Tues, 9th Sept, 2025 Bush camp on pending lease on Yerilla Station, south-east of Kookynie, WA (Westward Ho Mine)

9.4 degrees, overcast and still windy. Needed the heater on this morning.

We read our books as it looked so bleak outside.

After morning tea Steve ventured out while I finished my books. We have read some very good ones by lots of different authors.

After lunch the sun came out and the clouds thinned so it felt warmer. Steve went back out. I washed my hair then went to find him. No luck yet.

We walked to the old mine shafts. This one was just a mound of shale with the shaft in the centre.

Another one further along that was linked to this hole.

Very interesting how they built a wall and kept one side clear of dirt - maybe they dropped the ‘good’ dirt over the wall into a wagon or wheel barrow to process.

Next one over was a mound top entrance but had a timber wall on the other side.

It was deep and completely lined with timber. Amazing amount of work involved. I certainly wouldn’t have gone down those shafts - no matter how much gold there was.

Looking across to the flat ground beyond the shafts.

Another shaft as we headed back to the camper. It has upright supports then just dirt wall below.

Around this lovely trees are heaps of old tins, bottles and other bits like this old drum (probably used to pull the ore up out of the mine) from the old prospectors who worked these mines. I wonder how much gold they got.

A few pretty flowers about too.

As we headed back to camp Steve got a signal and pulled out a little nugget so he was very happy with that.

We had a cuppa. I gridded his area and he went wandering again. Nothing for me but Steve came back with another nice nugget.

The sky is mostly clear now and still windy but not the strong gusts we have been getting. Still too windy and cool for a fire so we headed inside for drinks etc.