Rogue

Since around 2004 I've been living and working in Port Pirie, SA doing Systems Analysis, Development and Integration work for the lead smelter there.

Well today that ends. Kind of.

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WOOHOO!

Today is my last day in Port Pirie. I've finished/transitioned all my projects, stopped taking new taskings, dropped in an out-of-office message, and cleaned out my desk. Yesterday all my worldly goods were packed up by the movers and sent off, and tomorrow morning at 0300 I will be on a bus headed... away. I'm going to bus it all the way back to northern Victoria to see my parents very quickly, then it's down to Melbourne by bus again where I catch a flight to Hobart - my new location.

Yes that's right, for the my next stint I will be a Tasmanian technically. Please get all the usual jokes out of your systems now. I'm just really happy to finally be getting back to a capital city. I've always missed Melbourne terribly, and although it's Hobart not Melbourne or Sydney I'm going to it's certainly better than many of the alternatives.

Besides, I figure the cost of living will be leaps and bounds lower than MEL or SYD. Who knows, maybe I'll even buy myself a house and car finally? Enough of this rental garbage.

I'll actually still be working for the same company and doing essentially the same job but for much better pay. But unlike in Port Pirie (lead and other materials smelter), Hobart is a zinc facility. You don't get huge plumes of toxic gas and dust venting out over the town. You don't get acidic rain. You don't get dead plants and animals. Blimey, it's actually good for you.

To see the differences between the two sites as well it's striking. Hobart site has fantastic manicured lawns and gardens, has it's own golf course, an on-site cafe, no bulky coveralls and PPE to be seen unless you're actually working with the molten metal, and modern buildings and furnishings, and is positioned on a magnificent river. Also the IT infrastructure doesn't date back to the late 80s - no coaxial to be seen (*dances*). But they're in need of someone to come in and unify and integrate their systems. Too many damn excel sheets and access DBs. Ripe grounds for my skills.

They're putting me up in an apartment for the first four weeks I'm there while I look for a place of my own. So all my gear is going to be in storage (inc. PC *gasp*). I'll be spending the first week roaming about scoping out the city and searching for the best place to live. It should all be very exciting but it isn't yet - I think it might actually hit me once I get of town.

So now for MonsterLAN I can just hop on a plane and fly straight to either Melbourne or Avalon - no more marathon bus rides in between. All good.