Beyond the Desk: A Marketer’s Dive into FIFO Life

Last week I traded my usual marketing-world desk, emails, content planning and lattes for hi-vis, hard hats, safety glasses and the warm, dusty, sweaty reality of FIFO life. I visited three of our sites and gained firsthand insight into what our employees experience every day. It was eye-opening, educational and, honestly, unforgettable.

Day One: Early Flights & First Impressions

The adventure kicked off well before sunrise with a very small plane headed for Emerald. After landing, I was greeted by our Field Contract Coordinator and Paramedic, Nicole. Before anything else, we made the most important stop of the morning: coffee. Essential for both safety and wellbeing, mostly mine.

When we arrived, Harvey took me on a full tour, answered every curious marketing-girly question I had, and gave me a proper understanding of what working onsite looks like. I also met Russ briefly during handover as Harvey was finishing up his swing. I was even lucky enough to witness a blast an incredible way to appreciate the scale of mining operations.

Camp Life: A New Experience

Once we completed our duties, we returned to the seemingly endless road and occasionally pulled over to allow huge loads to pass. Eventually we arrived at the site where I’d be staying overnight, giving me the chance to experience camp life firsthand.

Another warm welcome, another tour from our onsite paramedic Grant, and a few marketing tasks ticked off. Then I got to watch the day-shift haul trucks roll in just in time for the night shift to begin… and honestly, photos do not do those things justice.

The camp itself was like a maze — rooms upon rooms, long walkways that all looked the same. The mess was lovely, with plenty of food options (always a win in my books). My room was clean, tidy and the perfect place to rest after a long day of standing, walking, asking a million questions and waving my hands around trying to scare flies away. A quick dinner, shower and straight to bed wrapped up my first FIFO-style day.

Day Two: A Haul Truck, A Pit, and A Whole Lot of Perspective

We started early again, and I was treated to one of the best experiences of the trip: riding in a haul truck assigned to shovel and dump. The operator was fantastic knowledgeable, patient and genuinely passionate about their work. And much to my surprise, the ride was incredibly smooth.

The thing that struck me most was the environment itself. As unusual as it sounds, when you’re down in the pit, it feels like you’re on a completely different planet. The scale is almost impossible to comprehend. The machines, the walls of earth, the space everything is supersized. Standing there, you realise just how tiny you are compared to the world around you.

And yes, the best part my boots even came home dirty. A very proud moment for a marketing girly.

After finishing up onsite, we headed back to Emerald to pick up our other Field Contract Coordinator and Supervisor of the Year Paul. Then it was off to our final site.

Big Site, Big Machines, Big Learnings

Our last site of the trip was enormous, stretching from south to north with what felt like a full postcode in between. I met employees across several divisions including Emma one of our Nurses and Daniel one of our paramedics, observed training sessions, and received a comprehensive tour of the operation.

One of the standout experiences was visiting a dragline and having the opportunity to go onboard something very few people get the chance to do, and something I won’t forget.

With our final duties complete, we began the journey back to the airport, making a quick stop at the Minions (a non-negotiable landmark for those in the know). Two days, long hours, countless kilometres and a wealth of new knowledge later, the trip wrapped up with tired feet and a full camera roll.

Final Reflections

I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to spend time onsite and witness firsthand the conditions our teams work in every day. The heat, the dust, the distance, the scale it gave me a whole new appreciation for the incredible people who keep our operations running.

What started as “marketing girly visits the mines” turned into an invaluable learning experience that broadened my understanding of our business and the people behind it, and after surviving and genuinely enjoying my introduction to FIFO life, boots dirty and all, I’d happily do it again.