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.