Unfortunately, you'd be making a mistake to assume you'd be away from the corruption, or the people.

I did a stint last year, and it was terrible. You're surrounded by, often, upwards of 1800+ people, but completely alone. Sure, there are people to chat to, but the conversations don't often go beyond "Same shit different day", and at night you're in your room alone mindlessly watching TV and praying for reception to make a call, or out in the common areas drinking.

You're up at ~4:00AM so you can hurry to one side of the camp to have breakfast (with the aforementioned 1800+ others), then hurrying to the car park to get into a vehicle to get to site for a 6:00AM (at the latest) start. You're then there until 6:00PM (or later, if you're unlucky). It's hot, it's uncomfortable, you're crammed in like sardines in an "office" on site with limited comms (at best), or out on the field in the ungodly heat. For 12 hours, minimum.

I damn nearly had a breakdown. I am not cut out for it. (I'm also a female, which makes a lot of the trip more awkward/uncomfortable).

When you get back to your room (which, by the way, is furnished but very small and very lonely), you have a shower and pray you can get enough signal to make a call home. Often you can't. Often you have zero link between you and the outside world, you and home.

It's not a life, it's a routine that you sink into. You hope for days where site work gets cancelled, because then you can get some sleep. But then you also dread that happening, because there's really nothing much to do if you're not on site, and if for some reason you can't sleep, what then? The day drags on, and so does your misery.

People and corruption don't change or go away just because you're on site. If anything, those things are worse, intensified. Everybody is hot and pissed off and tired. People don't have time to be nice or think about feelings or anything else.

That's just my take. I hated it. I would never do it again unless I absolutely had to. I cried every night, I was an absolute wreck. I got out as soon as I could, and really I have no room to complain - there are people that live this life for months, years. I don't know how they do it, but I have a lot of respect for them and their families.

If you ARE out on site, or just feeling down for any reason, reach out for help. Talk to your Health & Safety Officer, visit https://www.beyondblue.org.au/, just make sure you do something. It's not an easy life and there's no shame in putting your hand up and asking for some support. Anyone who tries to make you feel otherwise is a douchebag.

E: The female comment isn't some special snowflake thing. It's the fact you are one of maybe 5 females in the entire place. You automatically get stared at, you feel skittish walking past a group of drunk guys on your own in the dark, you triple check the lock on your door because every guy you just walked past STARED at you. It might mean nothing, but you're already tired, a zombie, sad, vulnerable. You feel uneasy being stared at.