A glam female miner rakes in £54.7k-a-year for eight months of work - and still makes sure her nails are done while riding around in her 45ft truck.

Cindy Koopman, 32, loves working in her FIFO (fly in, fly out) role as a dump truck driver.

She loves her glam and nails but isn't afraid to get stuck in working up to 12-hour shifts riding a 45ft sized truck.

Cindy earns £54.7k-a-year ($110K AUD) but works one to two weeks at a time - in return for a week off.

She loves being in the "male dominated field" despite trolls asking 'what's a girl like you doing in the mines?'. "

Cindy, currently living in Perth, Australia, said: "I feel very empowered."

"I feel I can do anything."

"People have said 'what's a girl like you doing in the mines?'. "

"And 'how do you work in those nails?' but I'm just sitting in a truck."

"I have nails and I'm in the mines - you can too."

Cindy is originally from South Africa and grew up in New Zealand before travelling to Maryland, US, as a nanny.

But after completing her degree in business she moved to Sydney, Australia, in November 2020 looking for opportunities.

A friend told her about the mining jobs - but Cindy wasn't sure at first.

She said: "Money was quite tight."

"She said you need to move to Perth for the mining - you can make so much good money."

"I was concerned I'd be super tired."

Cindy moved to Perth and started as a geologist assistant - on $120k AUD annual salary.

She said: "I was working alongside drillers learning so much."

"I had a pain pack on my back spraying out a map the geologists had created for the diggers to know where to dig for gold."

"It was just so different. I love a bit of physical work as well."

"In the role I was in there was just two women in that department."

"There are not a lot of women in mining."

"It's a very male dominated field but a lot of women are trickling in."

Cindy worked in Perth for two years before started as a FIFO. She is still based in Perth but is then flown out to the iron ore mine to work for a week or two weeks at a time.

She then gets a full week off in between and has her accommodation and food paid for in her $110k salary.

She said: "I operate a truck 793F."

"It's one of the biggest."

"I drive that bad boy around for the day."

"Some days I can't believe the machine I operate. I was initially very scary."

"I'm driving a huge thing and anything can happen."

Cindy said getting to grips in the mining industry did take some getting used to.

She said: "It can be challenging."

"There is stigma around it's a man's world."

"You learn to grow hair on your chest."

"I had to get a heard shell but in a good way."

Cindy has been able to use her time off to travel and help poorer communities.

She has no plans to leave the mining industry in the near future and hopes to encourage other women to give it a go.

She said: "I love what I'm doing."

"I love my crew."