Been offered a position... way outback!

[Wild Dingo]

Today I was rung by a fella Id had a few yarns with when I Aaron and BJ wandered up to Kal a few months back... now this fella has offered me a position Im having a whole lot of probs knocking back

Its out in the Simpson Desert working with an Aboriginal community and by the Simpson Im talking way out past the black stump! well beyond the bitumin and the water holes rivers and streams... closer to Alice than anywhere else and that is well over a 1000 klicks away... Now working in the desert is something Ive wanted to experience for many years. The position is in charge of the community health aspects in conjunction with the community nurse and visiting RFDS doctors a very challenging position and well to be honest the pay is bloody brilliant!

There is also the opportunity to gather some of the most aweflaminsome photo opportunities anywhere in the world.

Trouble is if I take it I will have to leave within the next 2 months!! :eek:

As can be seen by my posts in designs and plans the opportunity to build or do anything with a boat out there will be sorta around the figure of... eeerr zero... so Ive started clearing the decks.

But before the final decision is made I thought Id ask for me mates views... given the above do I go? or do I just keep on working for a pain in the ass doing a job I detest with people I detest even more remain in a house we loathe or do we just go and be done???

I just thought Id ask the forums views the final decision of course will be up to me and Jo but your imput would be good to hear as Ive been a part of this community through thick and thin over the last 3 years... your imput will be valuable to us both.

Shane

[John Bell]

or do I just keep on working for a pain in the ass doing a job I detest with people I detest even more remain in a house we loathe or do we just go and be done???
Seems pretty clear to me...

[NormMessinger]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

(See how easy it is for us to make your decisions for you.)

[robaato]

Go for it!

[Chadd Hamilton]

Yeah, Shane. You should go out there and give it a try. Good Luck.

[imported_Steven Bauer]

My first reaction is like the others - go for it! But there are the smaller kids to think of. What are the schools like? Will they see this as an adventure? Or will they be totally bummed about having to leave their friends and school and everything they know to go live in some godforsaken desert. :(

Can you all travel there to get a feel for what your families life will be like? (And be sure to bring the camera :D )

Best of luck. They better have an internet connection so we can see those piccies and learn about life in the deep desert.

Steven

[ahp]

I they pay you lots of money you can buy or have someone else build your dreamboat, then come back and sail it once in a while. As I understand your situation now, you are near the water, but on the beach, all the time.

[Pernicious Atavist]

desert...couldn't you build a wheeled desert 'boat' akin to an iceboat? i've seen pics, but where, i dunno

[mmd]

I checked a map of Oz, Shane, and that is seriously "back of beyond"! I do notice, however, that the family lake is nearby. Yup, a land-yacht would be the way to go - runnin' down 'roos at 70 kph under sail would be the way to go! :D

[htom]

"Do what you love ..."

You'll have to decide, but I won't be surprized to see you pop up in a couple of months posting from the back of beyond, with sun-tanned smilies and towing a Bolger Folding Schooner.

[TimothyB]

So why aren't you making plans to build a desert sloop? You know, like an ice-boat only with tires for sand. smile.gif They are like bats outta hell from what I have heard.

--T

[Billy Bones]

Shane, generally speaking feel that only the direst family concerns should stand in the way of an adventure--particularly a profitable one.

Originally posted by Steven Bauer:
...But there are the smaller kids to think of. What are the schools like?...That could be a concern, but one must realize that ideally only a small fraction of a child's education comes from school. Never let schooling get in the way of a good education.

[Lucky Luke]

Originally posted by htom:
[QB a Bolger Folding Schooner.[/QB]:D :D :D :D :D :D

[Peter Plones]

Just do it and use the Henley-on-Todd regatta to make youre mark as a boatbuilder. Choose wisely

[TomFF]

Choose wisely. I hear the "do what you love" of others but also urge a close look. When what we love becomes our job, we risk losing our love. I knew of someone who loved the outdoors and hunting and so became a wildlife biologist. Now hunting and the outdoors have become a burden.

And of major concern.... are there any trees out there? Got wood?

[nedL]

That's a tough one Shane. An opportunity like that is a rare one, and one to be made by the whole family (as others pointed out, including those hoons ;) ). We'll all be awaiting your decision. Best of luck. smile.gif

[Bob Smalser]

I knew of someone who loved the outdoors and hunting and so became a wildlife biologist. Now hunting and the outdoors have become a burden.
I can relate to that perfectly....but for me the outdoors remain a joy instead of a burden, I just no longer feel the need to hunt or fish, as I get plenty of woods, field and pond time without it.

