For most Australians, home and work are separate worlds. For FIFO workers in roles like camp utility, cleaner, kitchenhand, or groundskeeper, they merge into one. Your camp becomes your home, workplace, gym, and community all at once, overseen by camp management and site supervisors.
Camp life can be rewarding if managed well, but it can also become isolating or exhausting if you do not build the right habits. Food, rest, exercise, and human connection make or break the experience — for both operations crews and support staff like laundry and housekeeping teams, waste management and janitors, and security guards.
This guide walks through what life is really like in FIFO camps across Australia, from what you will eat and where you will sleep to how to keep your body and mind strong during long rosters — and how camp experience can support your progression into roles like FIFO Safety Officer, Emergency Response roles, or camp administration.
1. Accommodation: Your Temporary Home
FIFO accommodation is built for comfort and recovery, not luxury. Most modern camps provide private, air-conditioned rooms with all essentials, maintained daily by housekeeping and laundry teams and overseen by camp management.
Standard inclusions:
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Single or king single bed with weekly linen change
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Ensuite bathroom with shower
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Air conditioning and blackout blinds for night shifts
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Mini fridge, TV, wardrobe, and desk
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Regular cleaning and laundry service
The best camps resemble small hotels, especially in Western Australia, where new sites include queen beds, Wi-Fi, and small kitchenettes. Older or regional camps may offer smaller rooms and shared bathrooms, but even those maintain good safety and hygiene standards thanks to professional FIFO cleaners and housekeepers.
Pack personal items that bring comfort, such as your pillow, headphones, or a small lamp. Familiar touches help you unwind after twelve-hour shifts, whether you are working as a camp utility worker, plant operator, or site medic.
2. Food and Dining: Fuel for Long Days
Meals are provided in camp and are part of the job’s appeal. Dining halls operate buffet-style and cater to large workforces, serving hundreds of meals per sitting, usually prepared by kitchenhands and catering teams led by camp chefs.
What to expect:
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Breakfast starts before dawn with eggs, cereals, fruit, and hot dishes
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Packed lunches, known as “cribs,” for day or night shifts
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Dinner buffets with meat, vegetables, pasta, curries, and salads
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Snacks, coffee, and cold drinks available throughout the day
Most camps rotate menus and include themed nights like Mexican or seafood. Larger sites now include café corners, salad bars, and barista coffee options, all supported by experienced FIFO hospitality crews.
Healthy eating matters more than convenience. Free access to high-calorie food can lead to fatigue and weight gain. Focus on balanced meals with protein, fresh vegetables, and hydration — the same approach that helps you perform in physically demanding roles like heavy diesel mechanics, boilermakers, and electricians.
3. The Typical FIFO Routine
FIFO life runs on strict schedules. Shifts are long, breaks are short, and structure is essential for staying fit and alert — whether you are in operations, logistics and materials coordination, or site administration.
Example of a day shift routine:
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4:00 a.m. Wake up, shower, quick breakfast
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5:00 a.m. Travel to site by bus
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5:30 a.m. Pre-start meeting and safety briefing
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6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Work shift with crib breaks
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6:30 p.m. Return to camp, eat dinner
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7:30 p.m. Gym or quiet downtime
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9:00 p.m. Sleep for recovery
Night shift follows the same structure but reversed. Maintaining a consistent sleep routine, even on rest days, prevents fatigue and helps you transition smoothly between swings — something safety officers and WHS coordinators emphasise in every pre-start.
4. Facilities and Recreation
Modern FIFO camps aim to provide enough comfort to balance the isolation of remote life, which is especially important for crews on intense rosters and emergency teams like FIFO emergency response and fire safety roles.
Common facilities include:
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Fully equipped gym with cardio and weights
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Swimming pool or recreation area
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Sports courts for basketball or volleyball
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Walking and cycling tracks
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BBQ areas, lounges, and outdoor seating
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Games rooms with pool tables or TV lounges
Larger camps may also have small cinemas, wellness rooms, or retail kiosks. Recreation is not just entertainment but part of mental recovery. Exercise after a shift helps reduce stress, improve sleep, and maintain focus across long rosters, especially for workers in physically demanding jobs like heavy equipment operation, rigging and dogging, or crane operation.
