Iron Ore makes for ok fake tan

Just got home form my trip out to the mine and after half an hour of serious scrubbing I am still a tad orange!! I had a really fantastic day though!! It started out at Marandoo where I got shown the whole system. It's insanely efficient, no wonder they're all so rich. They are the smallest mine out here and yet still clear 220 million tonnes of Iron Ore per year... they want to increase that to 330 million... I got to see a 240 cart train being filled, which takes a boring 6 hours... and Iron Ore really just looks like dirt...needless to say 5 minutes there was enough:)

Then a mine lady who has been on the job for 10 years took me for a tour of the pit... I think she somewhat resents newcomers... She managed to make at least 5 sexually derogatory comments to some fellow miners sarcastically calling me the 'pretty blonde girl' ... even though I kept telling her it was Monique. Then a heavily tattooed and pierced girl called Shazza took me for a drive on the truck. She was AWESOME! I sat up there with her for nearly 2 hours without even realising. The diggers filled our truck and we dumped it at the crusher. We also had to cart some hazardous waste, it included some BIF (a form of asbestos). Even though we were in a sealed truck I tried to shallow breath:) (Is this why my snot is so orange?)

After this we headed out to Tom Price mine and I spent a couple of hours physio-ing with Ben. It was a fab day! AND I got paid for it!!

Bum Pain

Today I am STUCK on the couch, I literally cannot move my legs... great reason to write a blog entry I guess:)

Gina and I decided to climb Mt Bruce yesterday for an 'exhilarating physical challenge'. Mt Bruce is WA's 2nd highest mountain at 1235m tall (After Mount MeHarry.... I'm sure whoever came up with that name is still laughing...) You literally have to climb over rocky outcrops and there's points along the mountain with foot holes and chain to hold onto. Frightening! We were real adventurers, we even took a 2L water bag to strap to our backs with a water tube leading to your mouth. I thought it was extra good for lazy people like me... I didn't even need to use my hands...woop! It made the group of german tourists along the way look mighty unprepared.. one rather large girl (too much bratwurst!) was huffing, puffing and complaining... and I see why. Her boyfriend was making her carry the backpack and she was wearing slip on flats! Idiots... no wonder tourists get into trouble! It took us 1 hour 50 mins to climb the 4.5kms to the top, and 1hour to return. And as a result, today I can barely move... my bum is killing me! I also didn't last at the pub last night... too 'physically exhilarated'.

I also had a great day on Friday. 3 of us headed out to Youngaleena Community only to find it completely deserted... it was really eerie!! An Aboriginal elder died last week so we think the community may have been out organising something to do with this. Apparently when an Aboriginal funeral comes through Tom Price they close the entire town and families come from all over WA to mourn. So essentially we drove 2 hours out to the community, only to turn around and come home. But, there were highlights! We stopped at the Auski roadhouse on the way home and I had a Pilbara famous 'Auski burger'... probably the BEST burger I have ever eaten!! Secondly, we passed a town called MUNJINA, I just found this name HILARIOUS, I am honestly still laughing! Thirdly, I saw the biggest snake of my life sun-baking on the side of the road. It was as fat as my arm... and stripey. I think it was a Pilbara death adder! And lastly, I got to go home early to relax... FAB! (Although I didn't end up relaxing much as I locked myself out of my house... now who the frig do you call in Tom Price to get you back inside I ask?)