Day 56 – Solomon Mine Rail Spur Project/Tom Price
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 07:50AM Hello Bloggies, sorry about last night….but we had a call from a site 200km from Tom Price asking if I could urgently go across and do some talks for them. So the best business manager in the world automatically bumped up my prices(not really) & said I could attend at this short notice. (It will pay for the Bullbar & Winch on the Land Rover when I get home) It had also better buy something nice for wife and daughter….I don’t think the Bullbar & Winch is a very feminine accessory.
So I drove across to Solomon Mine & this is where I’ll be until Sunday. It means that Ness & Annie will be on their own for a couple of days so for those of you who can…..Give her a call, she will appreciate the company. Don’t call me though…I’ll appreciate the silence! (I mean that in the nicest possible way).
I’ll take some pictures of this camp, it is pretty basic….not at all like the Christmas Creek Resort. And I’ll get Ness to post them when I get home.
Some information on this project?...Ok the actual mine is 60km north of Tom Price, but I am working at a camp 200km North of TP because they are building a rail link between the mine & existing rail facilities. When I did my induction I found out that this project is worth 3.6Billion dollars! Yep Billion (Ness you should have bumped my price up some more!) the rail link project that I am on is costing $850 million. The port facilities $1.2 billion, the actual mine $850 million and an ore processing plant for $700 million….. and that is before they start producing iron ore! It’s owned by Fortescue metals group( FMG) & they are doing things in a clever way. They have 3 large leases fairly close together so they will share infrastructure (rail & processing plants, port facilities) so it should all work together in the next few years or so. Andrew Forrest just has to hang in there & hopefully survive until it all starts turning a profit!
Tonight I cooked myself Chicken Kiev with spicy cous cous…must thank my hubby as he bought the Kiev’s for us but he had to go away!! Might have the second one tomorrow night. Sorry Rob…only got a food update…absolutely no-where to buy shoes here but I do have 3 pairs outside the caravan door to select form each day.
Reader’s replies & responses
Got a few bones to pick with people tonight, didn’t have time last night.
Firstly Pete A, mate I don’t believe you were in Laverton….. Especially if you used the Michelin Road Atlas you gave us!..... It would have taken you to Lavington in Albury!!!
Heather tried to encourage Annie to learn the NO word, as she recently had four kids at her place that did not understand the word. Don’t worry Heather, I have other ways of teaching Annie Yes & NO…. She will learn very quickly, and her Mum is also not afraid to use the N word. With proper explanation why…fingers crossed it works. So far it has worked, when asking her to leave her hat on in when she is outside in the sun. It is quite funny though, as soon as I take her in to the caravan she pulls it off.
Tereasa made fun of the poor guy with one arm, That’s terrible T….. you should have seen him trying to open his stubby! & spread butter on his toast!!!!.... I was almost crying!!! (Now for those of you who get offended by this sort of Armless fun!!!....Ha get it??? …Bad luck!) Oh dear….you two are shockers.
Meredith also reappeared with a really bad Irish joke….. Good to see you are back M I thought I had offended you….. Oh did you hear the one about the Aussie girl living in NZ with worms whose partner just built new steps from a plan on you tube?.....Aw it’s not that funny after all!!!
Brad A, Heather A & Georgia S… I was going to say more about your comments regarding my descriptive writing, just goes to show, when someone does something half decent there are always plenty of people ready to whack them back down again!!!
I just want you to know that Georgia, you are the best teacher in the world, you had a dream & followed it, the hard work & effort was tough but you persevered & your passion for the indigenous kids is amazing, Heather your home is a work of art, it should be in Vogue magazine it is spotlessly clean & your garden is immaculate, not a weed in site & a pleasure to just sit & take in, Jamie & Syd are a beautiful reflection of the effort you have put in over the years and you are and should be very proud of them both. Oh and your cooking is awesome, I really look forward to every time I visit your place for a meal. And Brad A, Mate I admire the guts & determination you have harnessed to fight a fight that will ultimately lead to a decision where many people’s lives will change for the better or for worse…Keep it up Brad.
I hope the three of you feel like shit now for criticizing my writing!!!
Annie’s Blog
Dad had to go to work today and he said he won’t be home till Sunday! Now I can’t work this out? My Dad tells people how to be safe, but why do they need him to stay there for the whole time? I mean does he go around and make sure people’s are sleeping safely? Does he make sure people’s are showering safely? Does he make sure that people’s are tying their shoelaces up properly? I just don’t know why they need him there all the time.
