For the past seven years, Alan Chester has driven for Mareeba Transport – and outside work he enjoys living in one of the country’s most scenic regions, the Atherton Tablelands.
I saw Alan, 67, checking the load on his DAF CF75, which was parked in Townsville.
“I am transporting mill liners from Weipa to Brisbane. This is a comfortable and brilliant truck. The company is owned by my wife’s family,” he said. “I have always been around trucks.”
Alan had retired after numerous jobs in the mining industry and jumped at the opportunity to work for Mareeba Transport.
A true gentleman, Alan likes stopping at the BP Cluden because it has good facilities for drivers.
“I get to a lot of places including to Karumba and when driving from Normanton to there you have to watch out for all the wallabies,” he said.
As for rest areas, Alan said there are nowhere near enough with good toilets and shaded areas.
He has a wide range of hobbies including watching football codes, sailing and travelling.
Living in north Queensland one would expect Alan to follow the NRL, however, “being from South Australia I like AFL and my team is the Port Adelaide Power. But I do also watch rugby league on television,” he said.
Alan owns a Rob Legg 9m long sailing boat which he enjoys.
“I sail the waters around the Whitsunday Islands and off Cairns,” he said.
On the subject of boats, Alan nominated a part of one as amongst the most unusual loads he has hauled.
“It was an engine for a patrol boat,” he said.
Alan also enjoys getting around in his caravan and likes relaxing at the idyllic Eureka Creek camping grounds near Dimbulah where there is running fresh water.
“I don’t have to worry about saltwater crocodiles,” he said.
Mareeba is a genuine far north Queensland road transport hub and many large and small companies have depots there.
It is 50km from the Cairns and Isa gateway to the Gulf of Carpentaria and south to Townsville and Brisbane.
Alan lives on a scenic rural valley property near Mareeba and loves the region.
He is one happy man who enjoys work, recreation and generally living life to the fullest.
It is a hard life but somebody has got to do it.
On the serious side, Alan’s lifestyle would be the envy of many.