Driving a haul-truck: 680hp, 90 tonnes and L pLates

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»4WDs on the BirDsville track

»X-fighters. volcom Pro. Jackson strong.

WIN A HAUL-TRUCK DRIVER’S COURSE!

»snoWBounD: The besT desTinaTions This winTer AmAndA: “i Do a Bit of moDelling on the siDe”

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Driving a haul-truck: 680hp, 90 tonnes and L pLates

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08 JULY 2012

FRONT-END LOAD

facebook.com/SHAFTmag

Aussie KAngA heAds overseAs

A remote-controlled loader developed in Queensland is saving companies such as BHP millions of dollars in coal mines as far afield as South America.

The Kanga TR825 was developed at the company’s Yatala headquarters, home of parent company Digga Australia. Digga Australia made a big investment over a three-year period, and now Kanga Loaders has forecast 20 units for export in the 2012 calendar year.

Digga CEO Suzie Wright said the technology positions the company as a world leader. “By removing the operator from hazardous environments and reducing the stress on labour, the Kanga remote loader is achieving brilliant feats on the world stage,” she said.

The TR825 is used to clean under conveyor-belt systems in mining applications for stationary and operating systems, hazardous and confined areas or recovering material with poor access, including drains, tanks and pipes. It’s equipped with attachments for sweeping, trenching, augering holes, levelling, bucket work and has a hydraulic hammer.

Last issue we told you about some cracker new movies from the top blokes and girls at Transmission Films. They were all ball-tearer good movies, and we spent hours of productive work time watching them.

Transmission liked our reviews so much they’ve given us a stack of copies to pass on to you! Yes, you. The reader.

We sold quite a few at a school boot sale day, but we still have a few left, so they’re up for grabs. To win a copy, send an email with “I’d like a free movie please” in the subject line, and your name and mailing address in the email. The first 15 received will each win a single copy of either Dragon Eyes, Boy Toy or Shame.

That’s one copy of one of those movies. You don’t get to choose. And if you don’t put the right thing in the right place on the email, you don’t win.

And you have to be one of the first 15 e-mails sent to tomf@morrisonmedia.com.au

Rio Tinto Diamonds has launched its new “Diamonds With A Story” initiative, hoping to highlight the rich palette of stories that make up Rio Tinto Diamonds global diamond business.

Research undertaken by The Shand Group indicated that more than 75 per cent of consumers care about where their diamond is from, how it is mined and the story behind a piece of jewellery that makes it special.

According to Jean-Marc Lieberherr, General Manager for the sales and marketing of diamonds from all Rio Tinto mines, “The four “C”s are still important, however, for today’s consumer we need to go further and explain the other layers that are the human, geological and cultural histories wrapped up in every Rio Tinto diamond.”

Rio Tinto’s diamonds business spans five continents and has a presence in all major diamond markets and is one of the world’s major diamond producers through its 100 per cent control of the Argyle mine in Australia, 60 per cent of the Diavik mine in Canada, 78 per cent interest in the Murowa mine in Zimbabwe and 100 per cent interest in the Bunder project in India. It also operates a niche cutting and polishing factory in Perth for the rare pink diamonds from its Argyle mine.

Rio Tinto is a leading supporter of the Kimberley Process, as well as a founding member of the Responsible Jewellery Council.

rio lAunches “diAmonds With A story” WinA movie

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JULY 2012 09

RST’S women leading The way

Specialising in the supply of dust-control solutions to mines all over the world, as well as fine-particles and haul-road management, Reynolds Soil Technologies (RST) has done well over the past 12 months.

The Queensland-based company has also seen an increase in women moving from traditional office roles to operational roles.

RST director Peter Parkinson said the company was seeing more females qualified in the fields of engineering, technical trade or environmental science, and taking up jobs within the mining industry at various levels.

“We’ve seen an increase of approximately 30 per cent over the past few years of women moving into mining roles,” said Mr Parkinson.

“Although there’s still a stigma around mining being a man’s job, this is beginning to shift as more and more talented women enter the workforce.

RST’s Argentinean-based country manager, Melanie Seal, manages all RST operations in Argentina and Uruguay and said her favourite aspect of her job is the perfect balance of fieldwork and office-based responsibilities.

“The job is not easy, but I love it, I love the challenge,” said Melanie. When it comes to advice for other women looking to get into the mining industry,

Melanie said the stigma that once surrounded mining as a “blokes’ job” was no longer. “Women’s career opportunities have been evolving and mining is one of the last

industries where we are moving into. I think the perception of the mining industry being a ‘blokes’ industry’ is an old precept,” she said.

Argentinean-based country manager Melanie Seal.

Thanks to a little “star power” at the opening of Komatsu Australia’s new regional headquarters in Wacol recently, Komatsu staff raised $3500 for their preferred charity, the Beacon Foundation.

Beacon was thrilled that staff recognised and acknowledged the work Beacon is doing in schools all over Australia, inspiring and motivating students towards positive pathways.

Jacko Strong, Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes attended the grand opening that incorporated a staff and family day and charity auction. Komatsu staff have been passionately engaged in the Beacon program across many schools, and excitingly for one school, Forest Lake SHS, this has resulted in a donation to support the program and its sustainability at the school.

Forest Lake SHS will use the funds to support and supplement transport costs associated with students accessing vocational education and training consistent with Beacon priorities – work experience, school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, industry visits, TAFE programs and so forth.

STaRS lend a hand To RaiSe money foR The Beacon foundaTion

moRe gold aT andy well

Recent drilling at the Andy Well Gold Project, 45km north of Meekatharra, has confirmed the potential for a second high-grade gold deposit within the “Judy Zone”, south of the high-grade Wilber Lode deposit.

