The Bloody Slow Cup

Another weekend, another part of the Pilbara. It's all getting a bit boring now really:)

Gina and I headed over to Newman, for the 'bloody slow (beldisloe) cup', an annual rugby game (Aus v. NZ) paying tribute to the lives of 4 WA police officers who died in a plane crash in Newman in 2001. Thousands of people attend, and it's incredibly competitive!! Gina and I drove over on Saturday, and were perhaps the only vistors to Newman that weekend who didn't prebook accommodation... We ended up with a camp spot and the intention to sleep on the air-bed in the back of the truck... Pleasant... if only it wasn't 42 degrees!!

The game was brilliant, sadly the kiwi's won. Even sadder, I lost a bet and had to wear a Kiwi jumper! Afterwards, we headed over to Newman's nightclub! AMAZING! You had to signed into the club by a member... and all members were kiwi's! Now, if I hadn't mentioned it before... almost everyone in the Pilbara is from New Zealand... clever buggers. Taking all the big money back home:) It was so much fun... dancing, shots, karaoke... all the great things that seemed to banned at the Tom Price pub!! And... I saw my cousin Tom, for probably the first time in 12 years... of all the places:)

We left the next day... tired (the hot car was not our best idea:), covered in mossie bites, with some of the pub's pool balls (oops!) and most importantly, with some great memories of Newman!!

Flasher

Again, I have managed to flash half of the Pilbara...

Saturday the 5th of November was shaping up to be a great day. It was the annual breast cancer champagne breakfast in Tom Price, and I was heading out with a lovely group of girls. I woke up at 7:30am, stripped off, and sauntered (half asleep) out of my 2nd storey room towards the bathroom. Now my shower is directly opposite the guest bedroom, and the curtains are of course up.... it's a lot less gloomy and I can see the beautiful Pilbara countryside whilst showering... AND, I'm fairly safe on the 2nd floor. Or so I thought... After 5 minutes of very unsexy showering, I sensed some movement. I turned to look out the guest bedroom window only to be face to face with 2 workmen in a cherry picker, painting around the guest bedroom window. Their jaws were dropped, and we made eye contact! It was mortifying, and I STILL have to cover my face when I leave the house in the mornings. Funnily enough, since 'the incident', 3 workmen have introduced themselves to me....

Thank god it was a CHAMPAGNE breakfast... definitely eased the pain.

Team Glee Glamp in Karijini

I seem to be on a roll with amazing weekend adventures! This past weekend, my friend Prid cam up for a visit. She arrived on Friday morning just in time for french toast and champagne. She also managed to coincide her trip with the rio tinto picnic day, and what a day it was!! Prid and I had our own picnic in my backyard to kickstart the night, and enjoyed chilli and garlic prawns, chorizo, fantastic cheese and of course... a few wines. We then headed down to the oval where rio had organised a band, outdoor movies, showbags, magic shows, a licensed bar area (phew), boost juice, and ... fireworks!! A group of us then headed off to the pub... I obviously had to show Prid how pumping the pub can get .Our table was on fire, and we actually attracted a huge group with our games of fingers and general rowdiness.

We learnt the hard way that this probs wasn't a fab idea as we had to get up early to begin our Karijini Adventure. We headed off in a convoy, trailing Megan, Brent, Andew, Matt and Ciara. Luckily for Prid we played a quiz on our two-ways the entire trip... I'm pretty sure we won too! The other alternative was listening to me belt out my recently purchased 'glee' cd.... sub-optimal... (This gave us the nick name 'team glee'. Despite surely losing the quiz, the other car seemed to think they were the A-team!?) Our first stop was Weano, where we smashed Kermits and Handrail pool, spider walking and everything. It was such a lovely day, with a great group of people. We even took tyre tubes to just relax in. Prideaux and I actually had an S-tube, a tube in the shape of an S, (so that your chairs are romantically attached...) sparking many renditions of S-club... "there ain't no party like an S-tube party!"

