Here We Are

So, four weeks into the new job. We're settled in our house, the kids have had a month in school, and we're not far off having our first Christmas here in Echuca.

You know what? I think I might have done it. For years and years now, I have been searching for that elusive job, you know, the one that you can stay in for life. In the mining industry, unless you're with one of the big boys and in coal or iron ore, "job for life" is almost a fantasy. Most mines do last for 10-20 years, but they often go through a few different phases in that time, and most of the workforce would be turned over several times during its life.

Certainly for me, I have had a good dozen jobs over 25 years, a few longer-term and a number quite short-term. Lately I have been bitten by a couple of start-ups, megalomaniac bosses, crappy countries and old-fashioned bad luck. Indeed, once I knew Kupang was going into a nose-dive I started looking for work, and that was just about a year before I found this job. Sure I could have had FIFO or Africa in a very short space of time, but I stuck to my guns - Residential please, and a stable, decent employer, with a good culture behind them.

I thought I might be heading in the right direction with Omya in NZ. That would have ticked many boxes, with the added bonus of a rural NZ lifestyle. But as the recruitment process wore on, it became quite apparent that they, like many international companies, suffer from the yoke of bureaucracy. The time it took them to do anything was immense, and a pain in the arse. Yes, Mawsons did take a little while to respond to my application too, but once they did, it all happened very quickly. I was here for an interview, medicalled, and offered with a couple of weeks. Thank-you very much!

And so here we are. Yes it is going to take a while to adjust - there is a whole lot of history here for me to absorb, and I need to be flexible too. But it is interesting and fun, and I am loving it so far. I think wifey and the kids like it here too, and I think we can make a home out of this place.

It took a while, but eventually I found the right fit for me. Thanks for your patience everyone involved.