Rate My Work Sites Climatically
Feb 14, 2021 1:11:22 GMT -5
Steelernation, alex992, and 4 more like this
Post by greysrigging on Feb 14, 2021 1:11:22 GMT -5
Right, lets be honest here..... if one discovers beer, football, girls, cars and various other outdoors activities at about the same time in life, drops out of Uni, and runs off to the Northern Outback for some 'adventure'...... well chances are you will finding employment in the great outdoors, and working in the heat, the dust, the mud and the rain. Breathing toxic fumes, working with some toxic people, drinking way too much toxic beer ( ie anything brewed in Western Australia especially Emu Export and Emu Bitter ).
Can be a tough gig in the Aussie bush, but can also be rewarding socially and financially.
So generally, the weather/climate in these places can be 'trying' for those unaccustomed to the debilitating heat and humidity of the deep deep north.
Here's a selection of some former work sites of mine
Argyle Diamond Mine, Western Australia. I used to fly in here from Darwin for Shutdowns ( pre programmed maintenance works ). Horribly hot environment during the 'wet season'. Great camp and food, great wet mess, very intrusive security, cctv everywhere ( being a diamond mine ) If security were suss of you, expect a strip search, and if really suss, medicos and police could do the body cavity search..... yikes !
Macarthur River Mine, about 1000klm south east of Darwin. I've done a few stints out here, during the construction phase and later on doing some Shutdowns. My eldest son did 5 years out here on the haul trucks and earthmoving machinery. Another hot as Hades place, but I actually suffered more in the 'dry season' winter months with night temps below 4c, I was not used to the cold ! Much drier than the northern coasts, but with the passage of Gulf cyclones, can get huge flooding rains. And spectacular 'build up' thunderstorms.
Oenpelli, NT is a Blackfella Community about 300klm east of Darwin, just over the border into Arnhemland. I worked on the demolition of a defunct Uranium mine called Nabarlek many years ago, and have since run road trains of construction equipment to the town for various small projects. The approx 40lkm of road between Magela Creek Crossing, the Cahill's Crossing of the East Alligator river, and the rough and corrugated dirt road into the town is right up there with the prettiest drives in Australia, and I have done many of the iconic Aussie drives, ( ie The Great Ocean Road, The Daintree, the road over Dead Horse Gap etc ) and the escarpment and swamp country into Oenpelli is magnificent country ! Known as the Territory's hottest town in the 'dry season' winter months, it is really bad DP and humidity wise during the 'build up' and the 'wet' !
Onslow, WA. I arrived in town 2 days after a major Cat 4 Cyclone had passed by.... roofs missing, trees defoliated, sea water storm surge pushed fishing boats up onto the salt pans and mud flats....I thought, "what a dump of a place !" But after a 9 month marine project based in town it became like a second home. The coastal location modified the extreme Pilbara heat somewhat ( except when the easterlies from the interior blow and on those days max temps exceed 48c ! ). And, us Darwin crew on the Project found the winter nights decidedly chilly ! And seeing winter frontal rain ( a couple of times ) was a novelty !
Roebourne, WA. Right up there with one of the hottest, harshest climates in Australia. About 10-12klm inland from the coast on the Harding River. also sited on the most Cyclone prone coastline in Australia. WA's oldest northern town, with many historical old stone buildings dating back to the 1890's. an arid place generally, one that can receive torrential downpours during cyclonic events, and from north west cloud bands in the winter months. Roebourne, Onslow and Mardie, coastal Pilbara sites, are in the zone for assaults on the almost mythical 50c mark in Australia, providing the seas breeze is kept at bay. I worked nearby for 3 years and experienced an official BOM recording of 49.4c in Dec 2011.
Roper Bar, NT. Slaving away building a bridge about 35klm south of the Store. Why do bosses start this sorta work during the 'build up'? Still to this day the hottest hardest helluva a job I've been on. 12 hour days and 12 can nights. Brutally high DP's and humidity and +38c- 42c days..... flooded out thrice....ahhh the joys of busted arse Territory construction !
