After the 3 nights maximum stay at Dampier I moved with 4 others Jodi, Ian, Leo and Annie to Cleaverville bush camp 25 km north of Karratha along a dirt road and right on the sea. My tent overlooked my own 'peninsula' complete with the brilliant red Sturt Desert Peas and spectacular sunsets and at $7 night I could afford to take a break. I spent 2 weeks camped there looking for work in the area which included registering with agencies, driving around the area and dropping off my resume to places like Rio Tinto (the mining giant), Woodside (gas fields), fertilizer plants, power companies, earth moving companies, all manner of industrial employers and sending bulk emails. White mining 4WDs with luminous numbers on their sides and flags atop were everywhere, and road trains with 4 trailers, and oversized loads were common sights along the road. I felt a bit out of place without high vis clothing and steel cap boots.
Anywhere from $1000-$1600 per week was the going rate for a 3 -4 bedroom house or $180 sharing a house with 12 others and 1 bathroom and $50 per night at the backpackers. Mining brings many workers and housing accommodation cannot keep pace hence the inflated prices.
During my stay I met Dieter a local German man who was also camping and I helped him with some website work and we ate together regularly in his more luxurious camp.
I also visited Cossack a pearling and turtle soup settlement from the past, the nearby towns of Roeburn, Point Sampson, Wickham and Cape Lambert where Rio Tinto were building 4 more rail lines and I spent time swimming at the new leisure centre in town and getting my daily shower at the same time.
