Nhulunbuy, East Arnhem Land

From the moment I arrived in Nhulunbuy, I knew I’d made the right decision. I’d never lived in the country before let alone 1,000 km from the nearest city. I found myself in one of the most remote places in Australia, a town hardly anyone even knows exists.

I didn’t know much about the place at all. But I really enjoyed my job even though it was extremely quiet. We’d go days without a single callout, and when we did get one, it usually took less than an hour. Most of the time, I relaxed and chatted with my colleagues J or T, depending on who was rostered on. One of us was always on days off, four on, two off. 8 to 4. Not a bad shift.

A few months in, J resigned, and it was just me and T. The company came to us and asked if we’d like to submit a roster proposal. If it worked for them, they said they’d seriously consider it.

I thought about working Monday to Friday so I could join the local footy team and reconnect with the game, but in the end, we submitted a proposal to work Thursday to Sunday, 7 am to 5 pm with Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays off every week. That way, we’d cover the whole weekend and still get penalty rates.

Much to our surprise, they approved it.

So there I was barely working, getting paid well, and enjoying three days off every week. It felt like I’d won Tattslotto. God had blessed my cotton socks, literally.

In the dry season, the weather hovered around 27 degrees. Think of the most perfect summer day you’ve ever had — we had that in Nhulunbuy for six months straight. Every single day.

The wet season was different. The humidity went through the roof, and it felt like a sauna outside. But I didn’t mind. I spent my time in the gym, walking, reading, hanging with mates, watching TV really taking it easy.

My only concern was trying to become competent at my job. When you don’t have many jobs, you can only look at the equipment and read the manuals for so long. You need hands-on experience. I was lucky enough to learn bits and pieces from colleagues who took the time to teach me.

It only occurred to me later, walking the 14 km loop around Arunachala in India, that I’d already been doing a 10 km loop of my own creation around Nhulun Hill a sacred hill in Yolŋu culture. The Yolŋu people are the traditional custodians of the land, and our company serviced their communities, outstations, and homelands.

Nhulunbuy itself is a mining town, built in the late 1960s to service the bauxite mine that still operates today. The ore is processed into aluminium. The town has a population of around 2,000 people extremely transient. People come from all over Australia, and many are on visa-related work to extend their stay.

It’s a place with all types and if you live in Australia and want a change, there are always jobs advertised online. I highly recommend it if you're looking for an adventure.