Doray Minerals Managing Director Allan Kelly said the company was excited at the prospect of a second, potentially even higher-grade gold deposit at Andy Well.

“We’ve always thought that the Andy Well project had the potential for a substantial new gold camp with multiple deposits,” he drilled. “These new results from Judy, in close proximity to the Wilber Lode deposit, appear to indicate the presence of a second, very high-grade quartz lode.

“ T h e a p pa re n t l y s i m p l e geometry and very high-grade gold mineral isation highl ight the significant potential of this rapidly developing new target.” Mr Kelly added.

Do you reckon he really said all those big words? Awesome.

now ThaT’S a haul TRuck

Everybody loves a mofo-big haul truck, but have you ever wondered just how big they can be?Have a Captain Cook at the The Liebherr T 282B, a rigid-frame, two-axle, diesel-electric, AC powertrain, haul truck designed and manufactured by the Liebherr Mining Equipment Co., Virginia, USA.

Payload is just over 327 tonnes, so with a load on the whole thing weighs just a smidge under 600 tonnes.

Imagine that lot going sideways on a wet decline!

aweSome aPP!The Tour De France kicks off at the end of this month, and keen riders will be busting to not miss a minute of competition.

The Sportal Tour 2012 app for iPhones, iPod Touch and iPad gives big access no matter where you are or what you’re doing. It offers latest news, pics, video, stage-by-stage profiles, maps, results, standings and rider profiles. How much? Free! Can you believe that? Brilliant.

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14 JULY 2012

With the paperwork and site induction done, including a walk-through of the crib, training r oom s , e m e r g e ncy m u s te r p o i n t s a n d explanation of the traffic flow on the site, it was time to grab a coffee and get stuck in.

We can’t lie and say the S11 course is likely to get a tent happening in anyone’s tweeds, but at the same time it covers heaps of practical, day-to-day working knowledge of mines in general. That keeps the classroom time interesting and helps the excitement build for when the trainees actually roll up for their first swing. Subjects include bread’n’butter topics like radio protocols, safety and OH&S procedures, risk control, first aid and communication. It sounds like a dry list, but thanks to some first-class instructors the subject matter was lively, interesting, and, best of all, felt relevant. There was never a time where, say, first aid was treated as a bit ho-hum. There was a high emphasis on every facet of the training being important – to miners and mining companies alike – and that getting through each shift safely, and making sure your mates get through each shift safely, is the most important part of every day.

There can’t be any industry outside the armed forces that loves its acronyms as much as mining.

Acronyms are words made up of the first letters of a series of other words. For example, the word “laser” is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Nobody wants to say “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation” every time they’re talking about a frickin’ laser (imagine saying, “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation set to stun, Spock”. It doesn’t really have the same impact, does it?), so the acronym makes it easy and we all know what we’re talking about.

The mining industry uses acronyms all the frigging time (ATFT), and the S11 course offers a list that keeps a student busy flicking back and forth, trying to ensure he or she understands exactly what he or she is being told. It works well too, except where an MSDS and a SLAM are the same thing, as are a JSA and a JHA, depending which mine you’re at. There’s a stack of these things that might be a little different from one place to the other, and some that are very similar but not the same – like a JSA (or JHA) and a JSEA – but students shouldn’t have COWS, because it’s all AOK and covered in the SOPs.

Believe us, you want to know this shit before you walk on to a mine site. It’s not good to stand there trying to figure out what DRSABCD is all about when your mate’s lying on the deck in the crib room choking on a white-chocolate button from an echidna cake. You want to be straight in there assessing the danger, checking for response and sending for help. If you do it right you’ll get to woof his chunk of cake while ERT takes care of things. There’s no time for messing about.

W.T.F.L.O.L.

SaFeTy FirST

(Words That Form Lots Of Labels)

Just like everything in mining, safety was the first priority on this course.

As SHAFT wandered around taking photos, dodging quarry trucks and generally looking like a complete twat, a very polite instructor in hi-viz gear, helmet and boots approached. He calmly pointed out that an induction was necessary before entering the mine site, and would we mind please moving back to the training area where he would personally do the induction.

A little red-faced, we apologised and waddled back, dragging the camera gear behind.

The dumper course is run in a working quarry, so there’s a fair blaze of fast-moving heavy machinery grumbling about the place, and treating the entire area as a mine site not only keeps everyone safe, but offers a really excellent insight into how the safety practices and protocols of the S11 course feel in the real world. That alone gives this particular course a huge advantage over similar training done in a city classroom.

To take that even further, everyone attending the course must sign in each morning and out each evening, just like any working mine, and all must sign a “fit for work” form when they arrive.

We felt positively sooty after the first 10 minutes.

TAKING A DUMP

aLL cLaSS

The S11 requires some time indoors, but the videos and excellent instructors keep the course

interesting.

The quarry is a designated as a working mine site. It gives all the classroom lessons a very real meaning when the trainees walk outside.

For a truck that’s so freaking big, the passenger stays up close and

personal with the driver.

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JULY 2012 15

Even with the small class size and high-quality instructors (and SHAFT was very impressed with the professionalism and very high proficiency of all the instructors on this five-day run), the S11 course takes about two-and-a-half days. Instructors repeatedly offered to spend lunchtimes and evenings with any students who wanted to cover any part of the course again, or who felt they would benefit with some clarification or revision, but it wasn’t needed. The initial instruction was done well and kept interesting.

With the safety induction and practical assessment covered it was at last time to move on to the second part: Conduct Haul Truck Operations, and hoo-aah! Wasn’t the class ready for that!

