Fri, 7th Nov, 2014 Slaty Creek Campground, Creswick Regional Park

Slow morning as the temperature had dropped to 11 degrees. Good to be back in my bed. Steve went off detecting so I stay huddled in the van doing my blog – who took so many photos!!!

Went for a walk around the campground. You can see where the old timers turned over all the land looking for gold. A lot of people still pan for gold here.

Lovely big trees – but there are a lot falling down. Looked for koalas but didn’t see any.

Steve only found 2 little pieces of gold at Paddys Range State Park near Maryborough – a little bigger than the Notleys ones, so he is feeling very disheartened about it all. (that is my thumb)

So I said we are even with what I spent going to Melbourne – well my trip was still a lot cheaper than the detector but there is still hope he will find more gold somewhere!!! I only have memories.

After lunch went for a drive – same as Notleys – roads and tracks going everywhere. Steve said the other place was the same. Glad he has a good sense of direction. This area has been heavily turned over with a lot of prospectors gold panning and using sluices in the old days to find their gold.

He took me to a spot where he found 4 round opening shafts therefore made by the Chinese. Some are still about 20 foot deep. He said you have to keep your eyes open because some have been covered over by the fern growing everywhere and you could just step in one and disappear – Great!!!

One had foot holds cut in – maybe a smart old timer or someone lately has been down for a look. 

Lonesome pine

Found some old pottery – Steve has found an unusual belt buckle, old bottle that says Reed Bros, Bendigo and a top off a pottery bottle or urn.

Lots of lovely little flowers around.

Old time bottles and modern plasma TVs on the ground.

Lots of quartz everywhere.

Spied a koala in the tree – haha – this is the Koala Sanctuary but the fence they put in didn’t stop them getting out – we didn’t see a real one and it looked very dry. They planted lots of Manna Gum for them.

  

Warming up – it was 30 degrees in the van and we only started the fire at 7pm to sit around to have dinner. It was 27 degrees when we went to bed. The weather changes so quickly.