I've been to the Pilbara to the Cloud Break Mine and the Solomon Mine, both owned by Twiggy Forester of Fortescue Mining Corporation.
My journey began at Broken Hill, and 6 days later we arrived at Capricorn Roadhouse. After delivering the job I returned to the roadhouse to catch up with domestic duties, ready to head home.
While parked a couple of gentlemen appeared from behind a truck to ask me if I was available to work. A few beers and a chat over dinner truckside, it was all set.
So next morning we headed off for Solomon mine with a convoy comprising 2 wide loads - 65 tonnes & 3 metres, and 85 tonnes @ 85 tonnes - 2 parts of a very large excavator, making progress quite slow.
The road conditions were appalling for the Newman-Marble Bar Road and the Wittenoom Road, beyond the bitumen. The mine roads were wonderful. Unsealed, but oh so well maintained.
Roads, railways and airstrips are still under construction at both mines.
I arrived back home 2 weeks later, after visiting a very close friend in Perth for a couple of days, and meeting the President of the WA Pilot Drivers Association.
Now I'm on pet-sitting duties for my daughter.
milo said
07:14 AM Jul 10, 2012
Sounds like it worked out CG.
gypsy rover said
02:42 PM Jul 10, 2012
Well done CG, quite a long and dusty trip no doubt. Glad to hear you are back with family.
Cheers!
Chris
kandagal said
05:59 PM Jul 10, 2012
Glad you had a safe trip CG. We're heading to Westwood (west of Rocky) to pet sit for a daughter from 18/7
Gerty Dancer said
06:58 PM Jul 10, 2012
Wow! What a fantastic trip! you've got a good occupation Granny!
ozi2 said
07:53 PM Jul 10, 2012
HI CG, just out of interest; how many klicks have you covered in this most recent trip and others you have mentioned in your posts?
Sounds like you had a good journey in some interesting country.
cheers,
ozi2
Beth54 said
08:05 PM Jul 10, 2012
What an interesting life you lead Chris.
AmandaJayne said
08:15 PM Jul 10, 2012
how cool and what a busy person you are, makes me wonder when you get the time to travel in your rig on the road for pleasure.......
Happywanderer said
08:35 PM Jul 10, 2012
Great to hear where you have been CG. Knew you hadn't been on here for a while so thats how we know you have a good job going on. What a fantastic trip you have done this time and very interesting to be able to see the mines etc. Enjoy your dog sitting and have a rest while waiting for the next job to appear.
Beth54 said
08:36 PM Jul 10, 2012
Happywanderer wrote:
Great to hear where you have been CG. Knew you hadn't been on here for a while so thats how we know you have a good job going on. What a fantastic trip you have done this time and very interesting to be able to see the mines etc. Enjoy your dog sitting and have a rest while waiting for the next job to appear.
:like:
glassies said
08:47 PM Jul 10, 2012
what a great job work while you travel fantastic xxstay safe on the road gc.
justcruisin01 said
11:08 PM Jul 10, 2012
Welcome back Chris, hope you enjoyed the travell.
JC.
neilnruth said
11:09 PM Jul 10, 2012
Welcome back CG. Glad you stayed safe and well.
Cruising Granny said
12:48 AM Jul 11, 2012
AmandaJayne wrote:
how cool and what a busy person you are, makes me wonder when you get the time to travel in your rig on the road for pleasure.......
Blow the rig! This is travel for pleasure with benefits. The van is home and the job is camping.
I covered about 7000kms all up, but I only get paid while I'm on the job. Returning home without work is the down-side. Sometimes it works out to get a follow-on job, but not this time. It works out in the end.
Now I'm home for a bit of maintenance. The car and me.
golivers travels said
01:05 AM Jul 11, 2012
You are a legend CG. Well done.
Glenda
Sheba said
01:37 AM Jul 11, 2012
Wondered where you were Chris. Was about to ask if any-one knew tonight. Now I don't have to.
Take care,
Sheba.
wendyv said
05:27 AM Jul 11, 2012
Chris, isn't the Pilbara is so scenic, despite the mining activity. We worked (sort-of) for Twiggy Forrest, few years ago, when all his mine stuff was being built. Spent 5 months involved with the construction of the two temporary accommodation camps for the railway builders, for the Cloudbreak to Hedland railway. Was a fascinating insight into the scale of big mining ventures, as well as the FIFO lifestyle. Both camps featured gyms and swimming pools - all to be demolished again once the railway was built! Actually, one camp got demolished well ahead of schedule, thanks to Cyclone George, but then had to be rebuilt - temporarily!