Having done the S11 everyone was expecting there would be some kind of induction or introduction and a mountain of paperwork. So there was, although it wasn’t as overwhelming as might’ve been expected. Before long it was time for a walk-through of the haul road and mine site, and then “Prestart”. That’s where everything felt like it was moving from the theoretical to the practical.

With a clear list to follow, newbie drivers began clambering around and under the site-trainer CAT 773B dumpers, and we don’t mind admitting we were very excited once that started.

The CATs may not be huge by mining standards, but compared to anything dragging trailers around RTA asphalt, they’re big. These puppies pack a

27-litre, 680-horsepower (509Kw) turbo diesel that’d pull John Travolta away from a male masseur. They’re a smidge over 90 tonnes loaded, 4.2 metres high and a whopping 4.7 metres wide.

Go step out the width of the road in front of your house and see how much room that’d leave you.

Imagine hanging your L plate on the front of that chunk of hot-breathing steel and heading down a dirt road. Then imagine being the poor-sod instructor who has to sit there on the rumble seat with his sphincter puckered while you jam your foot on the throttle and let the seven-speed auto box hurl you at a wet, slimy corner. That’s what happens.

DIVING AMBITION This driver’s getting confident. Any minute now the instructors will dump a load of rock in the back, and he’ll be the same trembling fraidy-cat he was at the start of the day.

“The CATs mAy noT be huge by mining sTAndArds, buT CompAred To AnyThing drAgging TrAilers Around rTA AsphAlT, They’re big.”

»

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18 JULY 2012

COMPETITION

EyEs on thE prizEYou’ve read the story about the haul-truck driver’s course on the previous six pages, you’ve dreamed of creaming it in the salary stakes and you drool at the thought of handling some really big horsepower.

You’d kill to score a driver’s seat on a big haul truck, right?Well here’s your chance to make your dreams come true.Industry Pathways is giving SHAFT readers the opportunity to

win a place on one of its five-day, intensive Haul Truck courses

at the off-site training centre near Brisbane.You’ll learn how to manoeuver the big machines on long haul

roads, around other machinery and learn to drive at night, in the wet and in emergency situations. As a bonus you’ll also be given the chance to complete your Standard 11 Mining Induction.

These could be the foundations of a new, well-paid career in the fast lane of Australia’s two-speed economy, and we’re GIVING IT AWAY.

WINonE spot on thE nationally

DRIVER’SCOURSE

Can you believe what you’re reading? Are you pinching yourself to see if you’re still asleep at your low-paid, dead-end job?It’s real, folks. It’s happening right here and now.

It’s the most fabulous competition this mag has EVER run.

CliCk in and kiCk onEntry is as easy as logging on to www.shaftmagazine.com.au and clicking on the WIN A HAUL TRUCK COURSE button. Fill in your details and say in 60 words or less why you think you should be the lucky guy or girl who deserves the prize.That’s all there is to it.

We’ll get stuck in and read all the beaut entries, laugh at the funny ones and cry at the sad ones, then we’ll pick a winner and they’ll be notified using the details they’ve supplied (do you see how it all dovetails so nicely?). So get to it!

rECognisEd haul-truCk

Your pathway to a better career

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19JULY 2012

Entries will be accepted from 9.00am AEST July 6, 2012 until midnight, September 6, 2012 only.The prize is for one place on the Industry Pathways RIIMPO311A Conduct Haul Truck Operations course only, valued at $3890. The prize does not include travel expenses, accommodation, food or any other incidentals, and the winner must provide their own Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as proscribed in the course requirements. At the discretion of Industry Pathways management, the winner may be able to complete the Queensland Standard 11 mining induction course at the same time.

Competition Conditions

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28 JULY 2012

MINING ART

Art About mining! How awesome is tHat!Luke Hallam is a Victorian-based artist who does designy stuff... websites, books, brochures,

corpulent branding…all that techo, big-brain toil that pays the rent and impresses arty sheila-types. He’s got a degree and everything. But there’s more to Luke-o than just big-company work. He loves

to use his skill in The Yartz to create awareness about mining. That’s right! Mining!

28

Kick in the ArtsWhite ex Airbrushed ink, and acrylic on canvas, 120cm x 90cm.

“The engineering and design that goes into something this large is amazing, and it’s only once you dial in on the details and realise the scale of the ladders and steps that the actual size of the machine becomes obvious.”

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JULY 2012 29

Naturally, as soon as SHAFT heard about Luke’s work, we bolted to the phone to find out more.

“ I l i ve i n A n g e l s e a i n Victoria,” painted Luke, “and there’s a coalmine here.

“I grew up riding my BMX bike around the mine area, and it seemed the mine was always there. As I grew up I became more aware of what mining was all about, how important the mine was to the community, and how important mining was to the country. So I started investigating it through my art.”

And he’s doing a top-notch job, too, we reckon.Luke says opinions on mining are polarised (which we

think is like a jumper or a bear. It’s probably what the art guys call “symbolism”...although what playing drums have to do with it escapes us as well).

“Some think mining’s the best thing ever, and some think it’s the worst,” realismed Luke. “I don’t judge or offer political views. I’m just exploring how big and powerful it is.”

Not only is it good value to have someone not bagging or propping the resource industries, Luke’s drawings and colouring in are frigging excellent, and

had us all mopey and then happy and then wondering at the cracker scenes he’d drawn.

You can actually have Luke’s art to hold and call your own. He exhibits from time to time, or you can go to his website at www.munchdesign.com. Prices start from around $1600, and that has to be the bargain of the century. We’ve read about pitchas going for gazillions

of dollars, and it doesn’t have any machinery in it or anything. These works have mining machinery and blokes, so they’re going to be heaps more valuable.

