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Post by kingy on Feb 26, 2011 13:27:10 GMT 10
Hi Ya Clyde, we certainly gave the grinder a thought don't worry ;D ;D..........then thought i might regret it later  so it stayed So, you happy with your 3.3, or is it a 186,179   Kingy |
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Post by banno on Feb 26, 2011 16:56:29 GMT 10
Gidday Kingy, I like your new power plant. Looks riginal.
Personally I like the same look as Clyde does.
Late model V8, fool injected, smooth as.
Banno
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Post by kingy on Mar 28, 2011 18:15:04 GMT 10
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Post by Daggsey on Apr 1, 2011 0:54:51 GMT 10
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Post by Cruz on Jun 12, 2011 10:44:52 GMT 10
SOS ???Has any one heard from the Kings. Must be having to busy a time to keep us informed of there travels. There 2nd anniversary even slipped past. Cruz |
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Post by Geoff & Jude on Jun 12, 2011 13:20:52 GMT 10
Hi Leanne,
The Kings are currently in Perth, Kingy driving trucks back & forth to Port Headland & they sound like they are still having a great time ( I spoke to Daggsey last week) .
Jude & Geoff
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Post by cobber on Jun 12, 2011 14:11:10 GMT 10
If they get to Albany without letting us know before-hand I'll be real cranky..... got a mate there who wants to check 'em out . Cobber. |
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Post by kingy on Jun 13, 2011 18:04:09 GMT 10
G'day Gang, yeah we're still about Cruz........not much tour'in though, just toil'in  hence the shortage of updates. We are actually heading back to Hedland this week where we'll be based for some time. I've been travelling up and down WA between Broome and Esperance for some months now, sometimes being away for nearly two weeks. It's been hard for Mez, so thats the reason for heading north, as the work schedule will change and i'll be home more often. We will also have a unit to stay in  at no cost .......it's at the depot where we'll be based, AND Mez looks like doing a little office work there as well ;D. I'm enjoying the work over here and wide open spaces, so we'll stick it out till we feel it's time to move on. And LOOK we've had the operation......check out the plates   And here's some shots of what's kept us here.....WORK  A rail line being laid at Hedland.......we carted the concrete sleepers, a gross weight of just under 100 tonnes per load.   A load of army land rovers i delivered recently- Perth to Karratha  Another mine site     Still have'in a ball, not go'in home yet ;D........be in touch when we get back to Hedland Kingy & Mez |
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jun 13, 2011 23:51:49 GMT 10
Hi Kingy and Mez, Thanks for the update. Good to hear that you are still enjoying yourselves.  Dona Ricardo and I were in WA last week. All the locals were complaining about the cold weather - 20 degrees and sunny, even down in Albany! We thought we were in winter paradise! Sounds like you have adapted enough to the WA weather that you've had to go north for the winter to Port Hedland. ;D ;D ;D Speaking of adaptation to local conditions, I like the disguise for the EH and Supalite! Talk about becoming part of the furniture! I think that's the expression?  Don Ricardo |
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Post by kingy on Jun 14, 2011 9:09:05 GMT 10
Hi Don Ricardo, speaking of weather.............cold wet and misrable here in Perth today , well i suppose it is winter after all We start packing today and leave for Hedland in a couple of days. Mez will be flying, i'll be taking van and cars by road on an extra trailer.........no room for mez with me, a large engel resides where the passenger seat should be ;D Bizzo the hound will have to come by road with me . looking forward to the warmer climate. It's anyone's guess how long we'll be at Hedland for, maybe we'll be still here for the 10th website bash ;D........ liking the west very much Cheers Kingy and Mez |
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Post by Daggsey on Jun 14, 2011 9:45:07 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Jun 14, 2011 10:14:04 GMT 10
G'day Kingy, I reckon you won't be hitting the caravan road again for quite some time. Can't get enough workers over there, so I understand. My next-oldest brother worked for Rio Tinto for 35 years up in Port Hedland before retiring 3 years ago. They BEGGED him to stay. Pay rise, etc etc. He'd had enough, and has been tripping around Australia ever since he left. I read in a weekend paper over here the other day, that mining companies over there are exploring different ways of sucking more workers out of the eastern states. One option they were exploring was to charter aircraft to fly workers from their home region to the mines, and then back again for their four-day roster. Don't need to uproot the whole family and move over there. Until the mining bubble bursts, that's the end of any ideas you might have had about "taking it easy", I reckon. Might as well put the Supalight on the market, work for a couple more years, go to America filthy rich, buy the big Airstream, tour around, bring it back home, still filthy rich. (Hmmm...Doesn't sound too bad to me, actually ) All the best with the move. If you can survive their summers up there, you'll do just fine. cheers, Al. |
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Post by kingy on Jun 14, 2011 12:53:33 GMT 10
