A sense of wonder and a sense of survival

Geologist job profile. ‘Must have a sense of wonder of the natural world, an infallible belief in the science and, in some cases, be able to dodge the bullets.’ Retired geo Andrew Drummond wrote a tribute to members of his profession and generation titled, ‘Rocks in our Heads’, which describes the tribulations of exploring for mineral deposits in exotic lands. Geologist and author Andrew Drummond. The sequel, 'More Rocks In Our Heads' is due out next week. There are contributions by some 33 Australians. They are tales of ‘go to uni, get a degree, get a job, go overseas, get on site and ‘that’s a snake, what do I do now?’' Western Australia- based Mr Drummond said the stories had come out of doing a professional job in unusual and even hostile circumstances. “There's a whole heap of stories about working in what was the old USSR, after its break down, so now into Russia, and quite a few of the ‘-stan’ countries,” Mr Drummond said. “Dodgy jurisdictions in Africa. But there's also just some straight stories of guys trying to do an honest job for their employer under very difficult conditions. Different customs, laws, religions. “How you handle when people want to be bribed, and all sorts of things. How do you dodge diseases and wild animals. It's pretty much all covered in the book.” The 35 stories making up the second book could be harrowing, Mr Drummond said. Complimentary story: WHERE THE FAKAWEE? By John Nethery “I don't know the exact count, but geologists and explorers die in about a dozen different ways,” he said. “Falling out of helicopters, helicopter crashes, plane crashes, vehicle accidents, killed by African killer bees in Mexico, lung disease working in old mines in Mexico, nearly being eaten by tigers and crocodiles, guys having to hide in a ditch in Peru while bullets were flying over their heads, while there was an armed hold-up going on up in the mountains. “They're all in the second book. Really, it's about guys that take on the commitment. They're going to go to exotic countries, hope that they'll come back alive, obviously. Some things don't go according to plan and sometimes they do.” ‘Rocks in Our Heads’ is published by ConnorCourt Publishing. More information can be found on the book’s website www.morerocksinourheads.com.au Queensland contributors include Jason Beckton, John Nethery, Neil Stuart, Ian Tedder and Anthony Williamson. John Hammond and Michael Fellows.

A sense of wonder and a sense of survival

Industry Queensland

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