Cruising Granny said
06:33 AM Jul 11, 2012
Yes it's a really beautiful region. The red rocks and the silvery spinifix and all the other colours of green to grey to blue foliage. The massive infrastructure projects these mining companies invest in before they dig the first rock is a demonstration of huge faith in the mining venture and its markets. I was overwhelmed by what I saw involved in the road and rail construction, to raise everything above the landscape by 12 metres or more, with allowance for drainage in the wet season is an engineering wonder. The railway to Solomon Mine isn't finished yet. From the time they are granted mining rights to testing the quality of the ore, to the surveyors, the bulldozer driver who cuts the first track to the lease to what they have now. It's a huge industry involving many facets of the work force, not just plant and machine operators. There are still construction camps at Capricorn, permanent and temporary. The roadhouse has invested in accommodation, and BHP has built a camp next door. Everything is go, go, go, and it's a rare sight to see a road train without an "oversize" sign and yellow beacon flashing a warning to all. Everything travels by road, and those roads are very busy. From 3 metres to 8.5 metre loads, even in convoy. Fortunately they can only travel in daylight. It would be worth a seat on the verandah at the Capricorn Roadhouse for a day or 2 to get a clear image of the scale of things out there.
wendyv said
06:17 AM Jul 12, 2012
Agree that the road traffic to the assorted mine sites - and prospects - has to be experienced to be believed. Ditto the sheer scale of the spending on development. We had never been involved in anything like that, before we landed the jobs on FMG's railway construction villages. Totally gob smacked by it all.
Each of the two camps "our" company was to provide was to sleep 320. Portable dongas were built in Perth - 4 bedrooms each with ensuite - per donga. So that was 160 dongas coming up the Great Northern, a few at a time, usually 2 on trailer and truck. Then there were the 16 or so similar modules that made up each kitchen and mess hall. Another 6 or so, for the wet mess and more for the ice room, gym, first aid centre, admin offices, laundries. computer rooms. Plus truckloads of equipment for same. Pluis the sizeable pre-formed swimming pools. Each bedroom had new king single mattress, TV, bar fridge. The gym gear was comprehensive. Ice machines to provide cold drinking water for the workers to take out to the work area for their day. As Site Clerk, I got to know the truckies very well.
As you say, so many different types of workers are involved. Once our camps were occupied by workers from various sub-contractors involved with different aspects of the railway construction, there were the cooks, kitchen hands, bar staff for wet mess, and housekeepers of the managing company. (The quality of the food was superb). Each of the companies had mini buses to drive their workers from the camp to wherever they were working - and very well paid (mostly female) drivers who took them out, and kept the temporary lunch dongas out there clean. These driver ladies were getting paid $120,000 a year - back in 2007! And their keep was free!
The mining developments have certainly been a boon for the Capricorn Roadhouse.
Have you been in the Pilbara Oct-Dec? The storm season? The lightning shows and windstorms were amazing. Scary at times.
jules47 said
08:14 PM Jul 12, 2012
Glad to see you back home safe and sound Chris - (CG)) - I loove the Pilbara - have some spectacular photos on the Wittenoom Road - Tom Price is one of my favourite towns - you are lucky that you can mix your travel with work - best of both worlds I reckon.
We are currently in Townsville, at the "showgrounds" cp - bit run down, but ok - and cheaper than some - will be here at least till Monday. Hope to see you either on the road or in SA next year.
Dunmowin said
05:21 AM Jul 14, 2012
Way to go GC. We are envious!
Have a question. Driving south on Stuart Highway from Marla yesterday, we encountered two wide loads with escorts. No communication was recieved over the UHF, so we did not know they were coming until almost upon us. Is this the norm for SA?
Cruising Granny said
06:00 AM Jul 14, 2012
Dunmowin wrote:
Way to go GC. We are envious!
Have a question. Driving south on Stuart Highway from Marla yesterday, we encountered two wide loads with escorts. No communication was recieved over the UHF, so we did not know they were coming until almost upon us. Is this the norm for SA?
No it's not! It's very naughty! I'm disappointed to hear that.
I have had some of the same experience over the Nullarbor. SA doesn't have any accreditation for pilots and it seems they're not very strict about how they conduct themselves on the highway.
You could call up the pilots or truck driver to ask, "How wide?"
Do you know what they were carrying and who the trucking company was?
If you can, it would pay to report this lack of activity to the trucking company, because some of the truck drivers have been getting worried by bad pilots. I had 2 experiences of this in the last 2 weeks. One was the job I did, and I was offered another job when the pilot was sacked for being slack.
Cruising Granny said
06:04 AM Jul 14, 2012
wendyv wrote:
The mining developments have certainly been a boon for the Capricorn Roadhouse.
Have you been in the Pilbara Oct-Dec? The storm season? The lightning shows and windstorms were amazing. Scary at times.
I spent 11 years in the Kimberley Region admiring the fascinating storm displays. I've also seen some in the Pilbara. It's an amazing experience and the volume of rain which pours out of the sky is hard to describe.
