Fly-in, fly-out "working girls" travelling from as far away as New Zealand to the resource-rich regions of Queensland and Western Australia are making as much money in one or two days as mine labourers earn in a week.
But the booming unregulated sex industry is ringing alarm bells, with fears for the women's safety and concerns over rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases, The Sunday Mail reported.
The rich pickings up to $2000 a day are attracting scores of women to communities bursting with cashed-up men deprived of female company for weeks.
The women stay for a few days, or weeks, in
Researchers studying the impacts of the growth in fly-in, fly-out or drive-in, drive-out practices have even photographed a stretch limosine used by a prostitute as a mobile workplace in pub carparks.
It is legal for women to work as sole operators as long as they don't solicit in public. Local newspapers have columns of small ads from hookers announcing their arrival in town.
At least 15 privateers were working Emerald in central Queensland last week five on their first visit and attracting customers from outlying mining areas in Clermont, Dysart and Blackwater.
"If there's a new girl in the paper, a lot of guys want to try the new girl," said Kristy (not her real name), a petite blonde on her second visit from New Zealand.
The single mother, who charges $250 an hour working out of a neat cabin in a caravan park with the approval of management, said: "Yesterday I made $1000. Last time I was here I made $1750 one Friday.
"I went home with $16,000 and I was here for three weeks. I was really rapt because I have three children and the oldest is at university."
Brisbane woman Marilyn arrived on her first trip to town on Thursday and her phone ran hot with more than 50 calls on the first day in response to her "new to Emerald" advertisement.
She said she started at 4am each day and continued until 7pm.
Kiwi Kristy said there was a need for prostitutes in isolated regional
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