Wi-Fi is available in most camps, though connection strength depends on location. Plan for limited bandwidth and download entertainment or online study materials before your swing if you are working towards roles like Safety Advisor / Emergency Response Officer or Health and Safety Coordinator.
5. Camp Etiquette and Culture
Camps are communities built on respect and shared space. Everyone works hard, and rest is precious — from cleaners and janitors to bus drivers and camp supervisors.
The basic etiquette:
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Keep noise down in accommodation blocks
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Avoid loud music and late-night socialising
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Clean up after yourself in dining areas and laundries
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Be polite to catering, cleaning, and transport staff
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Do not spread gossip or complaints — word travels fast on site
People who follow these unwritten rules earn quiet respect. FIFO life is easier when you are known as reliable and considerate, which also helps when you later apply for roles in camp management, safety, or site administration.
6. Staying Healthy in Camp
Your health determines how well you perform and how long you last in FIFO. With long shifts and heat exposure, small choices matter — and they’re central to roles in onsite nursing and paramedic work and health and safety coordination.
Physical health tips:
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Use the gym at least three times per week
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Stretch after shifts to prevent stiffness
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Drink water throughout the day, not just at meals
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Eat light at dinner to improve sleep quality
Mental health tips:
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Keep in touch with family every day
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Join recreation activities or small group sessions
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Talk to someone if you feel isolated or anxious
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Access the Employee Assistance Program if needed
Many camps now employ onsite wellbeing coordinators, safety advisors and emergency response officers, and trained peers, supported by formal emergency response and fire safety training, to assist workers who may struggle with isolation or fatigue.
7. Managing Downtime
Downtime is limited but important. How you spend it determines how well you recover for the next shift and how fast you progress into higher-level roles like camp supervisor or WHS coordinator.
Good ways to use downtime include:
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Reading or journaling to clear your mind
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Calling family or video chatting with friends
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Going for a walk or workout
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Learning a new skill or taking an online course
Avoid spending every evening on social media or drinking excessively. Small habits create long-term stability and give you time to complete short courses like White Card training, Standard 11 mining induction, Working at Heights, or Gas Test Atmospheres that support future career moves.
8. Social Life and Connection
Friendship helps prevent burnout. Camps encourage social interaction through gym challenges, trivia nights, and weekend barbecues, often supported by camp management teams and emergency response crews who promote safe, inclusive events.
Some workers prefer quiet isolation, while others join sports teams or community events. The key is balance — participate when it helps you feel part of the group, but protect your rest time when needed, especially if you work in high-responsibility positions like safety coordination or health care.
Many strong friendships and relationships form in camps. Treat them with respect and boundaries, especially in mixed-gender sites where professionalism is expected at all times and modelled by leaders such as site supervisors and HSE coordinators.
9. Transitioning Between Site and Home
Leaving camp after a swing, known as demobilisation, can feel like stepping into another world, whether you’re flying out from the Bowen Basin, Port Hedland, or Karratha.
Take time to reset before you return home. Sleep well, rehydrate, and mentally separate work from home life. Many FIFO workers use the flight home to reflect and clear their minds and to plan training or next steps toward roles like camp manager or safety advisor.
When you get back, give yourself one quiet day before diving into family or social commitments. Those who manage transitions calmly tend to last longer in the industry and are better placed to move into long-term FIFO careers across operations, logistics, or site office roles.
10. Final Thoughts: Thriving in Camp Life
FIFO camp life is a test of endurance, discipline, and self-management. The people who thrive are not necessarily the toughest or most experienced. They are the ones who stay balanced, eat well, rest properly, and respect the people around them — from utilities and cleaners to safety officers and camp supervisors.
If you treat the camp as a home rather than a hotel, maintain healthy habits, and build positive relationships, FIFO living becomes not just sustainable but rewarding. Every swing becomes another step toward financial stability, career growth, and personal resilience — and a pathway into specialised roles like Emergency Response, FIFO nursing and paramedic work, or camp management and site supervision.