When you worked out there for FMG did you meet a Maori bloke called George?
The "Cappy" is a hive of activity 24/7, and the tonnage which moves through there is astounding. I wouldn't even try to estimate the value of the freight which passes through there every day.
It's a pity they've excluded caravans and campers from the redevelopment.
Dunmowin said
06:08 AM Jul 14, 2012
They were moving mining equipment, possibly dump trucks. The first one we had no forewarning that they were coming, the second one an hour or so later we did hear a comment about a b****y caravan that had overtaken the rig but there was still no warning of a wide load heading up the highway
Cruising Granny said
06:17 AM Jul 14, 2012
That's scary. They're supposed to announce the dimensions of the load at least when there's other traffic in the vicinity. eg "Northbound oversize is 5.5 metres." Or something similar so everyone in the range of the CB radio can hear the warning and be prepared. Some seem to think they only have to tell other trucks of their presence. I'm working on articles for truck and caravan magazines to educate both about these things. I'm trying to tell the truckies that caravanner need to plan to get off the road when confronted by a wide load. There are some highways which have crusty edges and it's not possible to just wheel off the black top to park up while the big one passes. Wish me luck.
Esmeralda said
01:01 AM Jul 15, 2012
Sounds like a great trip Chris!!
Cheers, Helen
wendyv said
09:24 PM Jul 15, 2012
CG,
Maori George doesn't sound familiar.
We were not working directly for FMG, but for a company FMG had contracted to build the 2 construction camps. Had a bit to do with various FMG personnel who visited regularly to check on progress.
Cruising Granny said
03:56 AM Jul 16, 2012
That's the way it is. There are people everywhere. It's like an ant farm out there. You'd remember him if you met him. He's from Pt. Lincoln. Anyway he was working on the railway line I think. Workers come and go, contracts start and finish. No one is really employed. They are all on contract. When the contract ends they either renew or go. In the mean time they have to look after their own business like tax, superannuation, insurances, etc. Some spend it as fast as they get it, and forget the essentials of life.
I've been to the Pilbara to the Cloud Break Mine and the Solomon Mine, both owned by Twiggy Forester of Fortescue Mining Corporation.
My journey began at Broken Hill, and 6 days later we arrived at Capricorn Roadhouse. After delivering the job I returned to the roadhouse to catch up with domestic duties, ready to head home.
While parked a couple of gentlemen appeared from behind a truck to ask me if I was available to work. A few beers and a chat over dinner truckside, it was all set.
So next morning we headed off for Solomon mine with a convoy comprising 2 wide loads - 65 tonnes & 3 metres, and 85 tonnes @ 85 tonnes - 2 parts of a very large excavator, making progress quite slow.
The road conditions were appalling for the Newman-Marble Bar Road and the Wittenoom Road, beyond the bitumen. The mine roads were wonderful. Unsealed, but oh so well maintained.
Roads, railways and airstrips are still under construction at both mines.
I arrived back home 2 weeks later, after visiting a very close friend in Perth for a couple of days, and meeting the President of the WA Pilot Drivers Association.
Now I'm on pet-sitting duties for my daughter.
Well done CG, quite a long and dusty trip no doubt. Glad to hear you are back with family.
Cheers!
Chris
HI CG, just out of interest; how many klicks have you covered in this most recent trip and others you have mentioned in your posts?
Sounds like you had a good journey in some interesting country.
cheers,
ozi2
What an interesting life you lead Chris.
Enjoy your dog sitting and have a rest while waiting for the next job to appear.
:like:
Welcome back Chris, hope you enjoyed the travell.
JC.
Blow the rig! This is travel for pleasure with benefits. The van is home and the job is camping.
I covered about 7000kms all up, but I only get paid while I'm on the job. Returning home without work is the down-side. Sometimes it works out to get a follow-on job, but not this time. It works out in the end.
Now I'm home for a bit of maintenance. The car and me.
Wondered where you were Chris. Was about to ask if any-one knew tonight. Now I don't have to.
Take care,
Sheba.
We worked (sort-of) for Twiggy Forrest, few years ago, when all his mine stuff was being built. Spent 5 months involved with the construction of the two temporary accommodation camps for the railway builders, for the Cloudbreak to Hedland railway. Was a fascinating insight into the scale of big mining ventures, as well as the FIFO lifestyle. Both camps featured gyms and swimming pools - all to be demolished again once the railway was built! Actually, one camp got demolished well ahead of schedule, thanks to Cyclone George, but then had to be rebuilt - temporarily!
The massive infrastructure projects these mining companies invest in before they dig the first rock is a demonstration of huge faith in the mining venture and its markets.
I was overwhelmed by what I saw involved in the road and rail construction, to raise everything above the landscape by 12 metres or more, with allowance for drainage in the wet season is an engineering wonder.
