(Nifty Cooper mine, Google Earth)
I just found this frightening post about the Nifty Copper mine in Australia (where we'll be working and living 18 days out of every month).
He writes:
"Greetings from the Nifty copper mine... and I can tell you, it's a whole different world out here (cue song from Disney's Aladdin). I've brought seven folks out here that the mine workers I've spoken with this morning seem to think are "the big bosses". The place is seriously dusty, and there are lots of flies, but even just the glimpses I got on the way in were quite impressive. There's a very nice airstrip with a 1700m runway, and final approach took us right over the middle of the mine pit itself (a very, very big hole in the ground). The guy who gave me a lift in to the mine site seems to be known as "Wombat" (it's even embroidered on his shirt), and I saw another guy labelled "Penguin". Wombat is definitely into blowing things up - he has videos of blasts, which he is eager to show off and critique - and I gather is one of the main people responsible for co-ordinating the blasting at this mine. I'm not quite sure what the other folks in this building do, but I'm pretty sure it's mostly to do with the blasting. I'm also reminded (if I'm not mistaken) that the Nobel Prize owes its existence to such activities - all the product posters on the walls here are branded 'Dyno Nobel'."
"Does it worry anyone else that, in the Dyno Nobel "Blasting and Explosives Quick Reference Guide", pi is defined as being equal to 3.1428? I guess it's a science, but not too precise a science..."
"P.S. Just before leaving Nifty, I got taken on a tour of the mine pit and surrounding operations. Absolutely awesome... and my tour guide's name was "Frank", so it looks like you don't have to have an animal name to work there."
So this doesn't mean I should be worried, right?
Right?
There's no town there, so if it really is that bad there's no escaping it. (As if escaping is even an option when you work a 12 hour day.)
When Mike and I first visited the mine in January, we felt like we might even grow to enjoy being there. And, it will give us more time and money to travel than either of us have ever had before. We liked the geologist team, but I could definitely sense their skepticism when we said we'd "love" to be there. As if people only go there because they have to, not because it's something they want.
We weren't at Nifty long enough to meet the people with animal names (our guide's name was Sean), but now that I know it's possible to have an animal embroidered on your work shirt instead of your own name, I want to think of an animal name for myself. Maybe I could even get into blowing things up. (kidding.)
