Anyone with advice on working in the Australian mining industry and commuting home every couple of months to see family?

It can be very lonely between breaks, and it ain't no picnic out on site. The airfares can add up too, especially if you are flying back & forth from WA.

I agree totally with the comment above. My partner too commuted from WA back to Taupo since sep2007, in total we have only spent a total ov 4months & 1week as a family. Camp life didnt sound very pleasant out in the desert when he got his 1st job after 5 weeks, 28 days straight then 9 days off, mega bucks though, was cracking 3K a week! honest. So after 17months, the loneliness has just become too much! He will be back in 2weeks to HELP sort our stuff and bring life back into his V8 for removal. I have waved goodbye to alot of friends and family who have decided to move to Oz, they all have no regrets, but I did observe 2 wives have to sell their possesions and vacate their homes and prepare departure WHILST still maintaining to the daily needs of their 3 children! Thank goodness I only have 1. So my partner has been boarding with friends during weekends since June 08 & boarding with work mates in home rented by the mining company he works for during the week(odd weekend here & there). So we have had plenty time to get our selves sorted and he has made some tremendeous sacrifices for Us, & done some terrific homework. So YES the loneliness is extremly hard but if you both make sacrifices for each other, it all works out.You could try it for a year so you can send money home to get the ball rolling and the process less stressful if you dont already have thousands coming outta your back pocket. Good luck too all and god bless.