Yandicoogina, WA. Right in the middle of the Pilbara Hamersley Ranges, massive iron ore deposits. The modest altitude modifies the summer heat from a theoretical 48c ( ie at nearby Marble Bar ) to about 44c max. Wicked summer thunderstorms, epic dust storms, a bit of winter cold ( a 12c max in July was a shock to the Darwin acclimatised system ! as was the less than 2c mornings ! ). Our camp up on top of a plateau with 360* views was pretty special. I confess to struggling with the dry heat, not used to it. And the constantly blowing dust is hard to cope with....
Can be a tough gig in the Aussie bush, but can also be rewarding socially and financially.
So generally, the weather/climate in these places can be 'trying' for those unaccustomed to the debilitating heat and humidity of the deep deep north.
Here's a selection of some former work sites of mine
Argyle Diamond Mine, Western Australia. I used to fly in here from Darwin for Shutdowns ( pre programmed maintenance works ). Horribly hot environment during the 'wet season'. Great camp and food, great wet mess, very intrusive security, cctv everywhere ( being a diamond mine ) If security were suss of you, expect a strip search, and if really suss, medicos and police could do the body cavity search..... yikes !
Macarthur River Mine, about 1000klm south east of Darwin. I've done a few stints out here, during the construction phase and later on doing some Shutdowns. My eldest son did 5 years out here on the haul trucks and earthmoving machinery. Another hot as Hades place, but I actually suffered more in the 'dry season' winter months with night temps below 4c, I was not used to the cold ! Much drier than the northern coasts, but with the passage of Gulf cyclones, can get huge flooding rains. And spectacular 'build up' thunderstorms.
Oenpelli, NT is a Blackfella Community about 300klm east of Darwin, just over the border into Arnhemland. I worked on the demolition of a defunct Uranium mine called Nabarlek many years ago, and have since run road trains of construction equipment to the town for various small projects. The approx 40lkm of road between Magela Creek Crossing, the Cahill's Crossing of the East Alligator river, and the rough and corrugated dirt road into the town is right up there with the prettiest drives in Australia, and I have done many of the iconic Aussie drives, ( ie The Great Ocean Road, The Daintree, the road over Dead Horse Gap etc ) and the escarpment and swamp country into Oenpelli is magnificent country ! Known as the Territory's hottest town in the 'dry season' winter months, it is really bad DP and humidity wise during the 'build up' and the 'wet' !
Onslow, WA. I arrived in town 2 days after a major Cat 4 Cyclone had passed by.... roofs missing, trees defoliated, sea water storm surge pushed fishing boats up onto the salt pans and mud flats....I thought, "what a dump of a place !" But after a 9 month marine project based in town it became like a second home. The coastal location modified the extreme Pilbara heat somewhat ( except when the easterlies from the interior blow and on those days max temps exceed 48c ! ). And, us Darwin crew on the Project found the winter nights decidedly chilly ! And seeing winter frontal rain ( a couple of times ) was a novelty !
Roebourne, WA. Right up there with one of the hottest, harshest climates in Australia. About 10-12klm inland from the coast on the Harding River. also sited on the most Cyclone prone coastline in Australia. WA's oldest northern town, with many historical old stone buildings dating back to the 1890's. an arid place generally, one that can receive torrential downpours during cyclonic events, and from north west cloud bands in the winter months. Roebourne, Onslow and Mardie, coastal Pilbara sites, are in the zone for assaults on the almost mythical 50c mark in Australia, providing the seas breeze is kept at bay. I worked nearby for 3 years and experienced an official BOM recording of 49.4c in Dec 2011.
Roper Bar, NT. Slaving away building a bridge about 35klm south of the Store. Why do bosses start this sorta work during the 'build up'? Still to this day the hottest hardest helluva a job I've been on. 12 hour days and 12 can nights. Brutally high DP's and humidity and +38c- 42c days..... flooded out thrice....ahhh the joys of busted arse Territory construction !
Yandicoogina, WA. Right in the middle of the Pilbara Hamersley Ranges, massive iron ore deposits. The modest altitude modifies the summer heat from a theoretical 48c ( ie at nearby Marble Bar ) to about 44c max. Wicked summer thunderstorms, epic dust storms, a bit of winter cold ( a 12c max in July was a shock to the Darwin acclimatised system ! as was the less than 2c mornings ! ). Our camp up on top of a plateau with 360* views was pretty special. I confess to struggling with the dry heat, not used to it. And the constantly blowing dust is hard to cope with....
