weeks on, 1 week off roster. Each two weeks on is called a ‘swing’. During his first swing he asked around the entire site looking for work for me. By his second swing I had joined him on site managing the ‘Stores’ for the catering firm at the campsite. There are currently around 1100 people on site and this will increase to approx 1700 in the next two weeks as more labour is brought on for ‘shutdown’ i.e. whole plant shutdown for essential maintenance. So as you can imagine the catering side is fairly full on.

We work 12 hours days for 14 days straight, then fly back out to Perth for a week off. My hours are 4am to 4pm, and Damien works 6am to 6pm. So it is fairly tiring, but manageable.

The camp is set up as civilized as possible with BBQ areas to either cook your own, or have it cooked by a chef, 4 tennis courts, volley ball court, basket ball court, football field, a gym with classes, a pool, a chapel, pub, grassed areas, water features…all to make you feel comfortable in the surrounds. Food and accom is paid for. Camp quality is one of the winning features for labour retention in WA. Guys leave the job if the camp and food isn’t up to scratch no matter what they may be paid. I guess if you are doing this work for a lifetime, it makes a difference in the long run.

We had some great news from Mike and Nicola (our Perth flatties), calling from a jetty in Mandurrah, south of Perth…Mike had just proposed with diamond ring in hand!! The house is now full of wedding magazines and planning, planning, planning - not to mention a very shiny diamond ring to match two very shiny smiles!!

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