Just read through Ben's previous thread on Fly in - Fly Out mining jobs and didn't realise so many kiters were in the mining game! Sweet! That said I am finishing my mining degree this year and just starting to look for a mining operation to work at that is close to the coast (and hopefully with good wind and a nice left hand break) to keep me on the water. I know of BHP's Raventhorpe Nickel mine which is around 30kms from Hopetoun/Esperance which sounds good but could anyone recommend other mining operations where they have/had positive experiences both working and kiting?

(Or am I just wishful thinking )

There are coal mining and mineral sands mining operations in the South West of WA, a very good place for kiting and no FiFo either !!!

Try to get a job at Barrow Island, Cape Preston or Dampier/ Karratha. Barrow Island would be my preferance as it has great waves and good winds. I know that there is currently an extension to the Gorgon project on Barrow Island and they are recruiting for heaps of positions(see Saturdays West Australian employment section).
There are other mines in the southwest like Ravensthorpe near Esperance Boddington and Collie but none of these are that close to the water.
My advise is to get a job on the North West mines as the money is better and alot of the rosters are changing to 8 days on 6 days off. Most of the time when you are on site there will be no way you can go kiting so the 8&6 roster becomes very attractive. You need to keep in mind that most shifts on site are 12 hours long and you wont want to kite after a shift like that (depends on what type of work you do).I know not kiting for 8 days in order to have 6 days straight of it is appealing to some. If you like send me a PM as I work for a recruitment company that is 100% mine site related and maybe able to help you out.

Port Hedland, not a great place but has super smooth flat water kiting on winds from east to west through north. Sufficient wind most months of the year.

I go down to hopetoun every year, and have done since i was a little kid. Hopie is is the main town for the ravensthorpe nickel mine, only about 30km away i think.

Last december was my first time kiting there, but its a decent little spot. Plenty of protected flat water away from swimmers only walking distance from the pub.

Also, Hopetoun wind is essentially the same as esperance wind.

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full.contact said...

Just read through Ben's previous thread on Fly in - Fly Out mining jobs and didn't realise so many kiters were in the mining game! Sweet! That said I am finishing my mining degree this year and just starting to look for a mining operation to work at that is close to the coast (and hopefully with good wind and a nice left hand break) to keep me on the water. I know of BHP's Raventhorpe Nickel mine which is around 30kms from Hopetoun/Esperance which sounds good but could anyone recommend other mining operations where they have/had positive experiences both working and kiting?

(Or am I just wishful thinking )

Zinifex Century Mine in Northern Queensland. You fly in and out of Townsville and you can live in Brisbane as well if you want. Engineers generally do two weeks on and one week off so thats a lot of kiting time.

Food is world class, like a 5 star restaurant (so much so they complain about uniforms shrinking but they know whats really happening), gyms, pubs with $2.50 a beer.

Spent 6 months there, was really nice, fortunately I caught Townsville in Winter so no stinger issues, but summer you'd need to spend your weeks in Brissy.

Now called Pasminco Century mine.

Thanks heaps for your replies, I'll definatly have a good look at some of the W.A. spots that were mentioned and thanks for the heads up on the Century mine, had a mate who worked there and he gave it two thumbs up aswell but he didn't mention 2.50 beers

Thanks matt for kiting info on hopetoun and I'll definatly get in touch with ya reptile. The future ain't looking so arid!

chase the $$$ and the good roster and not worry about where the job is.

Youll have NO time to kite while working a 12 hour shift. that is 6am to 6pm or 6pm to 6am or something similer at work, you need to get food from the mess hall during mess hours etc so there is no chance of fitting in a kite session really. maybe youll squeeze in an hour one night in your roster.

If you have a good roster though, youll get something like 8:6 or 2:1 and fly in on the morning of the first day (not the evening before) and fly out the afternoon of your last day. this leaves you about 40% of summer to kite and no work commitments during that time. I kited heaps more doing a 2:1 roster than i do now living in Brisbane and working 9 to 5, 5 days a week.

Iluka Resources has a mineral sands mine in Eneabba in WA, about 300km north of perth. Eneabba is a little town on the coast, about 25 minute drive from Dongara. Dongara is where Kitestock is held each year, for very good reason. Never kited Eneabba but it gets the same wind. IF you are fair dinkum about finding a mining job in close proximity to excellent kiting conditions I doubt there would be a better option. Hit Google Earth and have a look.

"Port Hedland, not a great place but has super smooth flat water kiting on winds from east to west through north. Sufficient wind most months of the year."

Jay, have you actually kited PH? I've thought about it, but I've heard from fishermen that there is a million sharkies around there... Bull sharks I think.

Supersane,

There is lots of nasties in the water up that way, lots of big sharkies and crap loads of sea snakes.

20knts + glass vs nasties.... I'd like to see the statistics first, if they are around the same as getting run over crossing the road then I might give it a go myself...

Ive surfed ,fished & dived all around headland when i was living up there.the sharks around spoil bank & finny island are pretty small they **** more from us then we do of them.Its a bit freeky when you first start going ouy but after a while you get used of it & is pretty safe.Ive seen more big sharks over rottnest.

dampier is the same deal with the wild life, but they are VERY well fed, never heard of an attack. wind has been very conspicuos by its absence the last two weeks..

The best mining gig would be Tallering Peak, Out from Gero. Forget the rest, too variable for wind.
Kiting wise we have wind and waves.

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aido said...

Ive surfed ,fished & dived all around headland when i was living up there.the sharks around spoil bank & finny island are pretty small they **** more from us then we do of them.Its a bit freeky when you first start going ouy but after a while you get used of it & is pretty safe.Ive seen more big sharks over rottnest.

cant have spent too much time there as you dont even know how to spell the name?

there most definitely is plenty of nasties around Port Hedland. Bedout Isl to Lacepede isl is busiest area I know of for tigers. Caught big ones (4meters), also BIG hammers within a mile or so of the spoil bank on many occasions. Whether they will eat you is another story. But dont be fooled into thinking they arent there!

theres always one trying to get ya going good on ya mate

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loose fin said...

chase the $$$ and the good roster and not worry about where the job is.

Youll have NO time to kite while working a 12 hour shift. that is 6am to 6pm or 6pm to 6am or something similer at work, you need to get food from the mess hall during mess hours etc so there is no chance of fitting in a kite session really. maybe youll squeeze in an hour one night in your roster.

If you have a good roster though, youll get something like 8:6 or 2:1 and fly in on the morning of the first day (not the evening before) and fly out the afternoon of your last day. this leaves you about 40% of summer to kite and no work commitments during that time. I kited heaps more doing a 2:1 roster than i do now living in Brisbane and working 9 to 5, 5 days a week.

Loose Fin! You're back posting, remembered your login hey? I might be over in Brisbane a couple of times between now and May, we'll have to have a beer.