Its been 6 months.  It was apparent to us when we arrived in Tom Price that some money would have to be earnt.  We had $1000 in the bank, maxed out both of our credit cards and owed our Plasterer mate Dave $1500 for a job done back in Feb.  Dave, remaining true to the code of tradies which states that you must not invoice your customer when they actually have money to pay you, but must instead wait until they are flat broke, was hounding us remorselessly by text, apparently refusing to believe that travelling actually hoovers your money up more effectively than Oscar with a bowl of cheezels. Instead he insisted that we were on holiday and therefore must be loaded.   So, enter Tom Vegas, oasis in the desert of the Pilbara, home of Rio Tinto's huge and profitable iron ore mines, not to mention FMG's operations and the raft of support services that follow along like seagulls outside a chip shop.  I had a contract already lined up at the local hospital, thanks to my mate Cheryl in the agency.  Whilst I worked, Tom consolidated his leads and landed a role with a maintenance company fixing up the mine houses, working 60 hours a week. With those kind of hours, it was not feasible for both of us to work, so I have been experiencing that never thought to be seen again phenomena - time alone without the kids as they went to school. It's been very relaxing.....

Tom Price has also turned out to be a much nicer place than I expected. The town itself was built by Rio Tinto back in the 1970's and was closed to anyone other than Rio employees until recent times. Due to its continued support from Rio, the town is blessed with a huge array of facilities for somewhere of its size and remoteness. There is a beautiful 50m pool, a softball diamond, 3 tennis courts, soccer and cricket fields, two primary schools, a high school, speedway, bmx and go cart tracks and a rifle range. Wikipedia will tell you that the median age in the town is 29, but that was in 2006. It is now 11 as I am informed by many locals, as the proportion of young kids and babies to adults has increased dramatically. There are no old people here- it's the original no country for old men!

The only caravan park in town is actually 2 km from the centre, tucked under the sheer, red slopes of Mount Nameless. The mountain provides a beautiful, scenic outlook, constantly changing hues with the passage of the sun throughout the day. There are flocks of crazy Galahs and more trees and grass than you might expect in this rocky, harsh environment. We were fortunate to secure a permanent site quite quickly as the cost was about $150 per week less than on the tourist sites. There are heaps of Kiwis here, and they all seem to be related to one another in some way. It is a tight, happy community out here, although it has not been without its share of dramas. The management style is one of subjugation and derision. No questioning of decisions or processes is tolerated and people have been evicted and victimized on the flimsiest of precedents. There are no other low cost accomodation options for people here and management know this and exploit it mercilessly. Things have improved slightly with the set up of a resident committee, but the power is still firmly on the one side.

Our 6 months are drawing to a close now. At the end of May, we are leaving to enjoy the winter months in Exmouth, Coral Bay and Red Bluff. Tom is hoping to remain working for Byfords as a FIFOuter, so I guess we have achieved the aim we had in mind by coming to Tom Price which was to help him get a job which had prospects and to earn enough money to keep travelling. As a bonus, we have been part of a fabulously warm hearted community who we will miss greatly. Goodbye Tom Vegas, keep on rockin'!