After this Prid and I checked into eco retreat, camping (glamping) in pretty great style. It was the perfect way to relax after a hard day of climbing. We felt so pampered... we had dinner (australian game) under the stars, wines on the balcony, showered in the open (with about 7 frogs) and relaxed in our cosy bed reading matching 'red dog' by the gas light! (We seemed to have a lot of matching things that weekend...)

The next day started with breakfast on the barbie and ended relaxing in our s-tube at Dales gorge. It was heaven. And lucky timing... Since Prid left there have been flash storms. Right now I'm actually watching a lightening show in what must definitely be the cyclones eye!! It's scary (exciting!!) Surely my next few weekends can't be this great...I am living the dream!!

My trip to the top of WA... Mount Me..Harry

Since I last posted, I have travelled to Karratha, Roebourne, Exmouth and Mt Meharry. I've seen more of the Pilbara in the past 3 weeks than my entire 8 months up here! It's been fantastic!!

KARRATHA AND ROEBOURNE

I tagged along with Kirsty and Binnie under the guise of work, and meeting my fellow colleagues. I really just went for the road trip (and how country am I... we drove along the dirt access road listening to unofficial australian anthems!), as well as the chance to stay with Lil, who is doing a 5 month locum. It was brilliant, girly movies, nachos, Indian... it was like we were back at Hendry House. Karratha is actually a bustling metropolis now, very different to Tom Price! And well worth the visit:) Not sure I can say the same about Roebourne... it was eye-opening, and I left there with an overwhelming sadness.

CURO VISITS!!

Curo came up to Tom Price again for the AFL grandie and most of his holidays. I think I was in a much better mind space and so hopefully showed him some fantastic aspects of my life up here. We enjoyed the grand final from my friends outdoor spa, of course with a few (many) drinks and meat pies!! I was supporting Collingwood which did not go down well...

The next weekend we road tripped to Exmouth, via Nanutarra. I didn't think I would handle the 5 1/2 hour drive, but i LOVED it! We played many a car game, rocked out to the belken, saw some amazing countryside and wildlife (emus galore!!) AND almost killed 2 kangaroos, which was sufficiently terrifying! We arrived for late check-in and was surprised with a room upgrade! Don't mind if I do! The next day Curo and I toured the town and the closest beaches, before meeting up with Lil, and some of the other Karratha crew. We enjoyed fresh prawns and delicious wine, and showed the locals how to party at the potshot pub!!

The next day we went to Turquoise beach, I have never seen anything so amazing. You only have to snorkel 10 - 15 m offshore (good if you're a bit wussy...) to see some amazing sights! I saw at least 50 different iridescent fish, a turtle and a big manta ray. Also, you just drift along in a current.... so even better, I expended zero energy!! The boys did see a big reef shark and baby, which ended my snorkel adventure. We actually spent 7 hours on the beach, I still have a sore throwing arm from the woboba and zuper ball! That night we went out for italian... in a restaurant that boasts better cuisine than italy!! It wasn't far off (and I have recent experience...) It was beautiful, and a lovely way to end our weekend. Needless to say, I'm still missing Curo after such a great trip.

MOUNT MEHARRY

Dave, Nikki (and Jess and Trixie), Kath, Jason and I, ventured out to Mount MeHarry, the tallest mountain in WA (a whole 12m higher than Mt Bruce)... we were literally on top of the world! It's accessible via a very hairy gravel 4WD track. My stomach was absolutely churning on the way up. We seemed to be sliding down faster than we could get up! (it didn't help that we were driving a 22 year old 4WD called Elsie!!) But the view from the top was definitely worth it. We set up camp right on the peak and calmed our nerves with some well deserved bevvies and sausages from the hot plate. I even survived a night in the wild... swag only, no tents!! Unfortunately I set my swag up in face of the wind... everyone else was clever enough to hide behind the cars... I'll never forget the experience. I think 4WD'ing, collecting our own firewood, cooking on a campfire, drinks with great friends and braving it in a swag is what the Pilbara is all about!

Mein Dirndl

I'm feeling incredibly sorry for myself today... stuck to the couch with frozen peas on my ankle and a heat pack on my very sore neck...

