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Author Topic: Working and Traveling Australia, Our Journey.  (Read 241631 times)

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Offline McGirr

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Working and Traveling Australia, Our Journey.
« on: March 15, 2015, 03:54:55 PM »
Well it's been 7 weeks since Penny and I have done the big change and decided to move and work in remote Australia. We are currently being trained to run a community store in Apy Lands which is on the border of South Australia and the NT. Hopefully we should be assigned a store soon. We are employed by a company called Mai Wiru who is contracted to manage the stores in the area.

We are currently working in a store at a place called Pukatja which has a population of around 600 people. We are about 140klm from the Stuart Hwy and about a 4hr drive to Alice Springs. The store is a good size and we get our supply's delivered from Adelaide by road train every Wed. On average around 15 pallets. The local people are very friendly and we have 2 that work on a casual basis in the store. The store is has a large takeaway section with 2 people working in the kitchen.

Accommodation

This can vary in areas but we were lucky to be given a 40ft shipping container to live in which has been remodeled and includes a good size bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and lounge area. We are situated in a compound with a high fence and barbed wire on top. There is an old house also situated in the compound that has 2 separate bedrooms for 2 other workers. We are about 80 metres away from the shop.

Things to do

Apart from going for walks there is not much else to do but watch movies and relax. We work Mon to Friday and Sat mornings till 12.30pm. Sunday is spent washing and just chilling out. We go for the odd drive to look at the scenery.

The Weather

Being in the middle of Australia the weather is warm but is a dry heat and very tolerable especially for us coming from Cairns as we are used to the high humidity. The evening temperature will start dropping in the next few months and also the rain is expected to start. The days currently are nice with no clouds and just blue skies.

Positive things

You get to save money. You have nothing to spend it on apart from food. We bought alot of things with us such as 3 months worth of toiletries etc and have been back to Alice Springs to buy up big on food. We enjoy interacting with the local community as you get to know them by name and going for walks we stop and chat when we see them.

Downsides

Expect to get bored depending on what you are used to. You will miss going to the nearest shop or retailers to grab things but as we are working and just relaxing I can now see where I wasted all my money ha ha. Also being a dry community there is no alcohol. Since working we have both lost weight and are alot healthier and even going for a 45 min walk we were not tired or out of breath.

Another thing to remember is that there are some shady people in the community. We have been broken into and a few things stolen but its was our fault and a big learning curve. We now lock up everything. I have set up a number of my led camping lights to try and prevent people coming into the compound but they still jump the fence, yes a barbed wire fence, but are after petrol to sniff. Apart form that we enjoy the job and the people living here.


That's all I can think of for now but feel free to ask questions.

Mark







« Last Edit: June 12, 2016, 09:18:43 PM by McGirr »
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Offline McGirr

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2015, 03:59:25 PM »

Some pics
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Offline Swannie

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2015, 04:04:31 PM »
Wow mate that's a change alright
Swannie
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Offline jk

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2015, 04:06:26 PM »
Good to hear you both alive and well mate, you'll be a lean, mean, camping machine after a few more months out there  :cup:  you might consider buying a few solar panels and setting up an electric fence to help deter the curious locals  ;D   Stay well and we'll talk soon  :cheers:

Cheers
Johnno

P.S.............................please ignore the drinking smiles ............................sorry about that  ;D   gotta go get another Corona  mow the yard !!!!
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Offline McGirr

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2015, 04:07:06 PM »

Inside the shop and the shop on the left from our compound.

Mark
« Last Edit: March 15, 2015, 04:08:53 PM by McGirr »
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Offline McGirr

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2015, 04:11:04 PM »

The area

Mark
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Offline Swannie

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2015, 04:12:02 PM »
Nice spot for a Myswag meet

Swannie
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Offline McGirr

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2015, 04:13:59 PM »
Quote from: swannie on March 15, 2015, 04:12:02 PM
Nice spot for a Myswag meet

Swannie

Unfortunately you need permission to enter the community but will be doing recons around the place as we are only about 2.3 hrs from Ayers Rock, which would make a great my swag meet.

Mark
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Offline McGirr

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2015, 04:16:06 PM »
Quote from: swannie on March 15, 2015, 04:04:31 PM
Wow mate that's a change alright
Swannie

Yes a big change as we have a 5 to 10 year plan to work and travel Australia. Next purchase is a Hybrid van to base our living and traveling in.

Quote from: jk on March 15, 2015, 04:06:26 PM
Good to hear you both alive and well mate, you'll be a lean, mean, camping machine after a few more months out there  :cup:  you might consider buying a few solar panels and setting up an electric fence to help deter the curious locals  ;D   Stay well and we'll talk soon  :cheers:

Cheers
Johnno

P.S.............................please ignore the drinking smiles ............................sorry about that  ;D   gotta go get another Corona  mow the yard !!!!