Anyhoo, Luke’s art is top-shelf, and it’s all about us and what we do.

What a dead-set champion. Here’s a few of his pitchas and what he told us about them…

Number 4Acrylic on canvas, 160cm x 100cm. “A combination of elements – topographic, landscape and machine – Number 4 is a literal representation of the local mine we often peered into growing up.”

WoNder WheelAcrylic on canvas, 160cm x 100cm. “Like something out of a science-fiction film, the size and power of the giant bucket wheel is striking, and the juxtaposition with the scale of the workmen emphasises its presence.”

red TruCKAcrylic on canvas, 100cm x 160cm. “The romantic imagery of red, Australian, outback dust and oversized engineering inspired this dynamic composition. “The abstract background captures the dramatic and harsh environment.”

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BOOZE

Give it to me straiGhtBourBon. It’s whIskey, JIm, But not as we know It.

30 JULY 2012

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BourBon can destroy a man. The Rolling Stones even did a song claiming they’d never be a beast after a bourbon, but it’s wishful thinking. As far as hangover-causing goon goes, bourbon is right there near the top of tree.

It’s true. Some brain-box scientists did a study and published a paper in 2010 called Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The white-coaters reckon bourbon causes worse hangovers

than vodka ’cos it has more “congeners”. Congeners are the nasty, toxic molecules that come from the products used to make the liquor in the first place, and the corn used for bourbon has heaps more congeners than the potatoes and grains used in girly drinks like vodka.

Bourbon’s one of those tipples that has some mystery about it and some people take it very seriously indeed.

JULY 2012 31

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38 JULY 2012

Dubai is located in the United Arab Emirates. Jumeirah Beach is the hotspot where the harsh landscape of the Arabian Desert meets the aqua-blue waters of the Persian Gulf. It’s on this beach, where modern-age skyscrapers tower like giants in the background, that the opening round of the 2012 Red Bull X-Fighters series kicked off in front of a crowd of 20,000 people.

X-Fighters is renowned for being held in the most exotic locations – the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, in front of the Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt, Cockatoo Island, Sydney, and the Las Ventas bullfighting ring in Madrid, Spain to name a few.

There really is no other event like it, and when a rider is invited to compete they know they’ve reached the pinnacle of the sport.

A total of 12 riders compete at each of the six X-Fighters rounds, six seeded from the previous year’s standings, and another six invited going off round results and current form.

Australia has always been well represented in the lineup due to the high standard of talented riders it produces, and Dubai saw our boys Josh Sheehan, Blake “Bilko” Williams and Rob Adelberg competing against the world’s best, including 2011 champion Dany Torres from Spain, Norway’s Andre Villa, Chile’s

Javier Villegas, Kiwi Levi Sherwood, America’s Todd Potter, Japan’s Eigo Sato and Switzerland’s Mat Rebeaud.

Coming into a new season riders aim to be fit and healthy, but in a sport like this it’s not so easy. When these guys crash they go down hard.

2011 saw one of the series favourites, Andre Villa, snap a femur when a backflip went wrong in Poland. It was a gut-wrenching accident, and one that has happened to many riders in the sport.

Riders don’t like riding injured, but when there’s sponsors to please, and big money on the line, many try and ride through the pain while blocking out

»

» 1. Levi Sherwood (NZL) 2. rob AdeLberg (AUS) 3. JAvier viLLegAS (CHL) 4. JoSh SheehAn (AUS) 5. Andre viLLA (NOR) 6. Todd PoTTer (USA)

X-FIGHTERS

REd Bull X-FIGHTERS duBaI 2012 RESulTS

TOP SIX

JumEIRaH BEacH, duBaI, Round 1

Under lights at the Dubai stadium.Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool

034_XFIGHTERS.indd 38 21/06/12 11:12 AM

JULY 2012 39

This driver’s getting confident. Any minute now the instructors will dump a load of rock in the back, and he’ll be the same trembling fraidy-cat he was at the start of the day.

“The CATs may not be huge by mining standards, but compared to anything dragging trailers around RTA asphalt, they’re big.”

negative thoughts stirred up from previous accidents.Before the riders in Dubai took to the impressive

eight-jump course many including Villa, Torres, Rebeaud and Bilko looked like old men walking with bad limps due to still carrying some form of injury, but sitting in the crowd watching them ride you’d never know what lay beneath the exterior of their gladiator suits.

Riders face off in head-to-head battles and advance through to the next round only needing to win three out of the five categories displayed as helmets on the big screen.

Monster tricks like Deadbody Backflips, where a

rider jumps 80 feet rotating his bike upside-down and places his legs through the handlebars, and a 360 where a rider leaves the jump and rotates his bike off-axis 360 degrees, puts the crowd on the edge of their seats.

Every trick is calculated and perfectly timed in front of a five-judge panel that closely scrutinises the riders in their chosen category, and at the end of the final head-to-head run it was the Kiwi Levi Sherwood who dominated over the Aussie Rob Adelberg, followed by the Chilean Javier Villegas enjoying the highs that outweigh the lows in the season opener.

Istanbul, turkey 16 June

MadrId, spaIn 20 July

MunIch, GerMany 11 auGust

sydney, australIa 6 OctOber

Red Bull X-FighteRs

remainingrounds

Under lights at the Dubai stadium.Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool

Jörg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

Aussie Josh Sheehan finished fourth.Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool

“When these guys cRash

they go doWn haRd.”

034_XFIGHTERS.indd 39 21/06/12 11:12 AM

VOLCOM FIJI PRO

Blood&

42 JULY 2012

Welcome to the Thunderdome. Cloudbreak goes XXL.

