The Noreyre Motel and Restaurant

During my first month in Norseman I primarily worked shifts at BP, but I also did training at the Noreyre Motel (pronounced "nor-err" and named for Norseman / Eyre, the name of the highway).  The motel is owned by the BP franchisees and sits just behind the service station.  When Paula interviewed me over the phone she mentioned my restaurant experience and that I might be needed at the motel as well.  Later in July and August I began getting more and more hours at Noreyere.

The motel has nearly 50 units and two stand alone "houses" which can accommodate families (our assistant manager, Helen, lived in House 2).  The hotel rates, just like the prices in BP, aren't for the faint of heart.  The cheapest rooms are $135 a night and a the standard queens will run you $145!  At least every room has a self contained bathroom, TV, and refrigerator (it isn't always that way in the Outback).  The $135 rooms have seen better days but the $145 variety are fairly new.  Our motel is more expensive than the other two options in Norseman, but as is often the case, you get what you pay for.

A standard queen room ($145).  Aside from the bathroom
there isn't much else.  But at least it's new-ish and clean!

My shift at the motel would start at 3:00 pm regardless of the day.  In the mornings reception is closed and all the calls go to the line at BP.  Since most people staying at the motel are traveling across the country, it wouldn't make much sense to check in before 3:00.  If anyone shows up before then they have to go over to the BP for check-in.

From 3:00 to 6:00 my job is to clean the restaurant (which is in the same building as reception) and check anyone in who shows up.  Our restaurant is open from 6pm and we typically close up by 8:00, depending on how busy it is.  The restaurant only seats about 25 people and many nights we only have a handful of customers.  If any more come in, however, I can get busy quickly.  During my shift I am the only one there and have to work the reception, serve tables, make drinks, and wash dishes.  There is also only one guy in the kitchen.  We run a pretty bare bones operation!

Inside the Noreyre Restaurant.  There is a room attached with extra
seating that we can use for large parties, but the main area seats only
24 people (plus a few bar stools).

Business at the motel varies from night to night; I've had days where literally nobody has come in for dinner, and others where the place is nearly full.  You can probably gather that it can get hectic if you are the only one there with 15 or 20 customers.  If I really need a hand I can call over to the BP for help, but after a few weeks on the job I got comfortable enough to handle it.  The super busy nights are few and far between though.  On an average night we probably get only ten or so people in for dinner.

As for the motel, it also rarely fills up.  What keeps us afloat are the contractors whose company pays for them to stay at Noreyre.  We often have at least a few workers, some who are simply traveling though and others who are rail and road maintenance or are working on a local mine site.  Certain companies allow their employees to eat at the motel restaurant and the others go to BP (they all get their accommodation and meals covered by the employer - not a bad deal!).  We also get an occasional cross-country tour bus group who spend a night at the motel.

A typical contractor (they all wear the same kind of "hi-res" work gear);
 we often get groups of contractors who stay at the
 motel while they are working on a nearby stretch of road
or rail, or working at a mine site.

We also get a steady stream of travelers coming across the Eyre
Highway (all of two lanes), the only way to get from the
Eastern States out to Western Australia and Perth.

After two training shifts with a manager I was on my own at Noreyre (well along with the chef).  In July I worked a one or two shifts a week at the motel and the rest at BP.  In August one of the other employees went on a three week vacation, so I filled in for her at Noreyre.  She typically did 4-5 shifts, so several weeks in August I worked every day at the motel.  I also did a few morning shifts at BP and racked up the hours; the two morning shifts run 5 am to 1 pm and 7 am to 2 pm.  The days that I worked a double - mornings at BP and evenings at the motel - I clocked 12 or 13 hours!

Oh and one more thing about the restaurant work: in Australia it is uncommon to tip.  It was a big adjustment for me, coming from working at a place in Ohio where many patrons tipped 20%.  A few people gave me extra, but only a handful in the course of 5 months.  Younger Aussies, especially those in cities, tend to tip more often, although it is still not expected.  Aside from the contractors most motel guests were at least 50 years old (and often 60+), and just like back home the oldies tend to tip less.

I really can't complain about it in Australia though.  At over $25 an hour I'm perfectly fine with not getting tipped.  It does make those busy nights more annoying though - I'm making the same amount regardless of whether I am serving 20 guests or 2.  After serving here it will be hard to adjust to tipping when I got out back in the States!