Having looked on a map of Australia, and seen a tiny dot way out in the middle of the Kimberley, you may be wondering what everyday life is like out here?
Being 240km from the nearest town (Derby), we don't necessarily get into town all that often. During the tourist season, once a fortnight we e-mail an order to Rusty's Supermarker in Derby. The Supermarket packs up all of our foodstuffs for collection either by road; a 12 hour round trip (including time in town). We have a comprehensive "dry store", and several large freezers, as well as two large walk-in cold rooms. Items are re-ordered as stock runs low (kind of like running a mini-supermarket). In the tourist season Mt Hart becomes a hive of activity, and our lives revolve around providing guests with an enjoyable and immersive 'Kimberley' experience.
In the wet season, once our road is closed our supplies usually arrive on the mail plane. We pay for freight by the kilo, so that a $2 packet of sugar in town, costs $5.20 including freight by the time it lands here. More specialized food items are brought up from Perth, or interstate. In the "Wet" season, every morning the rain guage is checked by 6am and the rainfall datafed into the ROT (remote observation terminal) for inclusion in state wide rainfall data. Most work done is done in the morning, when rain is less likely or before it gets too hot and reaches temperatures up to 40 degrees. Wet season jobs include three weeks worth of peeling and freezing mangoes, building, renovating, mechanical work, and gardening.
For many years people in country Australia have shopped from catalogues, and nowdays is no different, except for the advent of internet shopping. Mail arrives once a week, so the time from ordering to receipt of goods can take weeks, adding to the frustration if the items have to be returned. When the mail arrives we swap incoming for outgoing with the pilot on the mail plane, which services nine different stations and Aboriginal communities within the Kimberley. The mail service is contracted out by Australia Post and provided by Golden Eagle Airlines in Derby. Mail day means not only the anticipation of long awaited cheques ("the cheque's in the mail takes on new meaning!"), and bills, but also magazines and urgent small machinery parts. We also get staff and friends out on the mail plane; once our airstrip is closed for the "wet", this is the only means of transport in or out.
The single most important element of keeping things running smoothly out here is the regular maintenance of the generators (25kva, 50kva & 75kva). Fortunately, Taffy's a skilled and resourceful generator mechanic. One has to have good tool box, and to be able to improvise and utilize whatever comes to hand. A grant secured from the Federal Government in 2007, will hopefully soon fund the building of a solar power system at Mt Hart, which will dramatically reduce the use of the diesel generators.
What does one miss living out here? Mostly just family and friends; but with two way satellite internet, and a reliable phone system, it's not difficult to keep in touch, and you're really only as isolated as you allow yourself to be. We enjoy contact with a wonderful array of guests from around the world during the tourist season, and then have time in the Wet Season to pursue personal interests, so really enjoy the best of both worlds.
It takes a certain personality type to enjoy life in remote areas, but we absolutely love it! We certainly hope that you will too.
