Desert Air - 26. DA Ch 26 - Limestone Station

I was also busy at the Perth Zoo, since I am studying Zoology as well, and it would be just seven weeks before I am home again for the 4 day Easter long weekend, in Mid April, which are also the school holidays for my siblings. A few days after settling back into my studies, I sent an email to Marcus.

“G’day mate, hope all is well with you. As you have probably seen in the media, we are now open to the public and for the first two days we had over 600 vehicles pass through our gates.

This is still in the thoughts and planning stages at the moment, but if you are interested, I would like you to join me to establish our own veterinary practice at Marble Bar, with visits to surrounding towns of Tom Price, Newman and Paraburdoo. Let me know your thoughts on the idea. I must get back to my studies, Cheers for now, Jexon.”

I received a very short response from Marcus within an hour of me sending the email, “You bet I am interested, M,” and I laughed at how short the reply was.

Seven weeks seemed to pass by very quickly, as I was kept super busy with my theory studies as well as the practical work, and before I knew it, I was on a flight back to Port Hedland, on the same flight as my siblings, but a few rows forward of their seats, and I had no one sitting next to me.

An hour into the flight, Rhodes came forward and sat beside me. “I want to run something by you, before I mention it to Mum and Dad,” Rhodes began to say, which caught my full attention. “Ok, go on?” I responded.

“I am thinking about finishing school after this year, as I think I will be of more use on the station instead of continuing with my final year,” Rhodes announced. “I see, have you been thinking about this for long?” I asked calmly.

“All term, my thoughts are that I will have enough education after finishing year 11 to get by in life on the station, as that is all I want to do,” Rhodes said to me. “Ok, well, there is a bit of news that you may want to wait to hear before you spring that on the parents, so wait until you have heard it and think about it some more once you have, and no I am not going to tell you what the news is, you will have to wait and see,” I said to my younger brother.

Rhodes opened his mouth to protest then snapped it shut again and nodded his head in understanding. “So, how is life going for you at university?’ Rhodes asked me after a period of silence, “I will be glad when I have graduated, as it is pretty hard work doing a double degree. Just seven months to go,” I replied.

“Yeah, I know how you feel, It gets me down some days, I would prefer to be back home on the station,” Rhodes said to me. When we landed at Port Hedland airport, we saw the Twin Otter waiting on the side parking apron, with Dad standing beside it.

Once we had collected the entire luggage, we walked directly to the family plane, and I helped dad to load it all into the luggage compartment, while the siblings climbed in. “Hey Dad, how are things going at the stations?” I said, and Dad smiled.

“Good, all is going to plan, by the way, we have submitted and application with the shire to build a private hanger and a few other buildings on the west side of the parking apron boundary, and it was approved yesterday, so we can build a hanger for this bird, and have a maintenance shed behind it, and also I thought you may want to have your veterinary practice based there too, hence the additional building application,” Dad announced.

“Sound’s good. Did you and Hedley discuss the matter about having additional staff at the airbase, to help you all out, when we are not home?” I asked. “We have, and we have already installed a staff village just south of the Corunna Downs cattle yards, 600 metres north of the homestead.

We have done a smaller version of our home complex, with six 2-bedroom cabins, that have a bathroom, and small lounge area with a kitchenette.

With three on each side of a wide covered patio, with a splash pool at one end, and a kitchen and laundry hut at the other end, this way it can be used for station staff as well as Airbase staff,” Dad announced. “Sounds good, I look forwards to checking it out,” I replied, as I shut the luggage compartment door and locked it, before we entered the plane.

As I closed the main door, Dad went forward to start up the aircraft, and I was surprised to see that he had taken the right hand seat. “You can take the chief pilot seat for this flight,” he said to me smiling, and ten minutes later, we were in the air and heading for home.

As we approached Marble Bar, I requested a low pass over the airport, and as we did, I managed to get a good look at the airport and the Limestone Station homestead. Next I flew around the base once before preparing to land at the Corunna Downs airfield, taking note of the new staff village just to the north of it, which looked good.

There was two vehicles parked beside the main runway, mine and Dad’s, so while Dad took the younger siblings home, Rhodes travelled with me, and we went to check out the staff accommodations, before heading home, just as it was getting dark.

“Right you lot, any dirty clothes into the laundry now so I can get the washing over and done with, then Joyce and I will have dinner ready in an hour,” Mum announced to us all, and we all headed to our rooms and emptied our luggage, I had left all my laundry at my Uni accommodation, as I would only be home for four and a bit days, while my siblings have two weeks of school holidays.