Last night was the Tom Price Beerfest and I feel the need to share my disappointment at being the ONLY person (in a crowd of 200) that dressed up!! It was almost as if Tom Price was 'too cool'... not me!! Beth's daughter's even thought I was Alice in Wonderland!! You can imagine how irate I was when the advertised door prize for 'best dressed' was not awarded...

Other highlights included rolling my ankle quite badly on the walk there. That serves me right for trying to text and walk... and sets the feminist movement back a few hundred years, proving women aren't as good as we think at multi-tasking...

This didn't stop me from having the time of my life though... I'm fairly certain I have dancing induced whiplash...I actually did consider presenting to hospital with neck pain... but then I remembered how dramatic I sometimes get:)

Needless to say, I'm expecting at much higher standard from the locals at next month's Oktoberfest.

lazy poster

I am so ashamed of myself... 2 months since my last entry!! So much has happened, I don't even know where to start!!

-I played in a women's AFL match, the 'powder puffs'... honesty the MOST FUN I've ever had! I thought I was playing so well... I even kicked a goal!! But then, at the end, I was awarded the Princess Award! (For being a bit of a dud girl.) But as I said to Nain and Taid, anyone would look like a princess next to some of those ladies... I told my boss that I was an award winning player and she guessed within 10 seconds it was for being 'princess-y'. It probably didn't help that I told everyone I was a tackle-free zone... Sadly I also seemed to be a catch-free zone.

-Then I headed out to Wakathuni (our closest indigenous community) for a real Aussie Barbecue... We were to have a whole kangaroo, cooked on a fire-pit!! Sadly though, the family that went out hunting didn't get a roo, so we just had boring old sausages.. not quite the same element of excitement! It was still a great arvo though... we played 2 hours of basketball... which was quite tricky as Zakyeus and Aleaka like to hang off each of my legs, we were a force to be reckoned with. All the kids got awards for being part of our 'after school club', and they wrote me a lovely thank you card. Then we played hide-and-seek, skipping and peg chasey! (I also witnessed a true feral dog fight... it was TERRIFYING!! The dog that got attacked came over to where the kids were playing and shook his head, and dog blood splattered all over the kids... I'm still disinfecting with aquium.. YUCK)

-THEN... Curo and I headed to Europe and got all 'cultural and shit'... a far cry from the likes of Tom Price and Paraburdoo. Our trip deserves a whole journal of separate entries... it was truly fantatstic!! Some of the best bits: travelling with Mr Map, no need for a GPS! Driving through Austria with team GETRANKE and being subjected to much bowel talk, mountain boarding down the swiss alps, waking to constant chiming in Salzberg, A Sound of Music tour with the world's most flamboyant man, a Moulin Rouge show during which Curo couldn't keep his eyes open despite being surrounded by boobs, homemade pasta and at least 100 chocolate croissants, biking through Barcelona, partying till 6am with the bucks group!! (and matching them stein for stein), mystery shots and chin master... and finally... ending in a small town (Suhr) in Switzerland for Steve and Mirjam's wedding... in a CASTLE!!!

-Since returning, I've suffered a life and career crisis... met my idol on an 'explain pain' course... decided I want to famous like him (how?)... marked the start of touch season with our first training session (drinks in a spa) AND driven over my first snake! It's a lot to process I know ... I best keep on top of entries from now on.

A truly HORRID weekend

Now this has ACTUALLY been the worst weekend of my life. I hosted a going away party for Meaghan (our fab student) this Friday... only to come down with the worst bout of gastro i have EVER experienced. AND I had 3 people staying here... now you all know how public toileting is perhaps my worst nightmare... and hence, made for my WORST weekend!! To cap it off... I accidentally sent a message to one of the footy boys detailing some of the worst moments... it was actually meant for a close girlfriend. I can probably never return to the football oval?!!

Today, I am just starting to get back to my normal self. Aside from hideously sore tummy and neck muscles from vomiting... this is definitely going to be a memorable Tom Price weekend, and not for all the right reasons!!

Tom Price Panthers

In an attempt to get even more into the country life... I have decided to become the trainer for the Tom Price Panthers footy team. I feel however it may have just added to my drinking problem:) It's actually been great fun, as nervous as I was to start with... being the only girl in the change room is quite daunting!!