Life's a great adventure...the kids will be fine as long as you are...homeschooling supplements are there if you need them...sounds like an opportunity not to be passed by.

[seayou77]

I think the experience of being in the outback is as close to being at sea as one can get without getting your feet wet. Good on ya for the good you'll do.

[Stiletto]

If your wife agrees, go for it. Good money and not a lot to spend it on sounds like a way of financing a future boat or boat project.

How long is the contract for?
How does someone end up living in a house they loathe?

[Wild Wassa]

Dingo, you might start a new career as a part-time competitive sailor, out near the Alice. I hear the Todd River Regatta boys, need some serious help with their boats and the Land Yacht Association is over that way, so take care.

I'd like to say, take the plunge! You have got the experience as a Sandgroper.

The best of luck with your decision, Mate.

Warren.

[ 02-25-2004, 09:35 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[WWheeler]

For all you considering a career change:

(NB Saskatchewan is a Canadian province that is large and notoriously flat -- excellent country for land sailing, apparently. Taken from talklikeapirateday.com)

The Last Saskatchewan Pirate

Arrr, a note t' those o' you from outside o' Canada: the pro'ince o' Saskatchewan (and the ri'er o' the same name) is located in the praries, the high, dry grasslands East o' the Rocky Mountains and West o' the Canadian Shield. Th' Sea be many, many leagues away.

See th' footnotes for more o' th' regional details.

Oh, I used to be a farmer and I made a living fine,
I had a little stretch of land along the CP line [1]
But time are hard and though I tried, the money wasn't there
And bankers came and took my land and told me fair is fair
I looked for every kind of job, the answer always "no"
Hire you now, they'd always laugh, we just let twenty go!
The government, they promised me a measly little sum
But I've got too much pride to end up just another bum.
Then I thought who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone
I'm gonna be a PIRATE! on the River Saskatchewan!

Arrr...

Chorus:
Cause it's a heave-ho! hi-ho!
Coming down the plains
Stealing wheat and barley and all the other grains
And it's a ho-hey! hi-hey!
Farmers bar your doors when you see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores.

Arr!

Well you think the locals farmers would know that I'm at large
But, just the other day I saw an unprotected barge
I snuck up right behind them and they were none the wiser,
I rammed their ship, and sank it, and I stole their fertilizer!
A bridge outside of Moose Jaw spans a mighty river
The farmers pass in so much fear, their stomachs are a-quiver
Because the know that Tractor Jack! is hiding in the bay,
I'll jump the bridge and knock them cold and sail off with their hay!

Chorus

Well Mountie Bob [2] he chased me, he was always at my throat
He'd follow on the shoreline but he didn't own a boat
But cutbacks were a-coming and the Mountie lost his job
Now he's sailing with me and we call him Salty Bob.
A swingin' sword, and skull n' bones, and pleasant company
I never pay my income tax and screw the GST- SCREW IT! [3]
Prince Albert down to Saskatoon, I'm the terror of the sea
If ya wanna reach the Co-op, boy, you gotta get by me!

Chorus

Well, pirate life's appealing, but you don't just find it here
I've heard that in Alberta, there's a band of bucaneers
They roam the Athabasca, from Smith to Fort McKay?
And you're gonna lose your Stetson [4] if you have to pass their way
Well winter is a-coming and a chill is in the breeze
Our pirate days are over once the river starts to freeze
I'll be back in springtime, but now I 've to go,
I hear there's lots of plundering down in New Mexico!

Chorus
Repeat Chorus
Farmers bar your doors when you see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores.

Footnotes:
1 - CP: Canadian Pacific Rail
2 - Mountie Bob: A member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who be terrible enemies of th' Pirating lifestyle.
3 - GST: th' goods and services tax, a somewh't unpop'lar sales tax here in Canada.
4 - Stetson: a cowboy hat.

[Arthur Ransome]

.
Grab a chance and you won't be sorry for a might-have-been.
.

[Chris.]

