Day 16 26 Jul 2006 / 2 Aug 2006

26-07-2006 Wednesday

The sun has just disappeared over the horizon of the ‘Goldfields’ of Western Australia. There are no clouds except for the few paint brush strokes of deep violet gray just above the treetops to the north-west. It has been a fine day, all around. Sunshine, blue skies and many a smiling face.

Today Chewie left me at the public car park of the Super Pit while he was taken on a ‘guided tour’ of the mine and allowed to do his stuff (within security and safety limits, of course).
As I booted up my laptop, affectionately known as ‘Computer’, a friendly "G’day, see you’re working. Nice day for it." came through my open window. "Just waiting while my ‘hubby’ gets a tour of the mine." I replied. I don’t think I’m working. I’m not imputing figures, or typing customer letters, or compiling monthly accounts, or allocating baskets, or following up inquiries, or updating the phone journal. Well I am doing a kind of journal. But really, I’m just typing what my observations and feelings dictate. "Who’s a lucky little boy, then? Well, leave you to it. Cheers!" and he got into his ute and reversed out. Many a ute pulled up into and soon after reversed out of the spot next to me. Each driver saying "G’day, how ya goin?" on their way to or fro. And, except for the first greeting, all of them women. (It was also a chin-dropper for Chewie, when Chris told him that it’s fifty-fifty in the mine. So we stand corrected. It’s not just the wonderful working men in the mines, as may have once been the case, it’s the great girls as well.)

In fact, this town is filled with young girls and women with spunk and get up and go. The town seems to belong to them. They are everywhere. Little girls, teenage girls, single girls, newly weds, mums to be, young mums, working mums, and of course, grandmas. And for each of them, and often their sister, there is a dad, perhaps a brother, an uncle, and of course, grand dad. The town is a very family orientated community. Quite contrary to what one would expect in a mining town.


Wednesday 2-8-2006

We came to Kalgoorlie for a couple of days and stayed for four weeks. It is not an uncommon story in this town. The Kalgoorlie dust does stick. And a ‘true blue’ understanding shines through people’s eyes when we ‘fess up’. "I only came for two years, and that was 10 years ago. Three kids later, my husband has his own business here in town, and I’d only go to Melbourne for the shopping. Not to live!" was one response. Another’s wrinkled face, that showed a life of ‘three score and ten’ and then some, lifted with the wink and a smile: "I’ve been here 40 years. Not much rain here. But I wouldn’t live anywhere else. I can’t stand the city. Too many toffee noses there."

So, thank you, from Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Firstly, and most importantly, thank you, Kal! For without your abilities and willingness, and back up, we would not have been able to even consider a short holiday, let alone our ‘Walkabout-Talkabout’. You are ‘Number One’, son! I know, better than anyone, that there is a lot to stay on top of and lots to organize every day in the Osca Services office. And you are keeping it all running smoothly.

Second, thanks to the Osca team. Especially Sue. Thanks for being such a great help to Kal and for taking care of the daily workshop routine. Thanks to Nadia for whizzing around the streets of Melbourne and delivering the best service in town to our customers. We often think of you on the endlessly straight and empty roads out here. Thanks to Li and Yee-Ling, for your commitment and the excellent quality you both continue to come up with. Li, you’re the best ‘Shirt man’ in town. And we ought to know. And Yee-Ling, thanks for the chocolates, as well.

Thanks to the Osca Services’ customers, for appreciating the long haul Chewie and I had put in, and for your best wishes for our journey.

Thanks to Mike at Merc in Melbourne. You did an excellent job putting this vehicle together for us. Your excellent service and friendliness can only be equaled by the Osca team. (Yes, I’m biased. But I don’t think I’m far off the mark. I’m sure that our customers would agree.) Chewie has a few pic’s for you especially. And here’s a plug for Mike. If you are looking for a light commercial vehicle Mike can be your best friend on the inside of the Mercedes Benz team. You will find him at the West Melbourne dealership.

Here are the pictures I promised you Mike

Penong Sand Dunes, South Australia

Penong Sand Dunes, South Australia

Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Thanks Cesare for checking in on Kal. We miss our Thursday nights. But don’t be lulled into a false sense of security that we might get rusty. We’ve been practicing. Oh, and by the way, thanks for your friendship. It’s been over 32 years that we have known each other, and 28 years since I introduced you to Chewie. That’s an awfully long time. We are both very grateful.

Bert, thanks for the birthday gift. It’s keeping all our electronics happy.

Thanks Denny for your regular emails and your encouragement. We trust you are well on the mend. Now that we are on the road again you can look forward to more road shots.
Thanks to the Walrus group for voting him the Big Walrus, while in Kalgoorlie. It was an interesting exercise doing it from the outback.

And, thanks to my mum and dad, (who, as parents do, have put up with so much from me in the past) for your faithful following. I’m glad you liked your birthday CD, dad. We had a great time making it, choosing just the right images and I believe, just the right song. Lots of love.

I do have an apology to make. Matt, I’m sorry mate! I got your name wrong. Shame on me, I’ sure I heard ‘Nat’. It must have been all the excitement in coming across someone like you, practically in the middle of nowhere. But, as pointed out by your folks, who were glad to see your smiling face on our blog, I was wrong. Please forgive me. I wonder where you are now? I wonder if you are up to your next pair of shoes? Thanks for your incredible achievement-in-the-making, and for the inspiration you have lent us. Once we get the CD’s into production, we will be looking to donate $1 from each purchase over the internet to ‘Canteen’. Such was your effect on us. Thanks.

And, thanks to the friendly town folk of Kalgoorlie, who always have the time to smile and say ‘g’day’.

Thanks to Steve for having the insight to run ‘Kalnet’, the internet lounge in town. It has been a saving grace for Chewie’s, up till now, ‘technical difficulties’. Thanks to your staff, Kristie and Alicia, for their friendly assistance and welcoming smiles.

Thanks to the girls and boys at the Kalgoorlie Harvey Norman store. Your input and problem solving abilities, as regards our computer power, were most appreciated.

Thanks to the lady in the Kaos Café, who remembers our coffee order, with a smile.

Thanks to Mike, at the shoe repair shop here in Kalgoorlie, who was kind enough to fix my old, most beloved, boots. They just might make it all the way on our Walkabout. They are more than 10 years old and have walked many a mile around Victoria, and oh, so comfortable. (And, thanks to Oliver, at Melbourne’s R. M. Williams store, for looking after my order for a new pair. And when I finally do get to Perth to finalize it, I’m sure that I will be well looked after.)

Thanks to the lady at the Boulder Accommodation Village, for letting us use their wonderfully clean laundry, (one of the cleanest I’ve had the opportunity to use in the last 8 weeks) even though we weren’t staying that night. As would be expected I am most pedantic about my laundry.

Thanks to young Chloe, who let me play with her (even though I’m so old) and who made some pretend pancakes for me, while waiting for her mum and dad at the internet lounge.

And most of all in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, thanks to Stephanie and Jess at the Super Pit Shop for making it possible for Chewie to get a guided tour (by Chris) of the mine. We really appreciate you obliging us, on so short a notice.

And, with the rains having come and gone, so are we. Somehow we don’t think it’s the last we’ll see of Kalgoorlie. We may be back yet. But for now we make ready for Esperance, the Western Australian Wildflower Country and the Kimberleys.