I stayed with my Mum today, but I was a bit grizzly, not sure if it was because Dad is away, or my tummy hurts, or I have grow pains? Do adults get grow pains? Do any of my friends get grow pains? Hey Jack, maybe you are growing all the time and that’s why you cry sometimes? My mum took me for a walk in the pram, she took me for a walk carrying me, she took me to the bathroom with her, but I was still grizzly. Then to top it all off Mum gave me the same dinner as last night. Now last night I loved sausage casserole and rice made kinda soft and lumpy…but not two nights in a row Mum. At least she gave my yummy fruit and yoghurt instead. I heard Mum say to Dad that she hopes I sleep all night & I am better tomorrow. Me too!!!!
Ok I’ll go now cause I’m not in a good mood, Night to you all.
Love AnnieInAVan….XXX
Reader Comments (2)
Hi Annie and ness,
Hope you are enjoying your trip and not missing your daddy too much. My daddy plays tennis on Thursday night so I don't see him really and mum says she appreciates him on more on those days she has to do it all without him!
My mum uses the no word too. I haven't figured it out yet....I just laugh and continue whatever it is I am doing- usually trying to play in the dogs water or with the switches- they are my two favorite things! Mum kept saying it and saying it the other day, but i didnt worry- i really wanted taylor's dummy so i just kept right pn trying to get it!!! I am enjoying crawling around and now I can stand up when I hold onto things and mum thinks its s scary but I love it!
Anyways keep enjoying your holiday and stay safe xox
Love Archie and mummy xox
Hi Ness & Annie, I'll try and keep you company while your man is doing his job.
It sounds like you've been having a great holiday/work trip!
We're a bit bored here at the moment, just working and protesting, it starts to wear you down after awhile.
I thinbk we might go and have lunch down the coast somewhere today, it's the first decent day we've had in awhile......bloody rain!
I guess Heather would have told you that Sydni has her learners permit, she was very excited about it all. The funny thing is it didn't cost any extra to add her to the car insurance policies?
The construction market is very quite here at the moment, that's normal I guess at the end of the finacial year......but I don't like being idol for too long. I'm currently drafting one small job, and had to go out on site to get the dimensions of the building that they're renovating. There was a guy operating a jackhammer for the entire 3 hours that I was there; I was ready to smash it over his head towards the end !
Jamie is getting close to buying his first piece of real estate, he called me yesterday sounding excited about a place he had found in fortitude Valley.....funny how things change, that used to be the sleezy part of the city with drugs and hookers many years ago, now it's full of Yuppies and coffee shops.
We've had two power bills since we've instlled the solar panels in October 2011, both for $130; which is not bad considering how much rain and cloud we've had of the last 12 months. Solar hot water is the best thing we've ever done, you guys need to get that and STOP burning coal so you can have hot water!.......I think I'm turning into a greenie (god help us all).
Haven't been fishing for a few months, I'm looking forward to the end of September. A group of us are camping on North Stradbroke Island (for 2 nights) and surf fishing for Tailor. They are great fighters and excellent to eat.
I'm not sure if we'll both be heading done to see you when you get back? Mainly because the business has been so quite for the last few weeks. I'd like to land a big job now which would be finished just before the 17th of September (when Syd goes to Japan) that would be perfect; But the reailty is I will probably be right in the middle of a job, and I'll be chained to the wheel for a few weeks.......hopefully it will go our way. That's the biggest problem with my business is you have to take the work when it's there, and take your holidays when you can. Normally that doesn't work very well when Syd is at school...we can't just take off for a week and let her fend for herself.
It's not really a holiday taking my work with me like I did at the state of Origin, you can't wind down, your mind is always thinking about the job.
Annie is growing so fast, I can't believe she is nearly walking! It'a a pitty she's not a bit older to really appreciate the trip that you're on, but you better be careful she doesn't develope the travelling bug.
When Syd finishes School I think we might join you guys on one of these trips. Heather's keen to let the wind blow through her hair (there's a bit of Gypsy in the wood family blood I reckon) , and I'd love to have a look around the top end of W.A. for sure.
Tell the old buzzard that the Dragons & the Storm both lost last night, and misery loves company !
Talk to you later, Brad.