Rio tinto @ hope downs

[dirtdawg]

Hey guys I go for my second round interviews next week and just wondering for you guys that already work up that way what's the area/mine/camp like at that one they are offering me fifo from melb airport so it all looks good;)

[ramblingboy42]

hey dirt dawg wheres hope downs. I dont know it. I know eagle downs, peak downs,olive downs, carborough downs. anyway all the fi/fo camps are a muchness, most now have small multiple room (ie, bed/ ensuite/living)units with sat tv/internet , good food/dining. There are still some with single bed dongas and communal asl's, but are becoming rarer.

[dirtdawg]

Apparently it's a new one up in the pilbarra

[ramblingboy42]

ahh, ok, I'm central Qld coal fields, Pat or someone there should be able to help.

[DBKDISCO]

Have been to that camp a few times, is good clean and food was good, the only thing is that red dust gets in everywhere, long flight from Melbourne :(

[BMKal]

It's a nice camp dirtdawg and the food etc is very good. I was working at Mesa A a couple of years ago and had to go across to Hope Downs a couple of times.

Very modern mining and crushing / trainloading set-up, a lot of it done with no operators on site (the operators are in the OCS at Perth Airport). Train loadout is virtually identical to the new one at Mesa A - I wrote all the operating procedures and training stuff for both of them.

The mine etc is located very close to BHP's Area C operations.

What are you going to be doing up there ?

[dirtdawg]

I have to do their 4 hr assessment next week and if all goes well I will be heading up there to operate loaders,excavators and dozers on a 2/1 roster, the salary and incentives look good

[CraigE]

Hope Downs is just up the road from Newman. There are actually now 4 mines, with Hope Downs 4 being the latest about 60kms out of Newman.
2/1 can be tough, but if they are FIFO you from melb then not too bad.
It gets really hot up here and is common to be well over 50 deg C. It is constant this time of year too, Around 3 months of over 40degC. It is dusty work and the iron ore dust gets into and sticks to everything.
It will take some getting used to. I am about to go FIFO so will take a bit of getting used to again as I really enjoyed being home every night even though it was Newman. I will be 8/6.
I will be up the road at Mining Area C, currently at Whaleback.
There is some spectacular country up here.
Once you are used to it you will like it.

[PAT303]

I'm at hope downs all the time,it's all brand new. Pat

[ATH]

"2/1 can be tough"!!!
Blimey. I wish I could have got that 20 and 30 years ago when we did about 12 weeks on and got 10 days off!
I've read so much crap about todays FIFO conditions being hard on families, ours used to forget we existed after nearly 3 months away.:o
HTFU.
AlanTH.

[dirtdawg]

shouldnt be too bad though craig as i will be in a machine for the working day so ill have ac and the bloke i spoke to told me they are on 56 hour weeks which was a lot less than i was expecting so im assunimg the are doing 8 hr shifts for 14 on which would equate to 56hrs a week if thats it then its not bad for the salary ive been told, still have to get through the assesment next week though so ill keep you guys informed on how i go

[bushrover]

Hope Downs 4 is certainly a big project if that is where you are going. The original Hope Downs site is typical of mining camps up here, they are all pretty good.

If you want to see some great waterholes and gorges you had better do it in the next 1-2 years because they certainly won't be there in 5 years time. Not Hope Downs so much but, Jinidi, Mindy, and other Hancock, Brockman, Fortescue, Rio and BHP projects are all going to chew up some wonderful remote country. There are exploration holes 200 metres from Mindy Mindy gorge, 200 metres from Hickman crater - nothing is sacred in the Pilbara and I am here prostituting myself while contributing to the destruction - I forgot, we will rehabilitate to better than original condition when we leave. At least I have been out and seen some of these incredible places that the locals don't even know exist.

Rick

[CraigE]

"2/1 can be tough"!!!
Blimey. I wish I could have got that 20 and 30 years ago when we did about 12 weeks on and got 10 days off!
I've read so much crap about todays FIFO conditions being hard on families, ours used to forget we existed after nearly 3 months away.:o
HTFU.
AlanTH.
Alan this is true, but we all have choices and decisions to make and live with.
Personally I would not be away from my family for 3 months at a time. My choice and could restrict job choices.
Even 2/1 does not do it for me, just a bit too long.
8/6 or even time rosters yes. Still hard being away from your family if you are a family centered person.
Its not about HTFU and if that is your attitude fine, but not everyone wants to be like that.

[ATH]

You're right there Bushrover, the destruction caused by even drilling rigs is ruining some lovely spots.
In goes a dozer to make a pad for the drill and when they leave crap like fuel drums are left everywhere.
Not much rehab going on in those places like the Skull Springs Road out of Nullagine probably because they know they be back in the not too distant future and everything for hundreds of kays will be ruined.
Better get out there quick.
AlanH.

[billnjim]

hope downs looks like a nice camp from what I saw (did a drive the back way from MAC) but we didn't get too close as we had BHPB stickers on.........as for exploration drilling, a majority of the companies I've worked for take rehab' very seriously only evidence left behind is what the rippers from the grader leaves, even though in 6 months it'll be a hole in the ground, most places now focus on OHS & environment/heritage before production.

[CraigE]

hope downs looks like a nice camp from what I saw (did a drive the back way from MAC) but we didn't get too close as we had BHPB stickers on.........as for exploration drilling, a majority of the companies I've worked for take rehab' very seriously only evidence left behind is what the rippers from the grader leaves, even though in 6 months it'll be a hole in the ground, most places now focus on OHS & environment/heritage before production.
Amazes me still the secrecy mentality of the big 4 players up here. They all think their Digging, Haulage, Processing and Crushing methods are top secret technology.:D Hi Tech this Iron Ore Mining.;)

[CraigE]

Hope Downs 4 is certainly a big project if that is where you are going. The original Hope Downs site is typical of mining camps up here, they are all pretty good.

If you want to see some great waterholes and gorges you had better do it in the next 1-2 years because they certainly won't be there in 5 years time. Not Hope Downs so much but, Jinidi, Mindy, and other Hancock, Brockman, Fortescue, Rio and BHP projects are all going to chew up some wonderful remote country. There are exploration holes 200 metres from Mindy Mindy gorge, 200 metres from Hickman crater - nothing is sacred in the Pilbara and I am here prostituting myself while contributing to the destruction - I forgot, we will rehabilitate to better than original condition when we leave. At least I have been out and seen some of these incredible places that the locals don't even know exist.

Rick
Rick,
Now quite a detour to get to Three Pools because of Hope Downs 4. How they can be allowed to do this is beyond me. Yes they need to operate, but they should still ensure viable access.

[Fat_Cook]

ahh, ok, I'm central Qld coal fields, Pat or someone there should be able to help.

im in moura... we are practically neighbours!

[Jock The Rock]

I'm at hope downs all the time,it's all brand new. Pat

I know it's a long shot, are you still at Hope Downs?

On that note I just started at Hope Downs 4, 8/6 roster. If anyone is keen for a beer sing out

[PAT303]

Sorry Jock,would have been good to meet up but I got sick of being away so much and gave it away,4-1 and 2-1 out in the heat for 13hrs a day is a young single mans game. Pat