Not all those who wander are lost

Pilbara

Australia | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | 5 photos

The Pilbara region in Western Australia boasts 400 000 square kilometers of ancient and beautiful landscape and includes the awe inspiring gorges of Karijini national park as well as over 700 historical Aboriginal archeological sites. Situated within this area of natural and spiritual wonder is the vital iron- ore mining industry of Australia, where employees of mining and drilling companies live and work in complete isolation –there are no towns for hundreds of kilometers around the mining exploration sites and supplies must be trucked in. The contract drilling company uses a caravan for living quarters, which sleeps 4-5 men. They live very basically with an effective set-up to segregate waste and bund their grey water. Alternatively employees stay in tents, which have a ‘swag’ inside and are blown in the wind and are very hot – even in September/October. Everything in the camp has red dust on it. Employees of the mines use a sophisticated drill to collect samples of the vividly red soil. The drill sprays out the dirt into the wheel barrow and control samples are collected in the white tubs and white bags. The sample is then sieved in water and the larger pieces analysed by a mining geologist. Due to the potential for naturally occurring asbestos in the Pilbara, geologists test the samples at the drill rig with full protection. They carry an asbestos contamination kit on the truck in case they detect significant levels.
I am very much a beginner when it comes to the art of photography. However, I long to see the marvels of mother Earth and capture her most spectacular moments in such a way that many populations and generations can appreciate her majesty and mystery. I hope I have conveyed that not only does the Pilbara display a unique beauty intertwined with an ancient heritage of Australia, the land beneath the surface is rich in resources that form the basis of daily life for many hardworking Australians. I know that seeing and preserving the multifaceted nature of Bhutan’s cultural history, natural wonders and struggle to remain true in a rapidly changing world will help me to develop the technical and artistic abilities needed to achieve my goals.