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I've been trying to view other videos in my spare time, but i'm not able to load them from work. There have been several impressive submissions, and i've noticed that this uphill climb against the competition seems more like a straight vertical shot. I'm happy with the video i made, and i think i had a creative and innovative approach to capturing TQ's attention. Surely i'm not the only person to think of getting a head start on one of the job details, but we'll see how that goes. What can i say, i'm determined!
Lately i've been getting some feedback from friends and other viewers. One of the questions that keeps popping up was my experience in Australia, and what that was like for me. A "tie-in" question that i got, since then, was if my previous visit there effects how i'm looking at this job. I think that's a great question, actually. The answer to that is: "Yes and No..." My visit to the Kambalda/Kalgoorlie area was fantastic, and i have so many things to share about it, which i will do shortly.
I've always wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef. And regardless if i get this position or not, i'll be visiting before i leave this earth. When i was young, i thought about what i was going to do as i got older. I was huge into planes, military especially. I had always wanted to pilot F-14s or F-18's. My plan was to join the Navy after i graduated high school (talked to the recruiter and everything) but those plans fell through when i was accepted for EMT and paramedic courses through the local emergency response teams. I also dreamed of being an astronaut... like many other kids do. I think most of that was tied into the flying thing. And a few other "jobs" fell in line with those dreams, but the only other one that i remember REALLY wanting to work with something involving marine biology. At the time i thought i wanted to "work with dolphins" which was the only thing that really registered in my little brain. Obviously there's more to it than that, but when you grow up in small town Missouri, there isn't a lot of talk or education about the marine biology world. For me... i think that missing out on such an opportunity (which is nobodies fault but my own) that's what makes this job so intriguing to me. My experience dreaming about such a job, when i was young, was a precursor to that. The experience, more recently, among the Australian people and culture just pique my interest that much more.
The Kambalda area is a far cry from a tropical island feel. You're talking desert, and lots of it. In fact, water is highly coveted. It can be so scarce there that they have to run all pipes above ground in case there happens to be a leak, that way they can isolate it much faster. As you travel the roads to and from town, it's common to see pipes running along side the road. The earth there is beautiful, some of the most deep and rich shades of orange and red you'll see. After taking a walk in the bush, i came across a small water hole, likely from rains that came through before we got there. I found tracks scattered around the water, which was interesting. Not knowing the area, and what animals may live out there, you wonder if they're tracks from kangaroos... or perhaps quokkas? Not likely in that area. I did see several red kangaroos though. Some of the prettiest birds i've seen were a common sight there. Galahs are nice to look at, but you don't like them so much around 5:00am.
Between Kalgoorlie and Kambalda there are plenty of eye opening landmarks to see. One of the biggest landmarks is the "Super Pit" which is Australia's largest open cut gold mine. Some of the largest loading trucks known to man are hauling out around 900,000 ounces of gold every year. There's no way to really describe how huge this thing is. The pit (according to it's website) is (at the moment) about 3.5 kilometers long, 1.5 kilometers wide, and about 360 meters (about 1080 feet) deep. In other words... it's big. Mining is the staple of the community in that area, the Super Pit started somewhere around 1893. Another cool sight is when traveling to Red Hill in southwest Kambalda, you'll pass by many old mining buildings and museums. You can hike your way to the top of the hill, and when you crest it you find a stunning panoramic view of Lake Lefroy's salt flats, which looks like a deep blanket of snow as far as your eyes can see.
Regardless if the areas rugged terrain, it's a beautiful place to visit. I would have to say one of the best trips i've ever been on. As i had mentioned in my first entry, the people were extremely friendly and welcomed us to the area. The experience there was exotic enough to know we were definitely away, but warm enough to feel right at home.
So here's to all of those living in the Kalgoorlie/Kambalda area. I simply can't wait to go back! Hopefully the next time i visit Australia is when i take up residence on the island... May the environment there be as open and warm as it was there.
*disclaimer*
I intended to post photos along side the blog. I promise to come back and fill this in soon. I'm afraid i don't have them at the moment, as i'm at my work computer. So, check back!
