Daan(29)

After my master's in mining engineering at TU Delft, the reality was that there's essentially no mining industry left in the Netherlands. I worked three years at an engineering firm in Groningen doing projects in Africa, but I spent more time behind my laptop than on-site. Australia, with its massive mining sector, was the logical next step.

My skills assessment went through VETASSESS — Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services. Unlike Engineers Australia, they assess occupations that aren't specifically engineering but are still technical. The process took four months and cost AUD 1,650. With a positive assessment I could submit my Expression of Interest via SkillSelect.

Northern Territory gave me a state nomination for the Subclass 190 visa. They have an acute shortage of mining professionals and give extra points to candidates willing to settle in NT. The nomination came through within six weeks — much faster than in the more popular states.

Darwin isn't a typical Australian city. It's small, tropical and feels more like Southeast Asia than Sydney. The wet season from November to April is intense — 35 degrees, 90% humidity and spectacular thunderstorms. But the dry season is paradise. And the salaries compensate for everything: I earn AUD 145,000 per year, plus a FIFO allowance when I fly to mine sites.

FIFO — fly-in fly-out — is the norm in mining. Two weeks on the mine site in Tennant Creek, two weeks off in Darwin. On-site you work twelve hours a day, seven days a week. Tough, but the weeks off are truly free. I go fishing in Kakadu National Park, diving at the Tiwi Islands or fly to Bali for a weekend — it's only four hours away.

For Dutch people who want to get into mining: invest in your VETASSESS assessment and seriously consider Northern Territory. Yes, it's remote. Yes, the climate is extreme. But the career opportunities are unmatched and superannuation of 11.5% builds up quickly at these salary levels. In ten years I'll have a pension my Dutch colleagues would be envious of.