042_VOLCOMPRO.indd 42 22/06/12 3:21 PM

Blood&2012 Volcom Fiji Pro

THUNdErWords: Chris Binns. images: andreW shield

JULY 2012 43

042_VOLCOMPRO.indd 43 22/06/12 3:21 PM

48 JUNLY 2012

GEEKOUT

SPOTIFY

To continue the Apple theme, Spotify launched the “App Finder”, which is basically a free app store with add-ons ranging from music suggestion and play-list generation tools to radio stations and chat rooms. One of the first Australian apps for Spotify is based on the ABC’s Triple J radio, offering access to the Hottest 100 compilations (only back to 2010 unfortunately) as well as news and featured albums.

OK, so where’s the catch I hear you asking? Well, you’ll be subjected to advertising every four

or five songs, which really isn’t a big deal for the epic service you’re getting. For a totally affordable $6.99 you can give the ads the flick, or if you pony up $11.99 for the premium service you get some very cool features.

Premium members can stream songs in a higher quality (up to 320kbps bitrate from the standard 160kbps), which translates to better bass and clarity. The most important feature you get is mobile and offline playback. This means not only can you stream to your mobile devices, smart TVs and any computer, but you can also select playlists that are available offline. This stops you from blowing out your data plan on your mobile and lets you listen to your best tracks where there’s no internet connection available.

Pay Play

Of course in this modern age of free every-thing there’s a way to cheat the system. These two little programs below will detect and mute Spotify ads and restore the volume when they finish.

For the Mac hipsters we have Smutefy. This l it tle app sits in your menu bar and does the abovementioned. It also has the option to manually block any ads it misses. You do need to install two free basic applications to make Smutefy work, and that’s a matter of downloading two files from the Smutefy site and running them.

If you are like everyone else and run Windows then you need Blockify.

Not only do you get the ad muting with this one, but shortcut keys for things like skip, play pause,

shuffle, and so forth, and the best bit is you can make Blockify play songs from your hard drive while it’s muting the ad!

But hey, maybe for the first time in your life you can stop being a bludger and pony up that meagre $7 for a subscription (you tight arse).

If you ask us Spotify is a pretty damn good deal and a major step in resigning those shiny round disks to the museum.

It won’t be long before hipsters will be going to second-hand store to buy CDs for their “rich tones” and lamenting the days of carrying 50 discs in their car for a road trip.

Value Ad

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SNOW GUIDE

SNOWYou might still be hot, parched and covered in red dust, but down south an icy chill has swept across the land and blanketed the Australian and New Zealand alps in a layer of white gold. In fact, with the prices the ski resorts charge you might just about think you’re paying for gold. But no matter what it costs to visit the snow, you can’t get away from the fact that hitting the slopes is just about the best thing you can do with your pants (and gloves, and beanie, and jacket) on.

50 JULY 2012 facebook.com/SHAFTmag

GUIDE WOrDS aND ImaGES: SEaN raDIch

Upside down…

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JULY 2012 51

From around mid-July to the start of October you can choose three main regions to ski or snowboard (or toboggan with the missus): NSW, Victoria or New Zealand. And late-July to early-September is when you’ll traditionally find the best conditions. But the mountains are moody mistresses, and if you’re booking ahead you’ve got to consider

that you might face some rough weather and marginal conditions at any time during the official season. So if it’s blizzarding snow, whiting out with fog (or the worst, drizzling rain) find some shelter in the trees…but if you’re in New Zealand, go bungy jumping or jet boating as the South Island mountains are basically balder than a Brazilian’s nether regions.

»

JULY 2012 51

It seems that everyone who’s not already in mining has dreams of driving a haul truck. A good course like this one is a great place to start making the dream a reality.

How about the view, eh? If you thought the rent on your donga was expensive, how much do you reckon this one at

the top of Mt Buller’s Bourke St would be?

It’s six minutes in the heli link between Falls Creek and Mt

Hotham, but Falls Creek’s jump builder Matto Smith can find his

own way to get airborne.

…or across the water, Shaft has your

snow trip covered.

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58 JULY 2012

TAVARUA

Tavarua Island

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JULY 2012 59

Don’t let Winter get to you. When a swing’s over there are places you can go where the sun is warm, the water is clear and the pace is slow. Not too many

of those places can be as inviting as Tavarua Island.

Tavarua IslandWords: Jan Mallis

iMaGEs: TaVarUa island

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58 JULY 2012

TAVARUA

Tavarua Island

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JULY 2012 59

Don’t let Winter get to you. When a swing’s over there are places you can go where the sun is warm, the water is clear and the pace is slow. Not too many

of those places can be as inviting as Tavarua Island.

Tavarua IslandWords: Jan Mallis

iMaGEs: TaVarUa island

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Models are gorgeous, delicate little things. Their wants and needs are simple, and they respond well to a bloke who can help get them through the big, scary world full of high-tech stuff like a flat-screen telly and wireless bluetooths. We used a very quiet voice and short sentences to ask Amanda to lay on an excavator we found near a hole in a fence at a Stolen Vehicles Impound, and she seemed to understand exactly what we were after.

on trackAmanda

Images: Tyronne FitzgeraldMake-up: Ellie Wright

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66 JUNE 201266 JUNE 201266 JUNE 2012

I know you go underground and get a bit dirty

“

”

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70 JULY 2012

THE BIKES WE LIKES

THE BIKES WE LIKES!

For those with a love of something truly exotic, the Italian F4 RR ticks all the boxes.

The four-cylinder, short-stroke engine offers more than 200 horsepower and revs to a seat-moistening 13,400rpm (those figures get a little bigger if you strip the rego gear off it for the race track), and everything about this bike screams “Superbike” – in an understated, not-getting-booked kind of way, of course.

