Dirty Old Town

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As I said, Ravensthorpe is a mining town (nickel, cadmium and copper).  This means that it is competitively bustling considering its small size and general lack of amenities.  Everyone here wears the Ozzie national costume: shorts, light tan work boots and a hi-vis shirt.   Beards appear to be mandatory and even the women seem to have received the memo.

Last night was Friday and we went to the local pub for dinner.  It was rammed with miners spending their wages......wall to wall hi-vis.  Today it is saturday and we presume the mine is closed as there isn't a sole around.  Our  decision to do a double day has been vindicated by the massive westerly that is blowing - it really wouldn't have been fun (though yesterday's 115 was hardly a laugh a minute either!).

By midday we had exhausted the possibilities for chores, having washed clothes, fiddled with bikes and shopped.  While fiddling with bikes a small but precious tool went missing and we have our suspicions that an inquisitive magpie has nicked it.  We borrowed some explosives from the miners and blew up every tree within 50 yards as a reprisal.

Later we will be cooking a large family lasagne  and garlic bread and are not expecting any leftovers!

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