Mate, just do it. My brother did three years in Menindee (far, far west NSW) as the Fisheries Inspector for the region from Queensland border, all along the Darling River to the Murray. And the Menindee lakes when favourable weather put enough water in them to make them larger than muddy puddles.
He had two young kids at the time and they still talk about their time there with a great joy.
And he had a great time - spent more time helping out the National Parks guy keeping the feral pigs and goats at bay than anything fishy (bad drought those years). And his wife now goes to Bourke for a break. Go figure!
Anyway, sounds like a great chance for you, but it is you going not me. So make a decision and stick to it.
Best of luck,
Chris.

[Keith Wilson]

Arthur, that sure sounds like you, but I though you were dead! :confused:

And my aussie friend, if this is really how it is and you're not just having a bad day:
or do I just keep on working for a pain in the ass doing a job I detest with people I detest even more remain in a house we loathe or do we just go and be done???
and you don't have any immediate prospects where you are, and you think it would be good for the rest of the family too (children are resilient, but uprooting them is sometimes more painful than one realizes), then go for it. There are (and I hesitate to say it) more important things than boats.

[ 02-25-2004, 06:03 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[imported_Daniel]

Shane, from the excitement that your post put across, it sounds like you have almost made your mind up! I say it is a good opportunity for a paid adventure, and no one is saying you have to do it forever if you dont like it....right? Could it be any worse than where you are at now? As long as the rest of the brood can deal with it, why not? Good luck in your decision(I'm sure either way, it will be the right one).

[Hugh Paterson]

Shane, What if in 5 years time u go, "wish I had tried it when I had the opportunity" give it a crack nowt to loose lots to gain.
Shug.

[skuthorp]

Go for it Shane, You'll be closer to Goolwa for next march, and a sand yacht could be fun but a camel (the ship of the desert) could be better! Not wood but definitely organic!
:D :cool: :cool:

[Hughman]

Well, It has to be hard lookin at the pile of new-sawn lumber and the shop, and thinking your plans of a boat moving further out of reach.

If you can't store it somewhere, trade it in for boat fund cash, and a few of the Larry/Lynn Pardy books and go milk your cash cow.

They make new boats everyday, don't they? They will be there when you tire of the desert. Buy one and go sailing. It's cheaper in the long run- you know that from reading this forum.

[Leon m]

Originally posted by Pernicious Atavist:
desert...couldn't you build a wheeled desert 'boat' akin to an iceboat? i've seen pics, but where, i dunnohttp://iceflyer.com/plans/wwahu1.jpg

[skuthorp]

Shane, if you want to build one of those I can send you a sail and mast! :D

[Mike Field]

.
Looks like it's unanimous, old son.

When are you leaving?
.

[Leon m]

Link to free plans. web page (http://iceflyer.com/)

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

"Go and be done", as you say.

"The dangers of life are infinite, and safety is among them." Goethe

Could it possibly be any worse than what you have now? Besides, you always have us here on the forum no matter where you are! smile.gif

[Wild Dingo]

Wow what a response!...

Okay Im heading off in a couple of weeks at this stage 20 March and Jo will be following with the little ones once they have the house stumped and services attached probably around mid to late April.

Im going into the office on Wednesday next to look at and sign the contract with yearly review either way.

Kids are tough and will make it okay the little ones and probably Aaron will come with us as hes been offered a job in the workshop out there so he will probably come although he likes the job hes got now he has stated he wants to have a gander as well... Jo is presently sizing up boarding schools for Bethany its either that or she will go live with Tiffany and Ben in Perth... Shes simply too advanced both academically and athletically to take out there to such a place with lack of opportunity.

Now the school is an interesting proposition from what I can gather its a one room setup K-grade 7 go in the morning and knock of at lunch time and the high schoolers start at 1pm and finish at 5pm school of the air and an onsite teacher if they want to pursue past year 10 they go to boarding school {very very rare}... They do have computers supplied by school of the air but apparently only one kid is remotely interested in them and the teacher so little use after class.

There will be discussions at the meeting about access for yours truely as the previous manager was computer illitarate and didnt want access whereas I will be demanding it.

Jo is content with the idea as long as she can get back to Perth occasionally, and as they supply us both with 4x4s and plane trips to Perth once a year she should be okay.

Stilleto... The house as some would know was to be her "ideal" home to have till retirement etc... but we have experienced many problems since it was built and shes had enough so the "house from hell" is her term for the place now... Thankfully its well located and with Mandurah experiencing a major boom in property the price has rocketted so we should do okay out of the sale.

