Desert Air - 21. DA Ch 21 - New Orders

“So I guess that you will be off doing training on and off in the reserves, where will you be based?” Marcus asked, “Not sure at the moment, but I guess somewhere in Perth, while I finish my final year of university, and from there I guess at the nearest Army depot to the Airbase, which is Port Hedland,” I replied.

I am looking around to see what other job options there are for a unemployed Veterinarian, so I am hoping to get a job offer soon,” Marcus said to me, “Well keep your chin up mate, you will find a job soon, and maybe we can catch up sometime during the year, although not on holidays, as I will be up at the Airbase during those times,” I replied.

“I look forward to that mate, thanks for the chat, I really needed to speak to a friend and you have helped cheer me up heaps,” Marcus said, “Keep in touch mate, and if my phone is off, it will most likely be because I am on Army training, or I am on the Airbase, or travelling, I will text you the new number for the Airbase, but keep it secret, as it is a unlisted number,” I said.

“Sure mate not a problem, thanks again mate, bye for now,” Marcus said before he ended the call, and I quickly texted the number of the Airbase to Marcus, before I received a notification of a new email, and it was from Headquarters in Canberra.

“To; Private J.F Kendrik, Subject; New Orders. Dear Jexon, thankyou for hosting us at the Airbase the other day, it was an enjoyable event, and I hope to return to the airbase in the near future. Please find attached your new Reservist orders, effective from next week. Regards Brigadier, COA”.

I clicked on the attachment, to see what my new orders are, “Private J.F Kendrik, Reservist Attachment to; 13 CSSB Logistics Company, 13th Combat Service Support Unit, Irwin Barracks, Karrakatta, WA, for the period of remainder of time at Murdoch University, then attached to Port Hedland Depot, Taylor Barracks, Pilbara Regiment.”

I was pleased that I would be attached to the Pilbara Regiment, when I have finished university, so that I would be close to my new home at the airbase, and with me arriving in the middle of the day, I decided that after getting settled into my new room for the university year, I would travel to Irwin Barracks to report in and get familiar with the base.

Changing into my Army work uniform, with a jacket on to hide that I was actually a real army soldier, I caught a train into the city and a train to the nearest station to the Army Barracks, and after showing my ID at the gate, I headed for the main administration building to report in.

After a short meeting with the commanding officer, a corporal was assigned to show me around, and after nearly an hour on the base I exited and headed back to my university accommodation.

The first five weeks back at University were full on, getting familiar with University life again, and getting heaps of assignments to be done over the next month, but I managed to get through it with very little problems, and I telephone home every few days to check to see how things are going.

I was pre-warned that an announcement would soon be made for the opening of the airbase to the public on the Saturday of the Labour Day long weekend, now that they had the uniforms and all road signage was ready to be put up, with the signs closest to the airbase going up first, and were covered until the base is open.

With my last lecture being on Thursday morning, I decided that I would fly up to be there for the opening, so I booked a flight to Port Hedland for the Thursday afternoon. Just before I boarded my flight, I called the Airbase, and received the message service.

“Hi, it is Jexon here, I am on this afternoon’s flight from Perth to Port Hedland, so I can be there for the opening.

Not sure yet how I am going to get down to the Airbase, the flight lands in Hedland at 1535 today, bye,” I said ending the call, and I hoped that I can find a way to get down to the Airbase this afternoon. When the plane did land, I collected my luggage, and made my way to the main area of the terminal, where I saw Hedley and Joyce waving to me.

“Hello, are you my official welcome committee and transport?” I asked them, and both of the Parkinson’s laughed, “Yes, we are, how was the flight?’ Joyce replied, “A little bumpy for some of it, but ok I guess,” I replied as we headed outside, where it is quite warm.

“Wow, that gets me every time, the temperature difference between Perth and here, really knocks you off your feet at first,” I commented as we walked to the car park. Just two hours later, we arrived at the south-east gate of the airbase, and I went to unlock the gate to let the vehicle through, before locking it again, and five minutes later, we were at the main home complex.

“Hello Mum, how are you?” I said as Mum wrapped me in a tight hug, “Better now that you are home, come and see what we have provided for you out the back,” Mum replied, and with my luggage in hand, I followed my through the decking passages to the back verandah where I saw a large central courtyard, with large eucalypt & palm trees, plus ferns and some hibiscus shrubs between the covered parking bays to the left, and two large cabins to the right.

“Yours is the end Cabin, the Parkinson’s have the first one, and your former room is now the guest cabin, for when we have friends staying over,” Mum announced to me as we turned right and walked along the boardwalk, with more trees and shrubs separating the two cabins for added privacy.

