Sun. 2nd Sept., 2012 - Mine Tour & drive to Bea Bea

The pain, in the thigh muscles, following yesterday's physical exertion, was excrutiating!  What I really needed was a gentle massage, but it was not to be.  Instead, we set off for a tour of the Rio Tinto Iron Ore Mine.

 It was a huge concern & a most interesting visit.  Everything was on a massive scale - vehicles, plant machinery, piles of ore, etc. & the dust was unbelievable!

Hundreds of workers had sold their souls to the Company & were like worker ants, labouring in the dust through 12 hour shifts to make large sums of money.  Work went on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as vast amounts of soil were shifted in order to reach the ore beneath.  This was then sorted, crushed & blended by gigantic machines & finally poured into rail trucks to be carried to a port by trains that were 2.5km long!



These Trucks are 400tonnes fully loaded



 Our tour guide was very knowledgeable & was able to to describe all the various processes that took place.  A Swiss couple, whom we had met at previous stopping-off places, were also on the tour so we are still seeing familiar faces.

After lunch, we set off for a free campsite called Bea Bea.  Our route took us through huge hills, exactly like those around Tom Price - they probably contain iron ore, too, & must conceal it carefully if they are to escape the attention of the mining companies!  It's true that mining is conducted more sustainably these days but it is still sad to see a flower that should be shining brightly, being dulled by a covering of thick, choking dust!

We arrived at Bea Bea where there was ample space & yes, you guessed ... plenty more red dust!  However, it was very pleasant sitting outside enjoying our drinks under a canopy of brightly shining stars.