Thurs, 31st July, 2025 Bush camp on Killara Station, north of Meekatharra, WA

6.6 degree min, clear sky and windy again.

I worked on my blog and Steve took the 6000 for a wander for a change.  

After morning tea I went wandering too. Slow and steady, not sure I would call it exercise but it is better than sitting reading I suppose. 

After lunch I put a stew and savoury scones in the Ecopot for dinner. Wayne & Sharon called in to see if we needed anything in Meeka as they were heading to the PO to pick up new skid plates - Wayne has worn his out on his 7000. The other couple are back in the shrubs over from us - forgotten their names already, should have written it down. Wayne said they had a big win, finding a 5.5g nugget so they are all enthused again.

I went back to my gridding with renewed enthusiasm - might be a nice one out there for us.  

Jon and Annalise rang - he is home. We arranged to video chat when we go into town. 

Took off my jumper as the sun’s warmth was beating the wind - just 2 layers now. Continued gridding. It was quite pleasant to be out wandering.

Drinks inside as the sun has dipped and the coolness is coming in and we didn’t have the fire ready to go.

The wind settled with the darkness.

 

Wed, 30th July, 2025 Bush camp on Killara Station, north of Meekatharra, WA

8.4 degrees min, max of 18 forecast. Overcast again and no wind.

Lingered in the nice warm camper reading. I sent my cousin Chris a happy birthday text - he is 81, the oldest of all the cousins. Got a call from Carmel & Merv - she rang the wrong Sharon but we had a lovely chat any case. They had a nice couple of weeks out fossicking at the Willows. They fossicked for many years with Terry & Erica. Merv was rewarded this time with a lovely sapphire while specking along the track. We tried that with Erica using a mirror to shine the light down on the ground so you can see the stones. After rain the locals head out to do it as the dirt is washed off the top of the stones. 

After morning tea we warmed up our clothes and headed back out into the cold wind to continue gridding. There is blue sky between the puffy clouds.

More sunshine and the wind has dropped off which is nice. We continued gridding to afternoon tea and were rewarded. While we were having our cuppa we got hit with a willy willy and it gave the camper a good shake as it roared over us. Luckily I didn’t have any windows open.

It got warm enough that I had to take my jumper off and just have two layers and one set of gloves - probably only 18 but after the cold wind that actually feels warm!

I messaged Virginia & Geoff in NZ to update them on our visit next year and ask their advice on a couple of things. Looking forward to seeing them again.

 

Tues, 29th July, 2025 Bush camp on Killara Station, north of Meekatharra, WA (Jon & Annalise’s 2nd wedding anniversary)

4.1 degree min and BOM says 16 degree max so will be putting another layer on today.

Sent Jon & Annalise happy anniversary texts for today. Jon is still at work but should be home on Thursday so they can celebrate over the weekend. Annalise replied with a photo of the beautiful bouquet of flowers she received from Jon.

Clear sky and the wind is back when we headed out after warming my clothes up with the heater. I am even putting an extra pair of gloves on. Even Steve is wearing gloves.

The others are back in their spot. The sun is warmish if you can get out of the wind. We gridded all afternoon.

One of the couples called in to ask about the track. They only have an on road van and we had mentioned before about the track being ruined by someone in the rain. We showed them the other way up and around that we took the first time we came in here with Ray & Carol. They will go for a drive and check out the creek crossing and then decide on Saturday as they need to head out before the rain on Sunday. We are heading out Saturday too as we need to get water and more food. The other couple are staying here.

The wind is coming over the fireplace now so we went back inside for drinks. The sun is on the dining side of the camper so the heat is coming in through the window which is nice (19 degrees) while we play cards. Once the sun goes down though the temp drops and the heater goes on.

There were clouds building in the south again and are heading our way but there is no rain predicted. The wind settled down by 8pm which is good as the vinyl flaps about when it blows hard.

 

Mon, 28th July, 2025 Bush camp on Killara Station, north of Meekatharra, WA

9.4 degrees min, overcast and very windy again.

Rick texted to say he is near Charters Towers and will be home tomorrow. So glad he had a great time and safe drive home. He is very happy to have found some gold at Clermont too so had a nice little collection now.

We sent a text to Ray and Carol as they should be home now from their detecting time at Kurundi Station in NT. They replied that they were home and had a good time there. Will give them a ring when we get back to town. 

Blue sky is appearing through the clouds but the strong wind is still blowing. We stayed inside and read for a while longer with the heater going.

Steve spotted the one of the group wandering off over the flats from us. When we went outside we saw their vehicles on the other side of us and the others wandering through the trees there. Everyone wears bright shirts so it is easy to spot people in the bush.

After lunch we ventured out and continued gridding now there is more sun shining. The wind is still blowing but we have layered up and it isn’t too bad.

A small misty shower came over so we headed back to the camper for a cuppa. 

Steve went back out while I rang Rebecca back. Had a lovely chat with her - nice and hot in Cairns, 28 degrees today. Their winter is over.

Inside for drinks and cards with the heater on as the wind hasn’t let up.

By dinner time the wind has died down and there is more blue sky than cloud now.