Hi Al, your right about the shortage of workers over here, it's an ongoing problem...........with accomadation being the main problem i'm sure. We are very fortunate in having the use of an onsite unit to stay in, albeit basic .....it's SO cheap ;D All we have to do in return is close the gate of a night and keep an eye on the yard while we are present. Mez will have to accept the fact that she has to walk 10 metres or so to get to work The latest i've heard is that the chinese owned mine at Cape Preston 300k's south of Hedland have the go ahead to construct their own airport When large mining companys pay $1ooo - $1600 a week for rental properties for their workers, i can sure beleive they'd charter aircraft also As for the bubble bursting.........don't hold your breath ;D there is so many new mines popping up throughout WA, everyone wonders how much longer this boom is going to continue and how they can source workers Sell the supalite go to the States ..... HHmm by the time we're finished travelling around WA.... might be to old ;D Pt Hedland summers......BRING it on ;D Kingy |
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hknut
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Post by hknut on Jun 15, 2011 0:18:12 GMT 10
Hi Franklin,
Yep, big money up north. weekly pay around 3k+, rent 2 k p/w in Karratha and that's if you can get a place, there even buying old vans in Perth for accommodation as the mining companies sold all their homes to the private sector, cost of living is excessively high and that doesn't leave much in the bank at the end of the week. I've been in the construction industry around 31years and have travelled and worked on most of these sites. The amount of expansion is unbelievable and they just keep finding more deposits to mine. FIFO roster is OK for 2 and 1 or 4 and 1 if you are in construction or whatever rotation they put you on, but you have to remember that you leave and return on YOUR time, so that reduces your leave break. This is quite often overlooked as people get caught up in the idea flights are great. Wrong, you quickly tire of this with getting up at 3am, arriving to the airport and leaving Perth around 5.45am arriving to site ready to start your 12 hour shift for the next 14 days or 28 straight. Some people I have spoken to arriving from the EAST have to make their own way to Perth at their expense. If you are unfortunate enough to arrive by flight on the mine lease, the moment you arrive you may as well be in prison. You have the freedom to move around the camp, up at 4am, on the bus to site at 5.15 and start at 6am till 6pm then back to camp for a mealshower and bed at 8pm ready to do Ground Hog Day all over again and you can't leave the lease until your roster is over and your return flight is ready. All transport to and from site is strictly adhered to, and all your movements in/out and around are monitored, not taking into account the safety nazis who want to hunt down some poor mug and give them the pleasure of the WINDOW SEAT out for the most trivial of things. Kingy, enjoy the weather as it is at the moment, coz when summer gets there you will feel like an ant under a magnifying glass when it reaches mid to high 50's.
cheers
Hkunt
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hknut
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Post by hknut on Jun 16, 2011 19:36:29 GMT 10
Hi Kingy,
Saw you driving the big Mack towards Midland with the car and van onboard, have a safe trip. Also, apologies for the incorrect sign off as Daggsey pointed out my Dyslexia, I was half full of squirt and the hands don't always do what you want them to do, so here we go again.
cheers
Hku bugger Hknut:)
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Post by kingy on Jul 13, 2011 18:00:13 GMT 10
Hi Everyone, finally get a chance to catch up on whats been happening......been a little busy Sorry i missed your post HKnut, what you say is pretty much on the money........FIFO never appealed to me, it's more for the young'ins i feel Well we've been back in Hedland for a few weeks, and straight into work. Mez's job lasted a week........in short, to much stress - who needs it ;D I'm doing less K's now, and home every night......instead of every fortnight ;D gotta be happy with that My last load out of Perth saw the van and cars on one trailer along with other trailers i picked up along the way to Hedland. Mez flew and arrived the day after i arrived. We have two rooms, shower block/toilet and kitchen at the depot where we are staying, and enjoy the extra space very much ;D........being a transport depot means it's noisy, dusty and very busy, but they're a great bunch, and it's been fine so far. The Kings latest camp   Leaving Perth  Extra trailer added to front in transit   Very conciderate of mack trucks to fit doggy windows ;D   Mez come along for the ride one day with the pilot on one of our oversize loads   Anyone order a water tank  Cheers till next time .....the Kings |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2011 19:41:21 GMT 10
Onya kingys Good ta see ya back in the thick of it ... and sending photos again.. Not long before the heat and humidity returns to the W.A coast..... Makes for better drinking weather aye. ;D Cheers guys Reddo |
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Post by sutcac on Jul 13, 2011 20:02:50 GMT 10
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Post by kingy on Jul 14, 2011 14:35:42 GMT 10
G'day Clyde & Barb, Oh we'll be back, thats for sure.........Cowra nationals is our only plan at the moment, and catch up with family. We'll possibly go back home, decide whether we'll sell up at Moruya and relocate to Cowra.......don't really know for sure.