Ride-away pRice: $33,990 www.mvagustaimports.com.au

MV Agusta F4 RR

What is about Italians and design? We don’t know, but it seems they know more about making drool-worthy, high-performance gear than anyone.

Ducati has been a discerning rider’s choice for a long time, and is it any wonder. Just have a look at this Panigale and try and tell us it’s “just a bike”.

We want to marry it and have its children!At 164kg, this is one slim, light, 195-horsepower,

L-twin package. Ducati claims the highest power-to-weight ratio in the world for this bike, and the technology is staggering.

We had a little stagger anyway. That might’ve been because of the tent in our trousers.

$39,999 plus the usual on-Road costswww.ducati.com.au

Ducati 1199 Panigale S Tricolore

$33,990

$39,999

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JULY 2012 71

Everyone loves bikes. Not everyone loves all types of bikes, but sports bikes are the dog’s bollocks. They always look hornier than a rhino with hayfever and everyone wants one. While there are plenty to choose from, we ran a blade across the cream floating on the very top of the sports-bike gene pool and came up with a few that are just a little bit special. They’re all production bikes, so you can grab one from your nearest dealer.

»

MV Agusta F4 RR

Italian bike manufacturer Husqvarna is best-known for its world-class dirt bikes, but this new 900cc, parallel twin is all road hog.

Actually, it has the look of a supermoto about it as well. Whatever. It’s horn.

Husqvarna was bought out by BMW a couple of years ago, and the Nuda shows the best of both companies. The beating heart of the bike is the same motor used on the BMW F800R, bumped out to 900cc, and pumping out more than 100 horsepower, and the lightweight, fast-action feel is typical Husky. Just the look of the bike is worth an extra 10 horsepower, we reckon.

$15,995 plus on-road costs.www.husqvarnamotorcycles.com.au

Husqvarna Nuda R

Maybe BMW has a reputation as being a little staid.

That’s a strange one, because the German manufacturer has always been very innovative, and one of the few companies to not blindly follow Japanese design trends.

But still…the good ol’ boxer twin just doesn’t look too exciting.

But now our Bavarian buddies have come up with a World Superbike-winning sled that’s seriously sexy and fabulously fast.

The S 1000 RR is chock-a-block with typical BMW wizardry like traction control and ABS that are both at the outer edge of the tech envelope, and a super-smooth, liquid-cooled 999cc, in-line four.

$22,290 plus oN-roadswww.motorcycles.bmw.com.au

BMW S 1000 RR

$15,995

$22,290

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84 JULY 2012

iOpeners

Time on a luxury yachT!

Spending time on a luxury sports yacht is only a dream for most, but with the Boating Syndication Australia (BSA) the dream of ownership has actually become a reality for boat lovers, hobby fishermen and leisure seekers.

BSA is the brainchild of Andy Young, who launched the business in 2010. Since then, he’s put nine luxury motor vessels in the water – which is the best place for them, really – ranging from a 40ft Riviera M400 worth $300,000 to a $2 million Princess 67 Flybridge, giving a number of equal-owner skippers the joy of owning a luxury motor sports yacht without the hassle of maintenance or the high price tag.

“Our latest vessel, the brand-new Belize 52, will have 10 owners,” said Young. “We’ve already presold four shares before the boat has even been launched. “The owners each receive 33 days of guaranteed use of the yacht per year, plus standby days. The investment is only $145,000 and the monthly management fee will keep the boat fully maintained, cleaned and ready to use. All they have to do is choose their preferred days via our website and enjoy their luxury yacht with friends and family.”

According to Young, berthing costs, ongoing maintenance and insurance, plus the initial purchase cost of a fully owned vessel add up to a substantial investment. Owning an equal share of a brand-new luxury yacht is an affordable alternative.

“Each sports yacht in the BSA fleet is more like a luxury holiday home on water. Complete with towels and linen, all the mod-cons such as Xbox and Foxtel, plus dinghy and water toys, and of course the latest in high-tech navigation and safety equipment. The new Belize 52 also features sky-hook technology, which when logged via satellite GPS keeps the vessel on its coordinates, making it a breeze to navigate berthing without the risk of drifting off course.

“Full skipper training and 24-hour personal support are part of the shared sports-yacht purchase offered by BSA,” sailed Young.

“Owners simply berth the vessel after each trip and everything else is taken care of for them.”

Boating Syndication Australia has yachts in Pittwater, Bobbin Head, The Spit at Mosman in Sydney and at Marina Mirage on the Gold Coast, with more locations on the cards. For further information on their luxury sports yachts portfolio, log on to www.boatingsyndicationaustralia.com.au

A lot of blokes dream of one day doing a big adventure ride, but it’s just too expensive or difficult or both. Now there’s a solution.

John “Homer” Hudson runs a huge, non-competitive dirt-bike event each year called the APC Rally. Riders cover 7000km through some of Australia’s best alpine, desert and coastal scenery following an amazing route John has sorted, mapped and will load on to the rider’s GPS. It’s fab and in its third year it’s a raging success.

Now John’s come up with an even bigger idea.In July 2013 riders can bolt over to the US and spend 14 days riding

7500km of desert, snow and forest.It’s the same deal as the Australian APC Rally. Riders carry their

own camping gear and GPS, stay in hotels if they feel like it, and have a great time. John and his team have live monitoring on every rider so they’re ready to offer help whenever it’s needed, and all the annoying and difficult aspects of mapping and planning a route are done for you.

All this for a mere $1435 per rider. Awesome. More info at rally.australianpropertycentre.net.au.

aPc rally

narva colour-coded securiTy lock-ouT kiTs

The folks at Narva have colour coded their lock-out kits to match industr y standards, which is a ball-tearer we reckon.