Will chat soon John, don't choke on that corona  ;D

Mark
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Offline V8CRSA

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2015, 04:20:45 PM »

Wow, what a beautiful place to love and work in, hope you guys make the most of every opportunity that living out there gives you. :cup:
Keep the pictures coming.

Enjoy,

Matt
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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2015, 04:22:50 PM »
Thanks for sharing Mark.  Best wishes to you and Penny.  Good luck

KB
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Offline McGirr

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #11 on: March 15, 2015, 04:25:29 PM »

Cheers guys, the sunsets are spectacular

Mark
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Offline speewa158

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #12 on: March 15, 2015, 04:26:07 PM »
All was looking great for a Swaggers Catchup  Then you spoiled it by using the " D " word  ( Never to be said out loud )
lm busy when ever it is anyway in " D " country  :cheers: no what l meant to say was    Ummmmmm  :laugh:
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Offline Foo

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #13 on: March 15, 2015, 04:27:06 PM »
 8)

Foo
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Offline chillipepperz

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #14 on: March 15, 2015, 04:49:11 PM »
Looks to be a beautiful place and a great adventure. How do you go with a petrol vehicle? I thought it was diesel only out there, or is it OPAL fuel?

Cheers!
Andrew
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Offline McGirr

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #15 on: March 15, 2015, 04:54:05 PM »
Quote from: chillipepperz on March 15, 2015, 04:49:11 PM
Looks to be a beautiful place and a great adventure. How do you go with a petrol vehicle? I thought it was diesel only out there, or is it OPAL fuel?

Cheers!
Andrew

Opal fuel and diesel. Fuel here is $2.05 per litre.

Mark
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Offline xcvator

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #16 on: March 15, 2015, 06:41:21 PM »
Looking good Mark  :cup: got any dot paintings yet  :angel: :angel: :angel:
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Offline fuji

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #17 on: March 15, 2015, 06:48:59 PM »
Looks like a nice spot Mark. We decided this weekend to go up the centre to get to Lorella Springs in June so hopefully we can catch up in Kulgera or somewhere.
Cheers
Wayne
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Offline MDS69

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #18 on: March 15, 2015, 08:34:23 PM »
What a great experience.
What hours do you work during the week and does the store operate public holidays. What range of services des the store offer the community eg bill paying, banking etc
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Offline McGirr

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #19 on: March 15, 2015, 09:24:19 PM »
Quote from: fuji on March 15, 2015, 06:48:59 PM
Looks like a nice spot Mark. We decided this weekend to go up the centre to get to Lorella Springs in June so hopefully we can catch up in Kulgera or somewhere.
Cheers
Wayne

Wayne

No problem mate. Keep me updated.

Mark
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Offline yogi

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #20 on: March 15, 2015, 09:26:50 PM »
Nice .... Do you sell ice :)

yogi
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Offline McGirr

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #21 on: March 15, 2015, 09:31:38 PM »
Quote from: MDS69 on March 15, 2015, 08:34:23 PM
What a great experience.
What hours do you work during the week and does the store operate public holidays. What range of services des the store offer the community eg bill paying, banking etc

The store opens 9.00 to 5.00 each day and lunch time is between 12.00 to 2.00pm. Sat is 9.00 to 12.00. The store sells grocery lines, white goods and furniture but only small amounts. As mentioned there is also a takeaway area. It's one of the bigger stores. Local people have their money paid on their centre pay account, which is centre link, and ask us to always check what money they have available to spend. Sometimes they have a couple of hundred sometimes no money so they cannot buy any food. We work on average 42 to 44hrs per week and Sat is overtime.

There is an ATM in the store which we fill up to a certain amount for them. It's very interesting compared to what we all are used to.

Yes Yogi, there is a big ice making machine  ;D

Mark
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Offline Cozzie

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #22 on: March 15, 2015, 11:25:05 PM »
Hi Mark, my Wife's Cousin Marg and her husband Rick also work at Pukatja (Ernabella) great people and love an adventure   :cheers: Cozzie
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Offline Barrabart

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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #23 on: March 16, 2015, 12:16:51 AM »
MCGirr,

Sounds like a great tree change......... for a while anyway, take it as it comes i say.
Prepare yourself, the longer u stay the harder you'll find coming back to the big smoke......... this is not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind, your views and outlook on life and priorities will be different from what it was.
I say this as i've been working out of Aus now for the past near 10yrs, always in impoverished countries. Things i see in Aus and things i hear people stress over just blow me away, i have to bite my tongue otherwise i come across as overly uncaring  >:( about most first world issues.  ;D

All the best! :cheers:
« Last Edit: March 16, 2015, 12:33:08 AM by Barrabart »
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Re: Living and Working in Remote Areas.
« Reply #24 on: March 16, 2015, 11:49:55 AM »
MCGirr,
Prepare yourself, the longer u stay the harder you'll find coming back to the big smoke..

Very true. Wise words by MCGirr
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