And who would believe this would lead me to rub shoulders with the rich and famous... in Tom Price?!! One of the players is a mens's health 'man of the year' 2011 finalist... massaging him is definitely a reason to go back!!

And in another crazy move for mons, I have also joined the State Emergency Services... WA's most active branch of the SES no less. Perhaps soon I'll also be saving lives...

Mum and Dad crash Karijini

Writing after a truly fantastic week in Tom Price. Mum and Dad came up to visit over the long weekend and took me out to the Eco Retreat in Karijini National Park... it's like camping in the golden triangle... very squish tents and right up my alley! We conquered Dales, Joffre and Weano gorge... and to reward ourselves, we enjoyed some (read lots) great Australian wine and cuisine, crocodile, emu and kangaroo... Everything is solar powered and because there is not enough power to run a kitchen, all meals are cooked on the bbq... which only made it more of an experience... (Mum particularly loved the kitchen as she made a friend in Francis.. a fellow Saints supporter) I have to say I loved every moment of the weekend... from riding in Dad's truck (even though he looked like a ridiculous ranger in matching beige and an akubra) , swimming in the now freezing gorges (cold ankles!!), the fab barbecued brekkies and take away coffees, nibbles and wine on the balcony, oxer lookout, the outdoor bathroom (frogs and all) and the great company.

Mum stayed with me in Tom Price for the week following this. I couldn't believe it, the one weekend I had mum here was the one weekend Tom Price decided to pour down... in the dry season! It was very bizarre... and meant we got 10m up Mt Nameless before being washed down again. We made the most of it though... we slept in to the rain on my tin roof, were the number 1 customers at Nameless cafe, watched movies and became masterchefs, making some delicious carrot and corriander fritters (even though they may have contained some blood... I was a bit vigorous with my knife work, trying to impress mum, and managed to slice my fingernail in half... in true mons melodramatic style, I then managed to nearly pass out, require a vomit bucket... and utter the words... "this is worst day of my life!" ) Needless to say I was really sad when mum left, I'm even feeling a bit teary writing this... but the good news is... with all the rain, and not being able to experience all we wanted... mum will have to come back!!

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?)

Just my luck

As I left work today a black cat ran infront of my bike. Just as I was thinking 'gosh that's ominous' a bug of some description got stuck under the brim of my helmet and stung my forehead. I still have a red stinging mass now just above my left eye...

Lucky I'm starting to like the Pilbara right? I read a quote today that stuck with me... 'sometimes things need to fall apart to make way for better things' I think that sums up my experience so far pretty nicely:)

Gurrimarra

Yesterday I had an amazing experience at one of the communities, Wakathuni. Every Monday we have 'Waka club', where we try and instill upon the kids their culture, as well look at their reading, writing, fair play etc. An Aboriginal elder, Brendan, came out to speak to the kids about their culture as he is concerned it is getting lost with each new generation. He taught us about the 4 different skin groups in the Pilbara, and who you can marry. This ensures that your blood doesn't become 'too pure' as you can't marry family. The groups are Gurrimarra, Bunuga, Burungu and Milangu. He made me an honourary Gurrimarra:) He also talked about love being made up of three facets, respect, caring and sharing. It was fantastic to be a part of, but also made me realise how little I know about a huge part of our history. I hope this year I can go some way towards rectifying that. And to make it even more worthwhile, check out the amazing double rainbow that arched over the road as we left. I could even see exactly where it landed... I almost felt like looking for a pot of gold. As we drove off all the Aboriginal kids jumped in the car with Brendan to 'chase the rainbow'.

Surprise Visitor

I just had the most amazing weekend yet in TP! On Thursday night Sarah rang me to make sure we were still on for a skype date. I was setting up my computer when I heard a knocking at the door. Thinking it was some unwelcome visitor I answered in a flurry, only to find Sarah herself standing there (on my flooded front porch!)

We had such a great time together. It's by far the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, I can't believe what an amazing friend she is, I'll really never forget it.