They’re designed to suit Narva Battery Master Switches, and the red is for battery lock-out and the yellow for starter. Each kit includes a switch lever, lock-out mounting bracket and stainless-steel mounting screws. It’s a basic, reliable safety procedure and everyone should have a look at it, even on vehicles at home. Isolate the thing, lock it and check for dead.You can grab them from auto stores.

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distributed by tasco sales www.optex.com.au

• Video format H.264• 1080P 30 fps/720P 60fps• 5 Mega Pixels CMOS Sensor• 2.5 hours video recording• Support Max 32GB memory card• First Double Injection

appearance design• Waterproof 5m directly• Remote control (10mtrs)

HEAD MOUNT HELMET MOUNT WRIST BANDSURF MOUNT

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92 JULY 2012

what’s on

NRL

JuLY 1 Warriors v North Queensland – Mt Smart Stadium South Sydney v Penrith – ANZ Stadium

JuLY 2 Canberra v St George Illawarra – Canberra Stadium

JuLY 6 Wests Tigers v Canterbury-Bankstown – Allianz Stadium

JuLY 7 Melbourne v Canberra – AAMI Park Gold Coast v Warriors – Skilled Park

JuLY 8 South Sydney v Newcastle – ANZ Stadium Manly v Parramatta – Brookvale Oval

JuLY 9 Cronulla v Sydney Roosters – Toyota Stadium

JuLY 13 Canterbury-Bankstown v Parramatta – ANZ Stadium Brisbane v Warriors – Suncorp Stadium

JuLY 14 Newcastle v Manly – Hunter Stadium Melbourne v North Queensland – AAMI Park Wests Tigers v Penrith – Campbelltown Sports

Stadium

JuLY 15 Canberra v Gold Coast – Canberra Stadium St George Illawarra v Cronulla – WIN Stadium

JuLY 16 Sydney Roosters v South Sydney – Allianz Stadium

JuLY 20 Manly v Canterbury-Bankstown – Brookvale Oval- 22 Parramatta v Melbourne – Parramatta Stadium Warriors v Newcastle – Mt Smart Stadium Gold Coast v Brisbane – Skilled Park Cronulla v Canberra – Toyota Stadium North Queensland v Wests Tigers – Dairy Farmers

Stadium Penrith v Sydney Roosters – Centrebet Stadium South Sydney v St George Illawarra – ANZ Stadium

JuLY 27 George Illawarra v Melbourne – WIN Stadium- 29 Cronulla v Penrith – Toyota Stadium South Sydney v Wests Tigers – ANZ Stadium Brisbane v Parramatta – Suncorp Stadium Sydney Roosters v Gold Coast – Allianz Stadium Canberra v Newcastle – Canberra Stadium Canterbury-Bankstown v North Queensland – ANZ

Stadium Manly v Warriors – Brookvale Oval

It’s July, it’s cold and miserable, and hopefully you have a tax refund coming your way. The days may be short, but the nights are long, and there’s plenty going on around ’Straya and the world. Here’s a few cracker events that’d be well worth a visit. Maybe even fire up the barby, invite some mates around and kick the big-screen into life…

AFL

JuLY 1 Geelong v Port Adelaide – Simonds Stadium Brisbane v Melbourne – Gabba St Kilda v North Melbourne – Etihad Stadium

JuLY 6 Collingwood v Carlton – M.C.G.

JuLY 7 North Melbourne v West Coast – Blundstone Arena Melbourne v Richmond – M.C.G. Sydney v Brisbane – Sydney Cricket Ground Port Adelaide v Adelaide – AAMI Stadium St Kilda v Essendon – Etihad Stadium

JuLY 8 Hawthorn v Greater Western Sydney – M.C.G. Gold Coast v Geelong – Metricon Stadium Fremantle v Western Bulldogs – Patersons Stadium

JuLY 13 North Melbourne v Carlton – Etihad Stadium

JuLY 14 Melbourne v Fremantle – Etihad Stadium Port Adelaide v Essendon – AAMI Stadium Richmond v Gold Coast – Cazalys Stadium Brisbane v St Kilda – Gabba Geelong v Collingwood – M.C.G.

JuLY 15 Greater Western Sydney v Adelaide – Skoda Stadium Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn – Etihad Stadium West Coast v Sydney – Patersons Stadium

JuLY 20 Geelong v Essendon – Etihad Stadium

JuLY 21 Collingwood v Hawthorn – M.C.G. Adelaide v West Coast – AAMI Stadium Gold Coast v Brisbane – Gabba Melbourne v Port Adelaide – TIO Stadium Western Bulldogs v Carlton – Etihad Stadium

JuLY 22 Sydney v St Kilda – Sydney Cricket Ground Richmond v North Melbourne – M.C.G. Fremantle v Greater Western Sydney – Patersons Stadium

JuLY 27 Essendon v Hawthorn – Etihad Stadium

JuLY 28 Geelong v Adelaide – Simonds Stadium North Melbourne v Melbourne – Etihad Stadium Greater Western Sydney v Collingwood – Skoda Stadium Gold Coast v Sydney – Metricon Stadium Carlton v Richmond – M.C.G.

