Day 6 – Dysart

Today we have decided to share a bit more of our world with you. Many of you knew that we were taking off but do you really know what we are doing & how we are doing it?

 You know that I share my safety messages by delivering training sessions at minesites throughout the country & Vanessa runs the business & helps develop new ideas & products.

 The last few years I have spent more & more time on planes & away at remote minesites. So when Vanessa & I met we talked about other ways we could still grow our business & still have time together.

 Mr Rudd helped us out by offering a tax incentive for equipment purchases, we bought a new caravan.... Thanks big Kev!

 For those of with an interest in caravans ours is not just a caravan. The guys who built it described it as a hamburger with the lot plus more! It is the most optioned & fully loaded van they have built! After all it will be our home for many months & years ahead.

If you are interested here are the specs

• Custom built Trakmaster Off Road Caravan www.Trakmaster.com.au
• Heavy duty full steel chassis
• Independant 4 wheel airbag suspension with 2 shock absorbers per wheel
• 19ft internal length by 7ft6” width
• 21ft external length plus 4ft drawbar with off road coupling
• 3 X 80 litre water tanks
• 3 X Gel Cell heavy duty batteries
• 2 X 80 Watt solar panels on roof (constantly charge batteries)
• In built 2KVa Honda generator
• In built stainless steel 2 burner BBQ (James pride & joy)
• Roll out awning
• Fully flushing toilet
• Shower cubicle
• Hot water system 23 litres
• 2 X 9KG gas bottles
• 120 litre 3 way fridge 12V, Gas & 240V
• Microwave oven
• Full cooking, washing & storage facilities ( for at least 200kg of tinned food!)
• Special shoe & handbag storage cupboard for Ness.... well not really but should have optioned it!
• DVD & CD player with internal & external speakers. 2 (YES 2) 19” flat screen TV’s one in the kitchen & one above the bed

 Have attached a few pics of our home away from home.

 The car that we tow the van with is soon to be replaced with a brand new one, but here are its specs.

• 2003 Land Rover Discovery TD5 Turbo Diesel
• Auto
• Black (Never again!)
• Codan HF Radio, so we can call the RFDS when my Bear Grills ambitions get us into trouble
• Dual batteries
• Suspension airbags (so the bum does not drag..... the van is HEAVY!)

 The car does a great job, we bought it cheap & with low kilometres, it has had a few minor Land Rover niggles but has been a great car so far. (Bet you wish you had one EGG)

 So this will be our life for the next 4 months & until we plan our next trip.

 A little about camp life, most of the guys & girls that work on this site do a FIFO roster (which stands for Fly In Fly Out) they usually live elsewhere, Brisbane, Cairns, Mackay and spend a week or two on site doing 12 hour shifts & then go home for a week or two. Their roster depends on how much they want to work & therefore earn. While they are on site they work 12 hour shifts, so by the end of the day most people come home, eat, call family & friends & then go to sleep.

 The pay is good but not many people really use it well. Most people I know in mining earn big but spend big too, they all have flash cars, boats, jet ski’s & all the toys we would all love.

 There also seems to be a big division between locals & FIFO people, as the FIFO do not spend much money in town, they fly home & spend their money in their own towns, so the township feels a bit hard done by, they have all these great mineral resources but don’t benefit as much as they should.

 So there you go, are you not happy to have your own little tour guide? If you have any questions feel free to send a message on the web site.

 Just a big thanks to Sandy & David, today they went out & did a visit to Saltbush (our place) just to make sure it survived the rain, Thanks David & Sandy

 Make sure you look at the pictures of the camp & caravan on the web site.

  До свидания till next time (get your Russian friends to translate)

 James

Comments

[Creep]

So the caravan is not too much of a tin box then. Does it have a name like the rest of your vehicles?

Good to hear a bit of information about the work the two of you are doing. For a minute I thought Vanessa was cooking her way around Australia as you were eating.
Please include places we MUST visit if you are passing through somewhere you think we'd like.

Happy travels. xx