“When we all returned to the main part of the house and the living room, Dad asked us all to take a seat, and once we had, all eyes were on Dad, but it was Hedley who spoke first.

“We want to let the family know that you’re Mum, Dad, Joyce and I have expanded our partnership to include Limestone Station,” Hedley announced, and Rhodes looked at me, and I smiled and nodded my head, and I heard him say “Wow” softly.

“If you do not know, Limestone Station surrounds the town of Marble Bar and the airport, with the homestead located just south of the airport. When Jexon had completed his studies and graduated, that will be his base, and he will manage the station as well as his veterinary business from there, along with his good friend Marcus, I believe,” Dad said, continuing on with the news.

“Is that true?” Wynn asked sounding surprised, “Yes, that is correct, and we will be building an aircraft hanger at the town airport, for my work plane, plus some commercial space for the practice,” I responded.

“Now, if you noticed just before we landed, there is a new complex located just north of the Corunna Downs homestead, which is staff accommodations for station and airbase staff. It is too much for just the four of us to run the airbase museum, so we will be hiring a few extra staff, which will be living at the staff village.

We will also be closed on Friday’s and Tuesdays, each week, so that we can rest, plus do any tidying up that may be needed, so with tomorrow being Friday, we can all sleep in, but it will be all hands on deck on Saturday morning.

For the past seven weeks since we have been open, apart from the long weekend, where we had just over 1000 cars come through, we have been averaging, 70 to 200 vehicles each day since, and we have been on the new opening days for the past four weeks. That is all we have to say for now, so lets eat,” Dad announced, and we headed for the dining table to have dinner.

Straight after dinner, I headed to my cabin as I wanted to send and email to Marcus. “Hi mate, great news, the plans are coming together well, and as soon as I have graduated and registered, I will be ready to set up our new practice. Hope all is going well for you mate. Regards, Jexon.”

I sent the email right away, and moments later Rhodes entered my cabin. “Can we talk please,” he asked me before sitting down on the lounge, and I did the same. “So do you feel the same way now that you know the news?” I asked. “Yes even more so, I was thinking maybe I can help you with running Limestone Station, and help out at Corunna Downs when needed,” Rhodes said to me.

“I think that would be a great idea, I think Mark and Anita have plenty staff at Corunna Downs to keep things running smoothly, from the latest reports I have received from Dad, lets have a chat with Dad and Hedley in the morning,” I replied, mentioning the Station managers, that Dad and Hedley had appointed.

Rhodes left my cabin looking a lot happier, and I was checking my emails when one caught my interest, from Newman Veterinary Practice. “Dear Mr Kendrik, we would like to offer you a position at our practice in Newman on completion of your studies later this year.

We know that you have grown up in the region, and you are used to the harsh temperatures and conditions in the Pilbara and we consider you to be an ideal addition to our practice. I am looking forward to a speedy response. Regards, Dr Jessica Harris. Veterinary Practice owner.”

Heading over to the main part of the house, I found Dad in the administration office, chatting with Hedley about something. “Ah there you are, I was going to come searching for you in a moment,” Dad said as I walked in and closed the door behind me.

“Before you start, I just want to let you know that Rhodes has something that he wishes to discuss with you, and I think you should seriously consider it, I won’t say any more, I will let Rhodes tell you the rest,” I said to Dad. “Ok, sounds mysterious, but I will do that. Now how about we head off to Limestone tomorrow, so you can have a better look at where you will be based,” Dad suggested.

“I have to go to Newman tomorrow, as I have received a job offer for when I have graduated, so I want to check out what they are offering, could we make the trip to Limestone in the afternoon?” I replied, “Yes, that will be fine, straight after lunch then,” Dad said, and Hedley mentioned how things were going with the new station managers, who along with two station hands, have everything running smoothly.

Rhodes knocked on the admin door at that moment, and I stood up to let him in, before sitting down again, and Rhodes sat down next to me, looking quite nervous. “Dad… I would like to finish school at the end of this year and start full time on the station,” Rhodes said in a rush, and there was quite a distance of silence before Dad responded, and he looked at me and I just nodded my head.

“Have you thought this through, you don’t want to continue and go to university?’ Dad asked, “No Dad, all I want to do is work at home on the station, and now that we have two stations, I would very much like to be based at Limestone with Jexon,” Rhodes replied.

“Well, this is a little unexpected, but then again, it would be at a perfect time, with Jexon coming home at the end of the year, and together you can run the station, with maybe one station hand, so ok, I give my approval, but you will have to speak to Mum too, as she has to approve as well,” Dad said to Rhodes, “I have already spoken to him, and as long as it is alright with Dad, then I approve too,” Mum said from the door way.