JuLY 29 Port Adelaide v Fremantle – AAMI Stadium St Kilda v Western Bulldogs – Etihad Stadium West Coast v Brisbane – Patersons Stadium

What’s On

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JULY 2012 93

Anything plAnned for your time off in July? here’s whAt’s hAppening Around the wide Brown lAnd…

JuLY 1 sBK (world superbikes) – SpainJuLY 6-7 sucrogen townsville 400 – Townsville, QldJuLY 8 f1 British gpJuLY 22 f1 german gpJuLY 29 f1 hungarian gpJuLY 28-29 ArC scouts rally – sA

MOTORSPORT

JuLY 1 sBK (world superbikes) – SpainJuLY 6-7 sucrogen townsville 400 – Townsville, QldJuLY 8 f1 British gpJuLY 22 f1 german gpJuLY 29 f1 hungarian gpJuLY 28-29 ArC scouts rally – sA

CYCLING

NSWthroughout July 18 Biennale Of Sydney: All Our Relations – Sydney. bos18.comuntil July 7 BLUE (Brett Whiteley exhibition) – Surry Hills. www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/brett-whiteley-studiountil July 29 Australian Symbolism – The Art Of Dreams – Sydney. www.artgallery.nsw.gov.auJuly 6-8 SugarLove Pictures (photography workshop) – Sydney. hwww.sugarlovemasterclass.comJuly 12-15 Dubo Rotoract Antiques & Collectable Fair – Dubbo. www.dubbo.com.au/events-calendar/dubbo-rotaract-antiques-and-collectables-fairJuly 14 SMASH! Sydney Manga And Anime Show – Sydney. www.smash.org.aufrom July 17 Aida Sydney. www.opera-australia.org.au

QueeNSLaNdthroughout July Mummy: Secrets Of The Tomb – Brisbane. www.mummy.qm.qld.gov.auJuly 20-21 Creative Generation – State Schools Onstage 2012 – Brisbane. education.qld.gov.au/community/events/creativegeneration

Victoriathroughout July Harp In The Royal Botanic Gardens – Melbourne. www.twilightmusic.com.auto July 17 Seymour And District Art Society – Autumn Exhibition – Seymour. www.seymourartsociety.org.au/content/autumn-exhibition

South auStraLiaJuly 1-31 Coonawarra Cellar Dwellers – Limestone Coast. coonawarra.orgJuly 24 Trout Quintet – Quartet For The End Of Time – Adelaide. www.aco.com.au

WeSterN auStraLiathroughout July Dinosaur Invasion – Perth. www.scitech.org.auCity Of Perth Winter Arts Season – Perth. www.perthwinterarts.com.auPicasso To Warhol: Fourteen Modern Masters – Perth. www.momaseries.com.auJuly 6-7 WASO Ravel’s Piano Concerto. Perth. www.waso.com.auJuly 7-12 Kimberley Art Prize – Derby. www.sdwk.wa.gov.auJuly 11-14 Bell Shakespeare – The School For Wives. Perth. www.bocsticketing.com.au/whats-on/1100/school-for-wivesJuly 14 Tura New music And The Australian Chamber Music Orchestra Present The Reef – Carnarvon. www.reeftour.com.auJuly 27-29 Kimberley Writers Festival – Kunnunurra. www.swek.wa.gov.auJuly 30 International Piano Competition Of Australia – Perth. www.bocsticketing.com.au

NortherN territorYJuly 6-8 Ali Curung Traditional Dance Festival – Ali Curung. en.travelnt.com/explore/tennant-creek.aspx

taSmaNiaJuly 6-12 Festival Of Voices – Hobart. www.festivalofvoices.comJuly 6-27 Persons Of Interest – Hobart. www.sac.org.au/events/persons-of-interest

CULTURAL

JuLY 13-15 the Building And home improvement expo – Melbourne, Victoria. www.buildexpo.com.au

JuLY 24-26 July Queensland mining And engineering expo – Mackay, Qld. www.queenslandminingexpo.com.au

JuLY 27-29 the retirement And lifestyle expo – Sydney, NSW. www.emsaust.com.au

JuLY 28-29 Australian lure expo – Fernvale, Qld. www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au

JuLY 29 gold Coast muscle Car expo – Gold Coast, Qld. http://tools.goldcoast.com.au/events/events_list. php?event_id=12865

EXPOS

doN’t forget THE OLyMPIC GAMES KICK OFF ON JULy 27!

OLYMPICS

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EXHIBITION

96 JULY 2012

Minco photo exhibition datesMilton House Gallery, 88 Milton Street, Mackay. July 24 to August 11.Coalface Art Gallery, Moranbah Community Centre. August 13 to August 24

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Mining photo exhibitionThere’s lots of things we love about doing SHAFT each month, but one of our favouritist is losing ourselves in the photography of Damien Carty.

All those awesome underground shots last issue? Damo. The cover? Damos again. We fancy ourselves as pretty friggin’ handy with the megapixels, but Damien is something well and truly above average.

Anyhoo, Damo’s company, Minco Photography (www.miningcommercialphotography.com), specialises in mining and industrial photography, and he’s gunna have an exhibition.

Does that mean Damien’s going to be an exhibitionist? We don’t know, and it doesn’t matter.

JULY 2012 97

Minco has collected images over the past year for the rebranding of BIS Industries, and this exhibition will display some of the most visually stunning. They’re all mining pics, and the collection will include images from both underground and surface operations, featuring machinery and the workforce from the Bowen Basin and Hunter Valley regions, including Newlands, Oakey North, Moranbah North and West Wallsend mine sites.

The opening night at Mackay’s Milton Gallery will coincide with the first day of the 2012 Queensland Mining Exhibition on Tuesday, July 24. The gallery is just a short stroll up the road from the QME on Milton

Street and the exhibition will be open to the public until August 11.In Moranbah, the Coalface Art Gallery will display the exhibition

from August 13 until August 24. Members of the community are welcome, and the images may

give an insight into an industry that has restricted public access.If you love the images in SHAFT as much as we do, you have

the chance to get along and see some of Minco’s best, beautifully displayed and lit.

At A town neAr you

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