FRIDAY: Beth gave me the afternoon off, so Sarah and I got our domestic housewife on, and made triple chocolate brownies and caramelised onion and goats cheese tarts. We then drank a vodka goon bag (Tom Price just brings out the classy in me) and headed down to watch the touch rugby semi-finals, before hitting the pub with the locals, fab!

SATURDAY: Sarah and I headed off to the gorges. I felt so proud to show her how gorgeous tom price and karijini really is. Seeing it through another persons eyes made me realise how much I love it here. This day, most importantly, is the day I bought my akubra. I'm a true country woman now, I may just need a horse to go with it? That night I took Sarah to watch the first afl game of the season, then out to Thai and finally home for popcorn and a movie... although we were too exhausted to sit through it all:)

SUNDAY: On Sunday we went up to the lookout and were lucky enough to see a huge iron-ore train run past. They apparently have over 240 carriages and can be up to 3km long. We also finished our vodka goon... given. Then we relaxed, ate even more and eventually said our good byes. It's definitely a weekend I'll treasure. And even though I was teary, she made me realise how much I can enjoy it here, and for that I am insanely grateful.

Karijini

I just arrived home from a fantastic karijini camping trip! Some friends from Perth, Brosey and George, flew up to meet his sister in Karratha and a whole Karratha crew convoyed down to the gorges... and they picked me up on the way which was pretty nice!!

Yesterday we headed out to Weano, where we did Handrail and Kermit's pool. Unfortunately I don't have any photos as we literally had to swim through gorges to get there. I didn't trust my arm to hold a camera above water! They were category 5/6 hikes... not for the oldies! We then headed back to the campsite for a makeshift barbie. I impressed myself with my tent assembling skills... but encountered a bit of a disaster when I eventually climbed into bed. We had pumped up my air mattress with a compressor, which was a new and EASY experience, but I had failed to notice the mouth-hole, for additional air filling. Sadly I left it open and my mattress deflated in no time. It made for a very rocky and uncomfortable night...

Today we did Joffre Falls, Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool. Fern Pool was AMAZING! You can't even capture it with photos, and I can't put it into words. I did see three snakes today, one Pilbara Death Adder... and two Olive Pythons. A python was hanging out just above us in the waterfall... cooling down? When we hopped out of Fortesuce Falls to make the big trip up we noticed a big commotion in the water. Looking down we saw a python, swimming, stalking its prey! It was terrifying, and it managed to catch something... I'm glad we saw it AFTER we got out!

Dinner Guest

I have had yet another snake incident. I went over to my friend Gina's house for dinner tonight... all was going well, brilliant in fact!! We were siting outside, enjoying a glass of wine before firing up the barbie. All of a sudden her dog went berserk, and hanging out under the table was a giant king brown!! (Only one of the Pilbara's most deadly... just the norm really:) It curled up in the corner and we had to keep a flashlight on it until the snake man arrived (Jim and Dot, your friendly household snake removers...). It was well over a metre when Jim fished him out... Apparently he releases them back into the wild, out at the airport. I won't be wearing thongs when I next catch a plane!

It actually made for a great night. A perfect accompaniment to our fresh salmon from the fish truck!

I have also attached a photo of a regular Pilbara grasshopper. (The one I ate was about half this size...)

Mons Grylls...

I'm not even sure how to begin this entry... I've probably had the strangest weekend of my life.

So it all began with the touch wind-up last night. I went in sunglasses intent on leaving as soon as it got dark (I didn't want to have to remove my sunnies as this would likely scare away the children) Suffice to say I didn't leave, nor did I drink wisely! The night took a turn for the worst when someone dared me to eat a grasshopper...'only if it's a green one' was my STUPID response to that! SO when someone gave me a green grasshopper half the size of my palm I felt obligated. There would be nothing worse than being known as the chick who got dared to eat a grasshopper and didn't, right? I wrapped it up in a lettuce leaf and put a bit of tomato sauce on it... and down the hatch it went! It was foul, and very crunchy! Not something I'd do again... I did win $75 though, so I feel I came out on top in that situation! I further disgraced myself at the pub for karaoke night... where I danced, had the time of my life... and spent most of my winnings! On arriving home at 2am, I promptly updated my facebook status to 'mons grylls'.. I've got my priorities straight.