“Nice garden Mum, did you design it,” I asked, “Me and Joyce together, and we get a wonderful selection of birds coming to visit us each day, mostly at dusk, that’s why we have a few bird feeders and water points for them,” Mum replied.

Once I had settled into my very spacious new accommodation, I headed to the main part of the house, “When are the others coming home?” I asked as I sat on a kitchen stool, while Mum and Joyce continued their cooking.

“Tomorrow afternoon, arriving in Port Hedland at the same time as you did today, I was going to suggest that you and Dad fly there in your biplane, and Dad can fly them home in the plane he has chartered for the weekend, so he can fly you all back to Port Hedland Monday after lunch for your return flight to Perth,” Mum replied.

“Expensive way to do it, why not just drive there and back, would be much cheaper?” I commented, “No, dad wanted to have the family together before dinner time, and you know how he hates driving at dusk, when there are so many stray camels and goats around the place,” Mum responded.

I nodded my head in understanding, having seen lots of both animal in and around the station when growing up. “I am going to go for a bit of a drive around the airbase in the Hawkei, I won’t be long,” I announced, as he headed out the back door and along the left side walkway and down the stairs the vehicle shelters, and this was when I noticed that here are now two extra parking bays, with the Hawkei in the end one, and a fairly new Holden Jackaroo in the bay next to it.

I recognised the next vehicle as belonging to the Parkinson’s and there was a fairly new Toyota Landcruiser next to that, and the family Toyota Prado at the end. “You may want to take these keys to your new vehicle with you,” Mum called out from the verandah, and she threw the keys down to me.

“A new car? The Jackaroo is mine?” I asked unaware that I was given a new vehicle, “Yes, Dad and I decided that you needed your own personal vehicle when you are at home,” Mum replied smiling before she headed back inside.

Ignoring the Hawkei, I unlocked the Jackaroo and climbed it, and took a good look around on the inside, before inserting the key and starting it up. The V6 Diesel engine roared to life, and I smiled, as I put it into gear and drove out of the complex and headed for the aircraft pits to check my biplane.

After doing a thorough check of my plane, including starting it up and letting it run for a few minutes, I drove down the taxiway to check the buildings, to see if there had been any changes, and the first thing I spotted was that the old jeep was now place beside the operations shed, as if it had been parked there.

Walking around to the back of the shed, I saw that a small addition had been made to the back of the operations shed, over the top of where the trap door is located, with a clear sign stating that it contained flammable liquids, but there was no doorway, just a small window, that had corrugated iron instead of glass, and it was locked.

Walking around to the front of the shed, I entered the operations shed, and in the centre of the back wall is one singe door, with an old fashioned door lock on it. Not having a key to open it, I returned to my vehicle and drove towards the creek where the visitor car park is located, where the ground has been graded smooth, and there a number of 44 gallon drums for rubbish located around the sides.

Checking the keys in my hands, I noticed that I had extra keys, of which one was old fashioned, so I did have access to that shed after all, plus keys to the airbase gates, so I unlocked the barrier gate and drove over the creek, and I headed for the front gate to check that it was locked, which it was.

I took a peek inside the hut, which was surprisingly cool, and remembered that it is solar powered, so it must be operational all of the time. Heading back to the airfield, locking the barrier gate on the way through, I made my way to the south-east gate, and checked that it too was locked before heading for home.

“Have a good drive around dear?” Mum asked as I entered the living area of the main house, and sat down on the stool, where Mum handed me a class of cold water with ice. “Dad and Hedley are doing a stock and water check on Corunna Downs, before things get a little crazy around here.

We have decided to go in partnership with the Parkinson’s, with Hillside now sold, we have plenty of cash to make some good changes to the station, like improving the stock grasses, and upgrading some of the water points,” Mum announced to me.

“So who will be manning the gate hut over the weekend?” I asked, “We will be having a meeting about that during dinner,” Mum responded, and I decided to go to my cabin for a short rest before dinner, and also put away some new clothes that I had bought when in Perth.

This is when I discovered the new Airbase uniforms, three shirts and three trousers, plus some new boots, that I would need to wear in before Saturday.

As we sat down for dinner that night, we decided to be ready by 7 am on Saturday, and with us being open to visitors for 8 hours from 8 am, it was decided that I would do regular patrols and stop and talk to the visitors at some of the key locations, while Mum, Dad, Hedley and Joyce would take it in turns doing two hour shifts to man the front gate hut, where we will be charging $5 per vehicle.

I had a look at the newly printed information brochures for the first time, which give all the right information, about each building, as well as the aircraft pits, and the Liberator plane, and a bit of history of the base itself. I was also glad that in large print is a warning to remain on the designated paths, tracks and roads, and not to wonder off them, due to the danger of scorpions and snakes.