Wednesday 13 February 2019

Sun, 10th Feb, 2019 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA



7am 24 degrees, clear sky and cool NE breeze. Some cows and their calves are enjoying the hay in the yards.

Rob texted asking us to check how much water is still in 10 Mile Pool. We headed down following our windy track to the pool. All dry here with little green shoots popping up. Looking north then south.


Steve found an emu track.

A bit further south I found a puddle full of tadpoles, don’t think they will last much longer.


Further on we found the remains of the pool water.

A flock of birds in the tree.


Still nice green grass here for the cattle.


Steve thinks a roo has been digging down here for something and found the water.


Steve pointed out a dingo track then I took the cow track since we were into spotting tracks.


Headed back, will email these photos to Rob.

Stopped at Glens Bore to check on the pump. It was sucking air again so Steve turned it off. Hopefully the bore will refill and we can it back in a day or so.

Home for a cuppa watching the birds try and drink from the black bird/goanna bath. Steve remembered he saw a chook feeder in the chook pen so I got and he made it into a water feeder to hang out in the tree for the little birds.

Steve worked on the other generator again. He thinks someone put oil in the diesel tank hence all the smoke so he dropped out all the fuel and let it run – very smelly again. After a while it just shut down so he pulled it apart and found a cable had worn through and shorted out. After fixing that it seems to run better, just need to get rid of the smoking problem.

He found some conveyor belt and pavers to make moving the generators about in his enclosure easier – always thinking of how to make things better and easier.

Lunch time, 35 degrees with thin wispy clouds and only a light breeze.

We played 3 to Kings – I won today. 2pm up to 37 degrees. Of course that’s when I decide to clean the van!!

Continuing on with my jigsaw, nearly finished! Steve pulled the grid around near the yards to make a cleared track for when they bring up the semi to collect cattle later on.

Had a cuppa in the pool – lovely and cool. Towed the grid down the track towards Glens Bore to tidy up some of the lumps and bumps on that track. Couldn’t go all the way as there is a very sandy section and we know the grid just gets bogged in that.

Got a message from Jess and a photo of her new study nook. She has decided to go back to University to do a Bachelor in Allied Health. She has credits from when she started a nursing course which will go towards it. She can attend Uni as she is doing the Bar Manager job which is night work.

Had our drinks listening to the birds and cattle. More cattle are turning up and investigating the yards to get a drink and get at the hay. A kangaroo dropped in for a while. He just sat in the shade of the tree.

The grass is coming back after having a few good doses of water from the pod before we take it back to the windmill.

Steve found a 4WD Action video on the tablet of the them doing the Coach Track from Maytown to Laura which was very interesting. Another track we will do one day.

Very still evening – got both fans going but not overly hot. Kym had given me some of the steaks from a ‘killer’ she still had in the freezer. She said they were tough so I cooked them up in a curry in the Ecopot and they became lovely and tender. Very nice dinner.

Fabulous photos on Facebook comparing Tinaroo Dam. Dam at 34% in Nov 2016 and now full and overflowing. Amazing what a few metres of rain can change. 

Sadly for pastoralists in inland Queensland it has gone from bad to worse as the drought losses has now been replaced by death of cattle by flooding. So sad.

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