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Hendrik Van Spankeren

Sea Change, The Middle Age Bonus - From Pen-pushing Business Owner to FIFO Truck Driver

Updated: Aug 24


What kind of person does it take to drive a 300 plus ton truck?


A 130 kg tattooed, bearded behemoth? Perhaps in the day. How about a cheerful, likeable, actually, lovable and pretty mum?


I guess we've all seen the tattooed behemoth driving what appears to be their mum's Hyundai. You never know really.


Linda van Spankeren (Nee Benaquista) has been with me as my lawful wedded for over 27 years. Was it time for a change? Ha ha! got you! No, not what you're thinking, Linda wasn't ready to trade me in for a newer model... just yet. Though, she did want to run away from the work and drudgery as she knew it.


Loads of Experience





Linda has racked up considerable and varied work experience over the years... being a waitress at Paesano's, a nanny, a cleaning business owner and book keeper (Cert IV) handy when you're running a business. A paella cook / grazing table artist, mother and wife. She even had a stint as an Enrolled Nurse before we met. She's been busy! Always found time to have coffee and cake with the girls though! Just saying. Amazing time management skills! We'd better put that one on her LinkedIn profile.


The Big Change




How about driving an over sized Tonka truck? Wear dirty clothes, and talk mining jargon on a two-way radio? Hell yeah! This was Linda's new thing, Her Sea Change.


New friends, a different culture and a completely fresh start gave her the spark she was looking for... The extra bucks were a bonus too.


New Things to Talk About


Now at a social gathering with Linda's new friends, "talking shop" is about LV's smashing through boom gates, digger ops and how good or bad they are, who's taking a sickie or the various options available to a lady when she needs to take a leak in the middle of the night. - Sometimes it's chatter about having nightmares concerning out of control trucks sliding into a pit or crashing over a wind row.


Linda just loves talking dirty, and her hands?.. the dirtiest they've been since her nappy changing nanny days!





Want to share your Sea Change?


Write or message me or join the blog.


Rik van Spankeren


Rik Write


Sea Change, The Middle Age Bonus.

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