The railway to Solomon Mine isn't finished yet.
From the time they are granted mining rights to testing the quality of the ore, to the surveyors, the bulldozer driver who cuts the first track to the lease to what they have now. It's a huge industry involving many facets of the work force, not just plant and machine operators.
There are still construction camps at Capricorn, permanent and temporary. The roadhouse has invested in accommodation, and BHP has built a camp next door.
Everything is go, go, go, and it's a rare sight to see a road train without an "oversize" sign and yellow beacon flashing a warning to all. Everything travels by road, and those roads are very busy. From 3 metres to 8.5 metre loads, even in convoy. Fortunately they can only travel in daylight.
It would be worth a seat on the verandah at the Capricorn Roadhouse for a day or 2 to get a clear image of the scale of things out there.
Each of the two camps "our" company was to provide was to sleep 320. Portable dongas were built in Perth - 4 bedrooms each with ensuite - per donga. So that was 160 dongas coming up the Great Northern, a few at a time, usually 2 on trailer and truck. Then there were the 16 or so similar modules that made up each kitchen and mess hall. Another 6 or so, for the wet mess and more for the ice room, gym, first aid centre, admin offices, laundries. computer rooms. Plus truckloads of equipment for same. Pluis the sizeable pre-formed swimming pools. Each bedroom had new king single mattress, TV, bar fridge. The gym gear was comprehensive. Ice machines to provide cold drinking water for the workers to take out to the work area for their day.
As Site Clerk, I got to know the truckies very well.
As you say, so many different types of workers are involved. Once our camps were occupied by workers from various sub-contractors involved with different aspects of the railway construction, there were the cooks, kitchen hands, bar staff for wet mess, and housekeepers of the managing company. (The quality of the food was superb). Each of the companies had mini buses to drive their workers from the camp to wherever they were working - and very well paid (mostly female) drivers who took them out, and kept the temporary lunch dongas out there clean. These driver ladies were getting paid $120,000 a year - back in 2007! And their keep was free!
The mining developments have certainly been a boon for the Capricorn Roadhouse.
Have you been in the Pilbara Oct-Dec? The storm season? The lightning shows and windstorms were amazing. Scary at times.
We are currently in Townsville, at the "showgrounds" cp - bit run down, but ok - and cheaper than some - will be here at least till Monday. Hope to see you either on the road or in SA next year.
Way to go GC. We are envious!
Have a question. Driving south on Stuart Highway from Marla yesterday, we encountered two wide loads with escorts. No communication was recieved over the UHF, so we did not know they were coming until almost upon us. Is this the norm for SA?
No it's not! It's very naughty! I'm disappointed to hear that.
I have had some of the same experience over the Nullarbor. SA doesn't have any accreditation for pilots and it seems they're not very strict about how they conduct themselves on the highway.
You could call up the pilots or truck driver to ask, "How wide?"
Do you know what they were carrying and who the trucking company was?
If you can, it would pay to report this lack of activity to the trucking company, because some of the truck drivers have been getting worried by bad pilots. I had 2 experiences of this in the last 2 weeks. One was the job I did, and I was offered another job when the pilot was sacked for being slack.
I spent 11 years in the Kimberley Region admiring the fascinating storm displays. I've also seen some in the Pilbara. It's an amazing experience and the volume of rain which pours out of the sky is hard to describe.
When you worked out there for FMG did you meet a Maori bloke called George?
The "Cappy" is a hive of activity 24/7, and the tonnage which moves through there is astounding. I wouldn't even try to estimate the value of the freight which passes through there every day.
It's a pity they've excluded caravans and campers from the redevelopment.
They were moving mining equipment, possibly dump trucks. The first one we had no forewarning that they were coming, the second one an hour or so later we did hear a comment about a b****y caravan that had overtaken the rig but there was still no warning of a wide load heading up the highway
Some seem to think they only have to tell other trucks of their presence.
I'm working on articles for truck and caravan magazines to educate both about these things. I'm trying to tell the truckies that caravanner need to plan to get off the road when confronted by a wide load. There are some highways which have crusty edges and it's not possible to just wheel off the black top to park up while the big one passes.
Wish me luck.
Sounds like a great trip Chris!!
Cheers, Helen
CG,
Maori George doesn't sound familiar.
We were not working directly for FMG, but for a company FMG had contracted to build the 2 construction camps. Had a bit to do with various FMG personnel who visited regularly to check on progress.
Anyway he was working on the railway line I think.
Workers come and go, contracts start and finish. No one is really employed. They are all on contract. When the contract ends they either renew or go. In the mean time they have to look after their own business like tax, superannuation, insurances, etc.
Some spend it as fast as they get it, and forget the essentials of life.