Thursday, 2 June 2016

Mon, 30th May, 2016 ‘Belly Plate Camp’, near Goodin Mine, 93km NE of Meekatharra, WA (exploring Pending Lease)


6.40am 16.6 degrees in the closed up van and no wind. Mackerel sky which made a perfect photo for sunrise.

Weighed ourselves and we are still being good so might treat Steve to some icecream tonight!!

Headed off to explore the Pending Leave 4km over as the crow flies but we haven’t found a road that follows crows. Headed down the track we followed yesterday. Stopped to show the others the lovely BBQ area near the dam.

Not the best tree for a bunch of pigeons to hide in!!


Drove down to the gate we found yesterday and went through then turned east following the fence line. Got to the end of the fence and went through the gate and then continued north along that fence line.

I had put in the GPS co-ordinates off Google Maps to plot the lease and Jeff had given me a mark his friend had said to try for gold. My GPS said go south, Steve and Jeff’s handhelds said north. They have a different format so I investigated and worked out that the car GPS was on degrees, minutes and seconds and theirs is on degrees and minutes so putting in the numbers he gave me put mine out by 500m. I pressed a few buttons and eventually found out how to change it to the same as theirs though will have to change it back when putting in marks off Google Maps – how confusing, why not just have one!!

Stopped for a cuppa and then the boys went off detecting while Lyn and I read our books. Unfortunately no big finds were forthcoming but Steve found this piece of quartz with a couple of spots of gold in it.

Drove over to where check out a mine mark on the Tengraph map but couldn’t find it though there is lots of scrapes here. Followed tracks trying to see if we could find a track back home but they petered out. Lots of 4wheeler tracks, whether detectors or mustering we weren’t sure. Continued north along the fence line till we got to Goodin Mine as marked on our Hema Map but we couldn’t find any mine just a little hill. Climbed up for a look around. Great view.

We could see the trucks going along the highway so we decided to head out that way and back along the highway to our turnoff. Back to the old mine area then Steve and I headed up to Internet Hill while Jeff and Lyn headed back to camp. Made a cuppa while Steve dug out the other rock hole. Got down to wet soil but it was getting narrower as it went down.

 

Steve went off detecting while I rang Mum and Dad then Erica and Terry for a chat. They are all doing well. The sun was starting to set when Steve came back with two little nuglets. We both enjoyed watching the sun make its magically colours on the clouds.




Back to camp where Jeff had the fire going so we put on our roast chicken and vegies for dinner. Weighed Steve’s gold on Jeff’s scales, 0.7g for the 2. One looks like a little bag of gold – shame it wasn’t a bigger one.

Roast was delicious and we both enjoyed our icecream tonight.

Sky has cleared and the stars are shining brightly tonight.


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