[Shilo]

Ok. here's the thing.

Both my wife and myself have been offered very good positions on a coal mine in Middlmount Queensland. We own a house in Bundaberg but thats like seven hours drive. They are prepaired to give us onsite accomodation however due to capacity the only mine site accomodation availible is seperate which is not acceptible to either of us. Also we have a friendly, well behaved little Staffy and this also throws a spanner in the works. We own a great caravan which is easily livable in on a full time bases and thought that might be the answer to our problem and the mine, as it turns out is also willing to pay any fees. Now we find (inevitably) that no caravan park in the area will take pets so we are back to squar one. My wife is high end IT and accounting, her job offer is "Financial Manager" and I guess this oportunity means less to her than to me, I am a simple swimming pool plumber and my job discription is "general **** kicker. I have been wanting to break away from swimming pools for years and this job offer really means quit a bit to me. I'm stumped. Anyone out there thinking outside the box have any mind numbingly brilliant idea's or happen to have a property close by and want an extra hundred bucks a week to have a nice couple in a caravan up the back padoch please let me know.

Thanks.

 

[Smokescreen]

Im guessing Middlemount being a mining town the house rental prices are through the roof maybe place a wanted notice in the local paper stating your situation and somebody may rent you a spot for your van in there yard or in the worst case a spot in the industrial area.

Good luck

 

[Shilo]

That's a good idea Smoke. Thanks for that.

 

[Troyyyy]

stayed at middlemount mac mine camp when i worked at german creek chpp absolute crap hole and grog prices at the local are threw the roof. i had a similar delema with my dog, basically you want to earn good money or you wanna stay home with your dog? IMO get rid of the pooch. my superindendent down here in the huntervalley takes his caravan to a rest stop near the mine they usually have water ther so he just hooks up, just comes down to weather u want that good coin while they are handing out which wont happen for ever or you do a ***** kicker 8 hour a day job for ever so u can have a dog, might sound harsh but the mining industry isnt always the easiest to get into anyways

 

[Shilo]

Yep. Good advice and ain't happening Troy. Appreciate your time and understand your's is the far wiser angle. Dogs ten years old and part of the family. I am of the beliefe that when you get a pet you make a commitment to that animal and if you are unprepaired to do that, don't get it. The dog stays. lol.
Thanks mate.

 

[Troyyyy]

yeah good call i guess but life throws all kinds of obstacles at us just depends if u dont really need the cash then sweet but if ur like me and got bitten by the mining industry bug and love the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ one week back at work and ive just bought lockers lol but a dog of 10 years im hearin ya i only had a couple of huntin dogs for a few years so trick was no attachment anyways preparin for em to get eatin by a boar hahaha. i was lookin at renting a house out dysart but it was around 1000+ a week and boom was offering me a share room in a house there anyway. try claremont its about an hour n a half from middlenmount but if i remember right i found a few cheap places there that allowed pets i found them on domain.com. if u dont mind me asking what company will u be working for or which site??

troy

 

[Bundyrumandcoke]

Middlemount, right in the middle of the Bowen Basin. That means, anywhere within cooee of the place will be the same. Nothing to the east or south east. Dingo the closest place, but thats a good 120+k away. Dysart about 80km to the NW, Capella probably the closest, say 60k to the SW. Possibly Coppabella, or Nebo, but your still looking a good hour or so drive each way.
Chances are, everything you could possibly think of, has been tried before.
Yes, which mine is a good question, as some places bus workers in from nearby towns. EG, Gregory workers are bused in from as far as Emerald, which would be a good 1 1/4 hrs away. Also, a mine might be at a certain town- in name only, it may be closer to somewhere else, but the postal address is at a further away town.
I do travel to a lot of these areas with work.

 

[Traitor]

can anyone look after the dog for abit while you suss out options ?

 

[davez104]

If you are going to be working for one of the mining companies, rather than the contractors, your best bet would be to take the job offer and camp accommodation and leave the mrs and dog at home. When you sort yourself out a decent housing arrangement you can bring them up. If you're working for a contractor it will come down to what that individual contractor is prepared to offer re housing. Job security is generally not as good with the contractors as it is with the mining companies. It's not the easiest industry to break into from the outside and sacrifices will have to made at the start. It does get easier as you work your way in though.

Dave.

 

[Bundyrumandcoke]

Ok. here's the thing.

Both my wife and myself have been offered very good positions on a coal mine in Middlmount Queensland. We own a house in Bundaberg but thats like seven hours drive.

That would probably preclude leaving his wife at home.

 

[davez104]

Would be so much easier if one came up, established themselves in the new job then the other followed. Being in a mining town with SFA accommodation and a family to house is not a situation I would be keen to put myself in.

 

[Troyyyy]

he did also point out his wife earns more so maybe it would be him home with the dog lol

 

[fordsand4wd]

hey shilo
we lived there for years ,there are people with blocks of dirt they rent just out of town where they put dogs and all sorts of s h i t ,ask around up there i'm sure someone will let you leave the staffy there .
p.s. which mine is it .
good luck
mark

 

[davez104]

he did also point out his wife earns more so maybe it would be him home with the dog lol

Either or, doesn't really matter, the point is that it is easier to break in one at a time, when you have a family anyway. Rentals are ridiculous in mining towns, you would be a game man signing a rental contract without a stable job. Being stuck with a $1000 per week rental bill and no job would be a nightmare. Camp is the best option for breaking in, which means single accom in most cases or rent a house in a nearby, non mining town and do huge commutes every day (that's how I did it).