I'm getting decked out in pink
Hi, fellow truckie.
for a road trip like no other through the Pilbara region of
Western Australia.
I am set.
Look at us, we're like little twinnies.
Same shirt, same name.
What are we actually doing this morning?
This morning we're taking two triple roadtrains down to Onslow
and we'll be collecting garbage from a station.
That doesn't sound too glamorous.
So how long is this little trip gonna go for?
It'll take us 14 hours today.
14 hours?
So just a quick drive in the Pilbara.
Just down the road.
Did he give you a wave?
Yeah.
You know the truckie wave? That's a truckie wave.
That's what we should perfect for you, the truckie wave.
I just go ... like that?
Just two fingers. Two fingers? Two fingers.
That's it. You got it. You got it.
Okay. So much to learn, Heather.
When you head out to Dampier, hidden amongst those rocks, are
Aboriginal carvings, that I don't think many people even
know about, that are up here in the Pilbara.
You know, they've got some of the oldest drawings known to
mankind.
In our backyard.
I've just got to check out this rock art for myself.
And on local advice, I found the right bloke to show me.
Where are we exactly?
We're at Murujuga.
What is Murujuga?
Murujuga is the traditional name of the Burrup Peninsula.
Bit of a rough road to get there?
Yeah, it is pretty rough, but it's good. It keeps everyone out
that we don't want.
You like to keep it to yourselves?
It's beautiful.
Yeah, it's beautiful. See the ocean up ahead.
Clinton Walker is a local Ngarluma man, who runs cultural
tours in the Pilbara.
He's going to take me to one of the oldest outdoor art galleries
on the planet.
I'm just going to show you what's here. You try and come
around.
Oh, I can see some already.
Yeah, it really is everywhere.
So what we've got is a bit a rock art of a couple of birds.
And you can see they've got the eggs with them.
Oh, yeah, how extraordinary.
And how old would this be?
These ones? They're probably about 1000 years old or so,
maybe a bit more.
Yeah, there's a kangaroo that's been speared by a hunter.
It's all about teaching and recording what people do on a
daily basis, as well as what animals you see in the
environments, like a library.
Do you know how much rock art you have really?
We have approximately over a million of them out here.
So basically, it's the world's largest collection of rock art
in one place.
If mining destroys it all, that's the biggest collection of
rock out in the world gone, forever.
I want to create a future for my people beyond mining, because
one day mining is gonna stop.
Aboriginal people are gonna need to do something.
And what I found is tourism is a great way to engage Aboriginal
people and put them back on their country and make a living
but also to teach others about who we are.
In late 2011, the mining boom took a massive hit as commodity
prices fell.
Thousands of jobs were shed, and wages slashed.
The Pilbara had to come back down to earth.
Get back to some sort of normality.
So you've got your town back, but you've really got to adapt
to the change, I guess?
Yeah, we do. We've got to change the way that we operate but also
the mining industry I think really does need to employ local
people.
All that money then stays in town and it goes back into the
community.
So rather than the fly-in and fly-out people, to employ l
Hey, hey, how're you going?
cal people would be a huge b nefit.
Good.
Seen you've been busy this weekend.
Oh, you know how it is.
Tangiora Hinaki is Heather's latest student.
She's a local radio presenter, singer-songwriter and filmmaker
with eight kids.
And pretty soon she'll be adding truck driver to the list.
Righty-o.
How are you feeling Tangiora? Are you nervous?
No, no, no. I'm not nervous because I ride a bike. I ride a
road pig.
Yeah, that's right.
Here we go. We are moving.
So far, so good.
Is it 65 or 70 along here?
80.
I can pick it up a bit? This is the first time I've ever done 80
before. This is a big deal.
Is Heather a tough instructor?
No, she's not a tough instructor.
In fact, she's very clear, succinct and she's got a very
gentle approach.
And that's why women truck drivers, this is what Heather
tells me, are sought after as well.
Tell me, why do you want to do this? Why do you want to be a
truckie?
You know, it's all about, you only live once and life is a
journey and I love learning and picking up new skills.
I've already learned, you know, motorcycle systems and this is
just, like, the next step.
Hi fellow truckie.
Heather's next, isn't she?
We're going to put you behind the wheel now.
Now you're not.
It's your turn.
You're not serious.
Heather says women make better drivers, but she hasn't seen me
behind the wheel.
Women empowering women.
I will never get through that gate, it's too narrow.
Brake, brake, brake, brake, brake.
I got through the gates great start.
I could actually get to like this job. Though. I am finding
the corners a bit intimidating.
She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes. Yee-ha!