8/2 is a difficult roster

So now I am back on an international job, I am back working long rosters and 8/2 is a long enough roster. But it is an international job, life is good and I certainly have nothing to complain about.

For those uninitiated in mining rosters, an 8/2 is 8 weeks on and 2 weeks off, even better, I travel in my time off-site. For this international travel, it takes me 27 hours to get home so I am pretty buggered when I walk through the door.

Some could argue all I am doing is sitting in a vehicle driving to the airport or sitting in the pressurised tube hurtling through the air at high speed. It is not hard labour but it is certainly time you don't get back.

Rosters change depending on projects, I was being sounded out for a project in Botswana that has a 6/3 roster. Two weeks less to offshore rotation and another week off, whilst we hadn't discussed remuneration yet, I would expect it to be similar in pay and we have discussed retirement benefits that were not available on my current posting.

That is too far in the future, I need to concentrate on now, that is the current goal. Sure 8/2 is a tough roster but no roster is my biggest concern. Still, 2 months away from home is difficult, but if you enjoy not only the job but the people you work with then that 8 weeks goes fairly fast.

You miss a lot during the two months you are away, then when you return you lose days of your break. You are tired, firstly from your 8 weeks of work, then there is the flights and the mandatory jet lag. When you are feeling better, it is time to jump back on that flight and do it all again.