Boatbuilding out there is determined by the extent that white ants will eat any timber not growing naturally... and even then thats not guaranteed! So if I build out there it would have to be in steel or ali... not keen on either... so will leave it till we return although that land yacht looks appealing! :D can see major class races happening out there sometime in the future!

Michael its at a place called Warburton... well thats the closest township the settlement is east some 300klicks in the Morgan Ranges... Its actually in the Great Victoria Desert and borders the Gibson and Great Sandy deserts... very remote harsh and hot.

Ive seen videos of the place and the people and that is was set me up for the position, they need so much help out there its not funny and well if theyre prepared to send us out there and pay us well then why not for a few years at least? Sure Id like more to head to sea and live a life roamin out there but this is a more realistic option and since no sugar mumma stood up to pay for me boat... well I gots ta go!

I actually think if I was to do what I love Id be a public speaker or a comedian but thats not going to happen just yet... well no offers have come along and Ive sure been trying to push it!... so this is the best offer to come along in a long while.

One hiccup occured tonight when Scott rang from Kal to give me his news... hes flying out to the States in March to deliver some horses and isnt planning on returning for some time... if ever, hes been one of the best ferriers and reinsmen in West Aus for some years now but intended to give it a miss when they moved to Kal but couldnt {its what he loves doing} and had the same offer of a trip to the States in January but knocked it back due to short notice mums passing and other things along with his family... but its all changed for him in the last few days so this time hes going...

So I now have to think about my tools again so Im thinking about getting a seatainer and taking them all out there in that.

I think if the job I had wasnt such a mongrel Id have some serious second thoughts about it... but although Ive become attached to Mandurah its not so hard when your doing something that you really honestly cant abide doing and each day is a drag and drudge... so the choice is actually a reletively easy one Jo just demanded housing her own 4x4 and air conditioning and said "as long as I can get back here when I want then no worries" I think she's going to get a bit of a shock when she lobs up... ah well shes a brick no worries the kids think Im totally insane but they knew that anyways Yaz and Lissa both went ballistic on the phone tonight and I guess the worst is yet to come when we tell Jos parents... ah well.

So anyone got an web address for some plans of those desert yachts?? I was thinking when I first saw it that the sail and mast from the cat would probably be damn near close for that thing and then realized that Im selling the thing!! mmmm wonder how Id get on trying to sell it without a mast and sail?? mmmm wonder how Id get on with a catamarran land yacht??... Although I dont like my chances of convincing her that I will need to take the cat with us when Ive making her sell off so much of her stuff... shes just as likely to chuck a wobbly and demand to be able to take everything!!

Anyways thanks for your views fellas appreciated.

PS... thanks for the link Leon!
PSS... Michael did you get my email? mmmm okay its still Sunday over there isnt it? at the tallships email addy mate... let me know!

[ 02-26-2004, 11:22 AM: Message edited by: Wild Dingo ]

[Alan D. Hyde]

Godspeed, fare-thee-well, and don't be a stranger here... :D

Alan

[htom]

Plans for a small (non-wooden) land sailer: http://www.windisfun.com/buggyplan.html

Someone was inspired by that plan but didn't follow it exactly: http://members.tripod.com/stanley119/landsail.htm

One of the advantages of these things is that you won't drown if you fall out ... and it's one of the disavantages, too. The ground is very hard compared to water.

Godspeed and please don't become a stranger!

[Stiletto]

Good luck mate!

[mmd]

Dingo - yes, I got your e-mail this morning, but had a deadline to hit, so will answer in detail later this evening.

I Googled around until I found some maps and info on the Warburton area - son, that is really the back of beyond! The Ngaanyatjarra Lands are about as alien to me as the centre of Antarctic; probably more alien as I am already familiar with snow. The Aboriginal Arts Centre in Warburton looks really neat - maybe if they sell reproductions of the original art we can work out a deal where I can forward some cash to you and you can acquire & mail a reprint to me.

I also liked the description of - and warnings about driving on - the roads there. It sounds like travel in Labrador! And most scary of all - NO BEER!!

It should be quite a family adventure. I think it will benefit your kids in the long run. Send me a snail-mail address, OK?

I s'pose you'll be needing one of these so you can be incomprehensible in two languages, eh? ;)
http://www.tjulyuru.com/newspics/dictionary1.jpg

I liked this painting:

http://www.tjulyuru.com/images/painting1.jpg

I hope you can get on the 'net regularly - I sure do like learning about other cultures!

Best of luck.