Day 31 - Kalgoorlie
Monday, June 25, 2012 at 07:39AM You know it’s when you do something like we are doing that you get a real picture of some of the things that we hear fleetingly on the nightly news. We are in a caravan park in Kalgoorlie & yesterday we met a family that are over here looking for work during the “Mining Boom” they explained that they are from Tasmania & they had a firewood supply business. But recently the big timber businesses made it so hard for them to gain access to forests & plantations to get wood that they closed the business down. They packed up bikes & some bedding, clothes &essentials & they are now living in the back of a truck! Seriously it is a van so it has walls & a roof but to think that a couple & their 12 year old daughter are living in it while looking for work shows just how “real” things are, they were heating food on a gas bottle with a basic burner and pot balanced on top! Yes it really is a reality check, they have told us they will just be living here in the caravan park and try and find work…until whenever. I am incredibly grateful to have work, a home and a caravan.
When we were here last trip we came just after the earthquake did a fair bit of damage to Boulder. Many of the historic buildings were damaged & scaffolding had been erected to stop any further collapse.
Well things must move slow over here in the west because much of the scaffolding is still here & there does not appear to be too much repair work completed. Sure there are a couple of pubs that have been reopened (priorities!) but some of the public buildings still have a lot of work to be done!
I worked this morning at a mine site, I had to start at 6am & the site was 20 minutes away, so allowing time for a shower & getting dressed I was up at 415am….. so while I’m typing the blog tonight I’m a little tired, but the worst part is I have to go back to work at 6pm tonight!..... and before you all think I’m whingeing….I’m NOT, I’m just sharing!
Some of you have gone quiet, got a lovely message on the blog from Celeste last night, some of you should send us a message or ask us a question about our adventures so far!
Reader’s comments
Celeste read the blog from start to finish so far…..It took her 9 hours! Geeze I can waffle on about not much really. Thanks for the message Celeste, we agree you should buy a van/bus/caravan and come on a trip with us, Ashwin would love it.
Cousin Marc said hello via email…..nice to hear from you Marc. Good to see that you like Karl from an idiot abroad! Hope the move into the new place went well.
Celeste also asked what I think of people that park in wheelchair car parks…. I don’t think too much Celeste, I actually carry a tyre valve remover in my bag & if I see someone park in a spot that shouldn’t be & they have no permit I let down 2 of their tyres, you can guarantee they won’t do it again after that! He ain’t joking Celeste…
Annie’s Blog
Dad woke me up really early today, I was dreaming about the hitch hiker on a bike (remember?) and Dad’s alarm went off. He got out of bed & made lots of noise when he was getting ready for work! Dad can you keep it down a bit? Me & Mum have to play all day & how do you expect us to function if you wake us up so early!
But Dad made up for it when he got home from work, Mum had heaps to do so Dad said “Lets go for a drive Annie” so me & Dad got in the car & went out without Mum. He took me to this drive through place where they gave us some chips & a drink! Dad told me not to tell Mum. Then we went to this lookout place where you can look down on a Mine Site with big big big trucks. It was great. But then I fell asleep in the back of the car in the car park & you know how much my Dad loves me?.... He fell asleep to keep me company! Isn’t that cool!
When we both woke up we drove around for some more time & then we decided that mum must be getting lonely so we went back to the caravan park. It was perfect timing to Annie, as I was really missing you and your Dad. xxx
I like being in different places….. it’s really interesting hearing Mum & Dad talk about history & how things have changed.
Good evening to you all
AnnieInAVan…XXXX
Reader Comments (3)
Hi Annie,
Your Dad has to work those early hours so you can have these fabulous tours you are on - maybe next time Pop and I might join you and you can sleep in our van when Dad goes to work early. Not sure Mum and Dad would really appreciate us tagging along all the way thou. Missing you all heaps - you look so happy in the photos.
Anika missed you all at her Ballarina Party - a real Ballarina came and danced for Anika and her friends - Pop, Badash, Uncle Matt and the other Dads liked watching her dance too. Archie kept looking at your photo on my phone.
Love to you and Mum and Dad. Speak to you soon. Nan
You may or may not know this, when you do a Contiki tour, before each tour commnences they choose a particular song that is played EACH morning on the bus when you depart from one destination to the other (It is generally played at the highest volume to wake the passengers up or make those that pulled an all nighter suffer!), by the end of the tour you know each word to the song & you either grow to love it, or hate it!
On my way to work this morning, I heard a song on the radio that I thought would be perfect as your theme song to sing in the car along with the box on wheels! "Ride like the Wind" by Christopher Cross ... Now I'm pretty sure it's about riding on a motorcycle, nevertheless it's a great song to sing to!!
Annie has informed us, that you tend to make up your own lyrics to songs, so it's perfect when you get to the part that says "And I've got such a long way to go to make it to the border of Mexico" instead of Mexico you can insert your next destination!! .. Clever right??
Just so you don't drive Annie crazy with the incorrect lyrics to the song here they are! ...
It is the night.
My body's weak.
I'm on the run.
No time to sleep.
I've got to ride.
Ride like the wind
to be free again.
And I got such a long way to go.
To make it to the border of Mexico.
So I'll ride like the wind.
Ride like the wind
I was born the son of a lawless man.
Always spoke my mind with a gun in my hand.
Lived nine lives
gunned down ten.
Gonna ride like the wind.
And I got such a long way to go.
To make it to the border of Mexico.
So I'll ride like the wind.
Ride like the wind.
Ride like the wind.
Accused and tried and told to hang
I was no where in sight
when the church bells rang.
Never was the kind to do as I was told.
Gonna ride like the wind before I get old.
It is the night. My body's weak.
I'm on the run. No time to sleep.
I've got to ride.
Ride like the wind to be free again.
And I got such a long way to go.
To make it to the border of Mexico.
So I'll ride like the wind.
Ride like the wind.
And I got such a long way to go.
To make it to the border of Mexico.
So I'll ride like the wind.
Gonna run like the wind
I agree with Sandy, Annie looks so happy in the photos! .. but with parents like you (well I can only speak for Vanessa) I'm sure there wouldn't be much she wouldn't be happy about! And she gets to be in this big box on wheels for 3 months a year! I must also say you both look slimmer in the photos! Or is it because you're all so happy!?
Sad about the family from Tasmania having to live in a van until they establish themselves again!
My mum has always said how amazing the wave o'clock is, looks great. Does it feel like its coming down on you, sure looks lie it. How much for those old tip trucks, could use one of those to pull out some stumps and move dirt around. Linds is in Melbourne for a few days for work, and going to Quan 88 for some of those lovely Vietnamese spring rolls, so jealous, think I need some good takeout as well, just me and the girls. Not sure if our land rover will cut it though, not enough battery power to get to the gong, let alone the far west. Try again next time, what you think of the Toyota Tundra, big beast by the look of it. Glad your all well, Annie looks like she is having a ball .