I woke up today with a raging headache... and now no visible right eye! I went over to see my boss, smelling like a brewery, for advice re the eye. She took me straight to the hospital where they inserted a cannula and gave me 200mL of hydrocortisone. I'm heading back this arvo for more.. let's hope it works as I'm quite over looking so ugly. The picture above doesn't even do the rash/swelling/eye situation justice as my eye has now deflated. How much does one have to endure upon uprooting her life... surely it should be getting easier by now?

Spelling Bee

Just a quick note to let you know that after nearly 8 weeks of being in the Pilbra, I have realised it is actually spelt Pilbara. Well you learn something new everyday they say...

I'd also like to inform you that my face may actually be worse. Could this even be possible you ask? Well yes... this morning I almost couldn't open my eyes, they were swollen shut. My eyelashes had disappeared under skin folds.. truly! I can actually see my bottom eyelids as I write this, never a good sign. I look like I've been crying for hours... and for once, this actually isn't the case!

Tom Price, I think you may hate me? Don't worry, the feeling is mutual.

JUST SAY NO

I have a new steely reserve...

I think I may have let people take advantage of me here, and I'd better put a stop to it now before I spend the rest of the year doing people 'favours'. Now I don't want to go into details over the internet, but I seem to be saying 'yes' a lot to things I don't actually want to do!

This doesn't just go for people, it also goes for food. I have eaten SO much since I arrived, it's actually crazy. On my birthday alone I ate 2 packets of crown biscuits... granted I was a bit sad, but there is no excuse for this. JUST SAY NO! What happened to coming back from Tom Price the athletic, fit, healthy and hot woman I know I can be? Instead, I'm the plumpish local with the face rash.

Tomorrow thus marks the start of my one month challenge. No over-eating, minimal chocolate, exercise and no free-loaders. Watch out world!

The Phantom of Physiotherapy

It seems I am OFFICIALLY allergic to Tom Price. There can be no other explanation for the rash that has now spread to cover my entire face and has forced me to take a day off. I could not be uglier, I am actually scaring people away and feel I may need to resort to some type of mask? The phantom of physiotherapy?

And all this just as things were looking up! Firstly, and most proudly, I sobbed on the phone to Telstra. These tears brought about action, and my phone line was repaired on Saturday the 19th of March! It only took 7 weeks... BUT I AM NOW CONNECTED!! Secondly, I set up my own table and chairs, without step-by-step IKEA instructions. Practical much!! And lastly, I won two awards at uni... a research award as well as the graduating award. I'm not too sure what I'll do with my brand new ultrasound machine considering my thoughts on electrotherapy.

Despite my ugliness, this is week is the first week I have been able to say I'm glad I'm in Tom Price. That's a pretty big plus:)

See insert for my rash face..

Labour Day Long Weekend

I'm writing this entry after a really fantastic long weekend with Curo! It was so nice to have a non bogan/ non pregnant friend around! We drove out to Dales Gorge on Saturday. It was the most magnificent thing I've ever seen! I'm glad I didn't go alone though... I led us off the track for a bit and we came across a snake... typical, I seem to attract the native wildlife! Only a baby snake, but it was more than enough to put me off being the team leader. (We went with a locum doctor from Canada and I was quite glad to have her expertise...). We got down to Circular pool first, which was a category 4 walk and required a fair bit of fitness. We even had to climb down ladders cemented into the rock face! It was so boiling so we decided to have a swim in the pool, it was beautiful! Feeling like we were in the most secluded spot ever, I decided to get changed where we were. I I took my top off and was standing there completely nude, when I looked up to see 2 English tourists. I'm sure they raved about the sights the Pilbra had to offer!! They must have thought we were very knowledgable Australians and so followed us into circular pool... When we eventually got out the English boys were covered in leeches!! Very small ones... still foul! We looked back into the water and noticed that the hundreds of black smears were not the black 'leaves' we originally thought....We were ok though, I think because we were slathered in sunscreen. Why the pasty Englishmen were not so sun smart is beyond me? After that, we headed to fortescue falls. I never dreamed I'd see a waterfall in the middle of the Pilbra?? We made sure to double check the water before swimming here...

