Brothel madam Jo Woodward, who owns Port Hedland brothel Port of Call, said women from the Eastern States and New Zealand were operating on a fly-in, fly-out basis, just like mine workers, to meet demand as Karratha and Port Hedland burst at the seams with young male workers. Ms Woodward said she was turning away up to 60 men on Friday and Saturday nights because sex workers could not keep up with the demand.
Some just want to talk to a female. Some have been in the bush too long". Girls from the Eastern States we have here for three weeks, if they can handle it". She said the money was good but the hours were long, with prostitutes often seeing up to 12 clients each shift.
Ms Woodward, who took over ownership of Port of Call in , said she remembers quieter days. Clinical psychologist and sexual therapist Vivienne Cass said the male need for female companionship was not based solely on the desire for sex.
When the men get a break, especially the single men who don't have families to come back to, they're going to try to fill that time and get their needs met for both sexual and intimate connections". Linda Watson, who runs a Perth-based rehabilitation service for sex workers wanting to get out of the industry said that she had spoken to women who were seeing 14 to 15 clients a shift.
