We´re on the road again, after a few days in Karratha. Karratha is a little mining town in the north west of Australia with around 8000 people. Its the most bogan place I have ever been. For those of you who dont know the word bogan: A bogan is the australian version of a red neck. He or she often live in small towns - sometimes far from other people. For the bogan, beer a clock is the whole day. They dont go anywhere without their stubby holder and a beer. Since they always drink beer they usually have a pretty good beer belly. They say bloody, fucking and beer o clock all the time. The female version of a bogan is often pretty though, a real country girl. But look at her, and her boyfriend with the beer belly will definitely fight you. The boyfriend will fight you even if you DONT look at her, saying "Why dont you look at my girlfriend? Is she not hot enough for ya???"
There are a few girls here, but most of them are taken. And there are a lot more guys. Some of them live here, but most of them flies in and out on rosters, four weeks on, one week in Perth. Or two weeks on and one week off. The locals call them FYFOs (FLY in FLY OUT) or just FIT IN OR FUCK OFF. In other words; the locals dont
like people who fly in and earn heaps of money and then leave. It is deserted up here in boganville, but you do understand why australians and foreigners come here to work. There are billions of dollars in the the red dirt around us. This is
where the second biggest income in Australia lies. Ironorn, or raw material that is made into iron, is everywhere. Simon is a surveyor here, he walk around in the hills and flat areas of red dirt and measures up where the companies can build railways and buildings for the ironorn when it is taken out of the ground. Sometimes it is over 50 degrees in the bush. The men walk around in work boots, yellow and blue or orange clothes and measures and measures. They work long days in pairs, and cant make mistakes. If you measure just a few inches wrong, a whole building can collapse. Better not drink TOO many beers at the pub the night before working.
It is hard work, in a place that few people want to settle in. But the money is good. You can earn around 4000 dollars at the most as a surveyor here. No wonder Simon had money to leave with a solid amount of money and travel for one and a half year after some hard work in Karratha.
- This place is a shitwhole!! haha!! says a red bearded man at the tavern friday night. It is crowded, mostly with men who are still in their yellow work clothes. He is there with his son.
- Yeah, Mark is getting into it now, he says satisfied. This place is shit but we earn shit loads of money, haha. So its worth it.
I ask his son what he thinks about it.
- Ive been here six weeks. My dad his whole life. Its pretty shit, haha. But its good money.
It cant be too shit though, cause everyone around me seem to be loving the pub and friday night. I am the odd one out here, I dont have a beer belly and I am not a though bogan chick that look like she can fight. I am the Scandie who cant drink 15 beers in a night and who speak with a funny accent. One of the guys ask me if I want to meet his friend. His friend is standing with his arms crossed in his yellow work clothes saying "No Gary I dont want to". Gary obviously thinks his friend need some female company. There isnt much to choose from for the guys up here.
Oh well, there are the skimpies, but they are only to look at, not to touch. Skimpies are girls that work in the pub, with as little as possible clothes on. At the other end of the pub, a girl is pole dancing in a little pink g-string. They used to walk topless, today theyre a bit more covered up.
After a few days in skimpy town, we are off to 80 mile beach.
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