The next day Curo and I decided to 4WD up Mt Nameless. (We weren't 100% sure how to put the car in low gear (it was an automatic 4WD) so I was a bit anxious to start with, especially seeing as it is the boss' car! Driving up was an absolute nightmare!! Some of the path had been washed away with the ridiculously long wet season Tom Price has had... we even got momentarily bogged. I was SHITTING myself, I actually didn't even look out the window. When we got to the top I cried, out of sheer relief to be alive! It was SO worth it though, the view was phenomenal.

We also went out to the lookout, ate at the local Thai restaurant and spent a couple of nights at the pub (mostly drinking with my patients... small towns can be very awkward!). I think Curo's best moment was finishing the 500 piece puzzle I started a couple of weeks ago, and promptly gave up on!

As lovely as it was, I'm feeling a bit sad again, and rocking the 'punched in the face' look I've made famous here. I was just getting into a rhythm, and having damn entertaining Curo here has thrown that out of whack. I'm back to square one tonight... wondering why on earth I did this to myself? Did I want to have the hardest year of my life???

Brian Bush

Today we headed out to Youngaleena, an Aboriginal community about 2 hours away from Tom Price. We were having a great time playing with the kids... and then this big red land cruiser pulled up with the number plate 'snakes' ... never a good sign!! Out hopped Brian bush with his 'pets'. His lizards were even wearing hats! Unfortunately I wasn't brave enough to hold the head end of the snake. I was instead holding the 'penis' end according to Brian. And, great fact for the day, snakes have 2 penises and can mate for up to 17 hours!! I am learning bucket loads in Tom Price!

Brian takes his snakes all around Australia - and his technique for snake catching has been taken to over 400 countries! He was once even bitten by a king brown... true australian legend!

(Dad just informed me that there are not, in fact, 400 countries! Oops... I do however stand by my australian reptile facts:)

Best day I've had in Tom Price yet! Sarah suggested I may even be the love child of Steve Irwin and Malcom Douglas.

In Summary, I was brave enough to hold reptiles, and I got nits... Win:)

WACHS TRAVEL ALERT

22/02

I went by myself, for the first time, to Paraburdoo today. All was going well until I received this urgent email...

URGENT – WACHS STAFF TRAVEL ALERT

Due to unusual weather patterns in the past week and expected over the next ten days, which have led to flooding and rising floodways, all non essential regional road travel by staff is now cancelled.

Please contact your line manager to discuss options if you are not currently in your normal workplace. Staff are encouraged to use videoconferencing and teleconferencing for scheduled meetings.

For clinical services such as clinics, outpatients, specialists services please refer first to your line manager to plan a strategy with the relevant regional executive member.

All staff should be checking the Main Roads - Road Condition website and Bureau of Meteorology Weather and Warnings website for regular updates on weather changes.

OH MY GOD! There was even talk (mostly mine) of me being housed in Paraburdoo for the night. Probably a fair option seeing as my hyundai i30 would likely struggle across the floodways. And to think... I had no clean knickers!

I ended up driving home... There was one huge downpour along the way, but even scarier was having to stop for 2 cows moseying in the middle of the road! My first REAL experience of country driving I guess...

Cyclone Carlos didn't end up bringing much damage to TP, just a lot of rain. As if we weren't already lush enough...

Thank you Barney Stinson

20/02/2011
I have had an epiphany, after what was probably the worst birthday ever. I always get a bit down on my birthday, but this one was a disaster. Turning (god forbid) 25 was always going to be horrid... a quarter of a century! But I didn't even have friends and family around to console me and tell me I have achieved things in my first 25 years. People couldn't even tell me that over the phone seeing as the reception is still down. All in all, it was a really bad weekend.

BUT... Barney Stinson, who is fast becoming an idol, helped me get out of this rut. And I quote...

