My bro-in-law works up at the mines. As already mentioned it's 12 hour shifts (gets paid for 8), permanent nightshift, 14 days on, fly in/fly out, live on site, nothing to do but eat, sleep, watch dvds and work.
As his boss says whenever someone complains about anything "The plane flies out first thing in the morning and you can be on it."
Bro-in-law is a single, country guy who really hates big cities and spend his time off work camping at the beach fishing or getting drunk. Sometimes I'm jealous as . . . . but mostly I'm just glad it's him and not me.