SHUTDOWN

18TH AUGUST

SHUTDOWN
I received the phone call on Monday from Ken at Kimberley Industries in Kununurra to say that I was going to the first shut down at Argyle Diamond Mine. I had no idea what to expect out there but was happy to get the call. They do the shuts every 2 months for maintenance on all the machinery out there. Everything is shut down for at least 2 days. I grabbed a lift back into Kununurra on Friday morning as my car was still in town getting the brakes fixed. The bus was leaving at 2.30 pm out to the mine. You get paid for the bus trip out also which is a 2 hour drive one way. I was a trade’s assistant which is just helping someone else. I had to do a confined space watch on the first day and then fire watch on the second. It’s very boring work and 10 hour shifts each day starting at 6am. I was in part of the recovery area on the second day where the occasional diamond is found on the ground and there are cameras everywhere, you also have to be supervised by a security person as well in this area. If they suspect anything they have the right to strip search you. Sorry no pics of this. After the second day of work we had less than an hour to get showered packed and back on the bus for the trip back to Kununurra. The bus arrived in Kununurra about 9pm and I picked up my car from Rob the mechanic and drove to Craig’s house where I was staying for the night before the drive back to home valley the next morning to start work again. Nick and Sarah who run Home Valley were really good about giving me the weekend off so I could do the shut down.