Work will be the deciding factor i'd say.......at present it's all good, and glad we made the move from Perth, especialy Mez
Cheers Guy's, the Kings
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halps
Full Member
Get out and enjoy your van man!
Posts: 229
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Post by halps on Jul 14, 2011 18:49:36 GMT 10
Great photos and story again Kingy...keep it coming.
HALPS
Brisbane
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Post by kingy on Jul 30, 2011 12:39:09 GMT 10
G'day Gang, Well still clocking up the clicks, and not getting bored as yet ;D.....in fact, something different every day, and plenty of new places to see. I really love it out in these remote areas, and look forward to any new ones. Sorry not much VV content here, allthough we see plenty of vans up here for the winter....... where it's warm ;D ;D...........Vans or ''wobbly's'' are usually good to get along with, but there are some who........never mind ;D Anyone concidered working in the mines ......we go to most of them, and thought you might like to see the kind of accomadation thats on offer This is at Christmas Creek and Cloud Break mines( don't ya just love the names ;D) about 1200 k's round trip (via Mt Newman) from Hedland where we've been taking huts to a new camp thats being built.  These units have yet to have decks fitted........cosy hey     Also noticed a sports ground being constucted with huge flood lights for 24 hr. use for shift workers These mines are owned by our third biggest Co. behind BHP & RIO Tinto who we also visit........did i mention how i love coming out to these mines Mixing it with the big stuff     Once we get off the main hwy, we have over 100 k's of this    Oh well........someone's gotta do it ;D And look, another wobbly ........who said there's no van content  Cheers Kingy |
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Post by Don Ricardo on Jul 30, 2011 22:55:35 GMT 10
G'day Kingy, Another great set of photos. The machinery out there is amazing! The roads looks as if they're in pretty good condition, although obviously dirt. Lucky you only have to drive around the corner to reach your destination... I like the desciption of the van as a 'wobbly'. I'm sure the truckies use the name as a term of endearment too... Especially when they're following a van at 80 kmh. ;D ;D ;D Mind you, as just an average-joe car driver, one of the scariest things I've had to do when driving is pass a road train. They're long enough to mean that you're on the wrong side of the road for far too long for comfort, and each of the trailers seems to have a life of its own. You never know when one of them will take it into its head to veer right to try and clean you up! Or was that just the truckie seeing if he could increase my heart rate? ;D ;D ;D Don Ricardo |
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Post by kingy on Aug 2, 2011 15:21:34 GMT 10
Don Ricardo, just noticed your reply, yep the machinery certainly is an eye opener . those roadtrain type tippers are so big.........I'm told that some of the trailers are also motorised to help them get along They would have massive payloads, being ore. The trucks are over dimention in width etc. and would probably run on a permit.... if anything at all at a mine site. The unsealed roads owned by the mines are often better than some of the sealed roads. We can sit on 80- 90 k's usually. It's the unsealed council roads leading into sites that are shockers, then it's down to around 20 klm's p/h As for passing roadtrains .........never an enjoyable event , the go pedal just won't go that little further Trailers having a ''life of their own''.........Sorry, don't know what you mean ;D ;D ;D Kingy |
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halps
Full Member
Get out and enjoy your van man!
Posts: 229
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Post by halps on Aug 2, 2011 21:57:31 GMT 10
Kingy,
This might seem like 1 stupid question from a city-slicker like me but....
Can you reverse those massive road trains?
I can barely reverse my 13f van!!!
HALPS
Brisbane
PS: keep those photos coming, you are educating me.
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Post by kingy on Aug 3, 2011 0:02:02 GMT 10
Hi Halps, Thats a common question, and as you can imagine the more trailers the harder to reverse. One trailers not a problem, two takes a little to get used to.....three's a non event ;D, over a long distance anyway. Roadtrains (2 or more trailers) are'nt meant to be reversed any long distance, usually most reversing is only to hook onto another trailer. Mine sites cover a large area, those offroad roadtrains would'nt have too reverse at any stage i'd imagine......just go round in circles all day ;D
Kingy
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so it stayed
.......with 10-12 trucks working non stop around the clock(2 shifts) for a total of 10 days 