Sun, 27th July, 2025 Bush camp off Ashburton Road, north of Meekatharra to Bush camp on Killara Station, north of Meekatharra, WA (Wendy & Matthew’s birthdays)

5.4 degrees min, clear sky. No phone reception here so will sent birthday messages later.

Cold breeze when we went out wandering. Only a bit of rubbish for me. Steve came back with a pretty polished rock with stripes to add to our collection of special rocks.

Had a cuppa then packed up and headed back out to the highway. When I got phone reception I sent off birthday messages. Wendy replied that she is having a lovely day so far.

Decided to give the crown land with small pending lease one last go as it has been a good spot to us so far. Got to the second water point and someone must have come out when we had that ran as they have dug up the track. Water is still laying in the grooves they left but we found dry ground around the wet areas. It’s a shame when people do that as it makes it harder for the pastoralists as this is low red soil country. We always watch the weather forecast and know if it going to rain to get out before or be prepared to wait a while till it dries up.

After we turned off at next water point some emus joined us for a jog along the track.

Back into where we were camped before. Saw two vans a bit further over so drove over to meet them. Two couples from Perth - fairly new to detecting so we told them where we had found gold etc. One chap had been lucky and had found a 3.4g nugget and a quartz specie with gold in it so they were happy. That’s a good sign at least that there might still be more out there for us.

We went back to where Steve and Rick had down some chaining on the flats and set up camp over some of their chain lines. There is a quartz marker at the front of the truck. Hope that’s a good sign.

While I made our late lunch Steve got some firewood and made his quartz fireplace. He found a beautiful clear crystal rock too. I added it to the pretty one he found earlier.

It is still windy but the sun is shining as we went for a detect. We decided to continue chaining this area as the gold is well spread out and you have to be lucky to find them by just random wandering. We attach a rope off our harnesses and it has a small bit of chain at the end which drags along the ground marking where we have walked so we can cover the ground more effectively.

The wind has gotten stronger and clouds that were building in the south-west are starting to come over us. Forecast is for 1mm of rain tonight or maybe in the morning.

Steve had set up the fireplace on the non-wind side of the camper so we were able to sit outside for drinks but after the sun set it got too cold.

Spag bol for dinner - I miss our family dinner nights with Mum & Dad. We have plenty of memories of all the laughter while we all played cards etc.

After dinner a sprinkle of rain fell then the storm front hit us with strong wind. Feels like more wind than rain - or we hope so at least. It went on for a hour or so then settled down.

 

Sat, 26th July, 2025 Bush camp on pending lease to Bush camp on pending leases off Ashburton Road, north of Meekatharra, WA

2.9 degrees min in the camper at 6.30 - no wonder I was cold even with the blankets etc. It is probably 0 outside as there are ice crystal forming on the aluminium surround of the roof.

The ice melted, then I dried it off with a towel, as the heater brought the camper up to a nice 20 temperature for breakfast.

Clear sky and windy outside as we packed up and headed back to the highway. We turned north to check out some more pending leases further up off the highway on the west side.

No luck there so after lunch we headed back south again to Ashburton Road and out to the pending lease we visited with Ray & Carol. I had found one little bit near a big quartz blow so we thought we would try our luck again. Some one has been through and fixed up the creek crossings.

There is a mine at the end of the track so we drove on to check that out first. No name or red markers on Trilobite. We saw a drilling company’s sign and as we approached the mine area we saw the drill camp. They must have fixed the road to bring the drill rig in. Makes us think of Jon as this is the work he does now but he is drilling for water. We don’t think it was a gold mine as there is a lot of small ironstone piles. Only a few bits of rubbish about to show that it was a mine site. It is a live lease any case so we headed back to our turnoff into the pending lease.

Followed our old wheel tracks back to the quartz blow and set up camp.

Steve went for walk with the 6000 for a bit. I read my book.

No joy for Steve so inside for drinks and a game of cards before dinner with the heater on of course.

 

 

Fri, 25th July, 2025 Bush camp on pending lease, north of Meekatharra, WA

4.6 degrees - ouch but not for long once I got the heater on. Clear blue sky.

We ventured outside after morning tea into the cold wind to take a photo of our campsite.

We went for a wander with our detectors. There is a bit of warmth in the sun when you face it but the wind is biting. I gave up after a while as it was so cold and I found no targets. Forecast for only a max of 13 degrees hence I wasn’t too keen on being outside. Steve did a big walk and came back with nothing too.

After a nice hot lunch we packed up and headed back to one of the spots Steve found gold in 2016 - before I got a detector.

I put a stew in the Ecopot for dinner while Steve took the 6000 for a walk on squeaky over his old patch. He came back with the tiniest bit of gold yet. The wind has settled and there is some warmth in the sun but I was happy inside.

After a cuppa Steve went wandering again and I worked on my blog and read.

Steve set up the fireplace so we can burn our rubbish and enjoy a drink outside. Willy Wagtail joined us, hopping around the firewood eating the termites.

6pm, it was down to 14 degrees in the camper so we put the heater on so we were warm for dinner after being warmed by the fire.