"When I get sad, I stop being sad, and be awesome instead... True story !"

and so that's what I'll do. I have to make the most of this experience. How many people can say they lived and worked in the Pilbra for a year. What I will learn here is like no other, so I may as well make the most of it. Being sad is a waste of my time, surely.
I decided to seize this new attitude and take a walk up to the lookout near my house... and look at the amazing view that was waiting for me there

Me against the Magpie

19/02/2011
I have had to find a new route to ride to work! There is one pesky magpie living in the tree near my house. It seems to bide it's time, waiting for me to leave the house. I literally have dents on my helmet from it's attacks! I would NEVER venture out without sunnies, can you imagine?

Do you think this is because I have single handedly killed half of Tom Price's spider population, and thus the magpie's food source? I don't regret it!

Oh god, this just means I always need to be looking over my shoulder!! Mons, the ever-vigilant.

And so begins my obsession with reptiles...

The past couple of weeks have brought with them some great ups, and of course some not so great lows.

Everyday here something surprises me, here are the top 5 for the week.

1. In order to fit in here you must be pregnant. The average age of the town is 11... which certainly makes it hard to meet people...
2. Everything here shuts at lunchtime... When are working people supposed to go to the post office/bank/bakery? Tom Price. Sleepy town of the Pilbra?
3. Skinny snakes aren't necessarily friendly.... A whip snake caused a lockdown at the hospital on Monday. Like his name suggests he is very skinny, fast and aggressive. He was lurking around the automatic doors of the hospital, and then devoured a lizard! The snake man came and caught him with a hessian bag, just like they do on tv! Crocdile dundee eat your heart out.
4. One of my patients rocked up to the hospital in just boardies... no singlet. Is this normal country beahivour? He also had the foulest cigarette breath, which seemed to linger within his chest length beard. He gave me a lasting headache.
5. I treated my first ever 'high' patient. Although I'm not sure why it is called high? She was so sleepy and out of it. And will obviously experience no benefit from seeing me. In order to get her pain medication, which is integral to her way of life, she needs to be in pain. So nothing I can do will help with that. Win!!

What can next week possibly bring?

The end of my first week...and the end of my phone

By the start of week 2 I'm feeling only marginally better about the grand life choices I have decided to make/ endure.

1. On Thursday we went to Paraburdoo hospital, a place I will service twice a week. I shouldn't go throwing around the word hospital... it only has 2 beds and is built on a station. You literally step outside only to be eye level with a cow! I feel like cows should be friendly, but I'm not willing to test it out. That night it rained SO much, buckets could have been falling from the sky! I did not think the Pilbra would be so green and lush... the side-effects of a great wet-season!


2. On Friday I had to walk to work in the pouring rain. I put my clean clothes in a plastic bag inside my back-pack so I could at least look somewhat fresh for my first ever Pilbra patients. It was quite tricky to get my brain into physio mode after my fantastic travels. What I wouldn't give to be back in Bali or Japan... After work on Friday I went to pick up my bike. In what seems typical fashion for me here, the tyres were as flat as pancakes and the bike therefore unrideable! There was also some form of fury bug that had made a lovely home inside my helmet. That night I played my first game of touch for the 'mad hooligans'... to a phenomenal electrical storm backdrop no less. All the rain has brought in a multitude of bugs. One flew in my mouth... hacking and screaming was not the first impression I was hoping to make with my new team. After the game we hung around for some drinks. Everyone here drinks Bundy in a can... that's when it really hit home that I am not 'home' anymore!

3. On Sunday the 6th of February my phone lost all reception. I couldn't think of anything worse than to lose contact with my family and friends... brilliant!

4. I decided to start a war on spiders. I bought do-it-yourself 'bug-bombs' from Coles and lit them as I left for work on Monday. I cannot tell you how great it felt to vacuum the critters up that afternoon, there must have been hundreds. They were wolf spiders (quite aggressive I hear) and they were HUGE! Literally as big as my palm, I could feel the weight of them as they flew up the vacuum tube... I will sleep (semi) easily from now on! This is also how I came to meet my lovely neighbour, Jean. I didn't know I was screaming so loudly as I vacuumed the creatures up (they are terrifyingly big)... she came racing over to make sure everything was ok!

At least it's interesting here...