Tues, 19th July, 2016 Bush camp near Sandy Creek, east of Nullagine, WA

7am 17 degrees – a lot warmer this morning.

Headed off back along the main road towards a big mine area but turned off before and headed across up and down the cleared areas and the spinifex then across Camel Creek. The trees are starting to bloom. 

Stopped to check out an old mine area. The big funnel sucked out the dust etc from the underground mine. 

Walked down to check it out. 

The structure was still intact over the shaft. I put the flash on – it’s a long way down. 

Good view from the top across Camel Creek and the hills. 

Zoomed in on the open cut mine in the distance. 

Spotted two other vehicles and then two chaps detecting so continued on and found a spot to detect. I stayed around the trucks and the boys wandered off. I got a loud signal down in the creek bed and thought I was onto something as it was stuck down in the shale. Unfortunately it turned out to be some lead. As I meandered thinking it was nearly coffee time – I don’t have the same long term determination as the boys, I got a really loud signal. I thought it was rubbish again but dug it any case and was rewarded with a lovely flat nugget.

The boys only got rubbish so we headed back to camp for lunch. We stopped at and old timer’s open mine for a look. Not deep but imagine digging all that out with a shovel. 

Headed off this time in the other direction and wandered up and down the slopes but no luck for any of us. Steve got hold of the camera to get a photo of me detecting – last one he took was from the rear so hence it didn’t make it into the blog!! The flies hadn’t arrived yet so I didn’t have my other fashion accessory – my fly net. 

He took a couple shots of Jeff wandering over the cleared areas.

Drove back towards camp then turned off to an old mining camp area – lots of rubbish here.

Jeff checking if he can use that pole to extend his aerial.

The poor old van has seen better days.

Back to camp to weigh all the gold – sadly only 0.26 grams, but at least it is gold.

I had texted Erica and she rang so we had a lovely chat. They had been to the Mundubbera Church Centenary celebrations as they were married there and became celebrities as they were the longest married couple there, nearly 59 years.

Steve and Jeff wandered off to try and get something for their jars today. I said they should go over where I raked all the rocks. Steve didn’t get anything but Jeff came back with a little bit from another spot and said we should take the 2300 over as he had another murmur he wasn’t sure about. We all trotted over with the moon shining brightly and Steve had his head lamp on. I had my drink and when Steve tested the hole with my detector there was a signal. Should have had the camera as I was digging with the pick still holding my drink in the other hand. Eventually we dug out a lovely little nuglet which we gave to Jeff as he first detected the sound. It weighed 0.4 grams. Steve went back over where I had raked as he had got a couple of murmurs with his detector but they didn’t turn into gold.

We were sitting by the fire when Steve said ‘what’s that in the sky’ and we watched a big white light move very face from west around to the east level with the horizon, just above the top of the hills, then it disappeared from sight over a hill. Didn’t hear any noise or see any explosions so we think it must have been a meteorite but going across rather than falling down like most ‘falling stars’ do. It was quite amazing. I rang Mum and Dad to see what Dad thought. Will have to see if there is any mention on the news tomorrow.

Just starting to cool off at 8pm.

Mon, 18th July, 2016 Bush camp near Sandy Creek, east of Nullagine, WA

7am 10.4 degrees and lovely clear sky again. Just a light breeze.

The boys headed off to find new area to detect. I drove down to where Jeff found a very nice nugget a few years back. He also found a little one there the other day. Unfortunately all I found was a bullet and old tins!!

Then I headed back and took the rake up to Jeff’s patch and mine now too. 

I scraped all the rocks from around my ‘I found gold’ piles to see if I can get any more. So disappointing to get nothing for all my hard work. So glad we have our fly nets as they are getting very annoying now it is getting warmer. 

The boys came back and Steve found two little bits of quartz with a slither of gold hanging off each. Jeff only got one little nuglet.

The boys headed off to Mosquito Creek to scout out where to camp. I rang Mum and Dad and all is well there now which is a relief. They have been having a lovely time reminiscing with the Munce family.

Lovely warm day, at 3pm it was 29 degrees in the van with the windows open with only a light breeze. So nice to be back in singlet and shorts for the daytime. Still gets chilly at night. Went up the hill to do my uploads. Someone was burning off some spinifex in the distance – very naughty.

The boys were back. There are a heap of vans and detectors up there so I hope there is enough gold to go around too. A lot of people tend to keep coming back to the same spot each year with the newer detector and just keep going over their old patches. We will head up on Wednesday and there is some phone reception there so should be right.

This detecting lark is very tiring – so glad I prepared dinner earlier. Looked at the maps etc again while we had our drinks around the fire.

The moon is nearly full and lights up the sky but I did see a huge falling star – it was so bright as it burnt out.

Sun, 17th July, 2016 Bush camp near Sandy Creek, east of Nullagine, WA

7am 9.5 degrees, still put the heater on though it was nice outside as there wasn’t any wind to chill you.

I have got the gold bug so I was off detecting by 8am. Steve headed off in the truck to try and find some bigger nuggets. Jeff went for a wander and I headed to his patch. I slowly gridded it and got some targets which I put rocks around so Jeff could check them with his detector.  When he came back I called him up and he couldn’t get any signal with his machine over my target. I had two together so I dug them up and then found there were two more right beside each other so got 4 out of one spot which was right beside where he had dug some. At least I am not taking his gold as he can’t detect these ones. Each detector has its own special thing – mine is little bits in mineralised ground!!

I had another target so I let Jeff use my detector to dig it out. At least he has his first one for the day. He headed off in his car and I carried on. In the end I got 8 nuglets for 1.35 grams.

Steve came back with 4 nuglets (smaller than mine I might add) and a piece of quartz with the gold hanging off one end. 

Poor me, still have to do the domestic duties even though I am out slaving getting gold too!! I had put a silverside on a breakfast so we had that and salad for lunch then I put a lamb stew in the Ecopot. Not much family tree work getting done now I have gold fever!!

I headed up to Steve’s patch and got 5 more off that for 0.75 grams so 2.1 gram total for the day.

Steve got 1 more then he took my detector for a spin and came back with one from right beside my 4 in a row in Jeff’s patch!! Nobody gets it all. Jeff didn’t have any luck detecting so went for a drive up to Mosquito Creek where we will head to next.

Another lovely night by the fire then into the van to write up my blog.

Sat, 16th July, 2016 Bush camp near Sandy Creek, east of Nullagine, WA

7am 8.7 degrees – heater on today. Clear sky but still windy.

23 months on the road.

Sent Steve Foster a text for his birthday.

Bit of a slow start to my gold collection with only one bit of lead shot to show for the morning!! I wandered up and down a few slopes but no luck. Jeff got 12 nice size nuggets off one slope so after he had finished I asked if I could go over it with the 2300. I got 2 by lunch then 4 more before smoko so I was happy. My biggest one was 0.37g. 

Jeff said if I get anymore to let him try his detector over it before I dig it up. Steve only got one little one.

Still windy but a lot warmer, 25 degrees in the van. I reached my 1 gram for the day so put my batteries on charge and went up the hill to do my blog upload etc. Got an email from Jetstar and they have changed our flight times by an hour which doesn’t worry us.

The boys kept detecting. Jeff got one more and Steve got 5 from a spot where I had dragged  my chain around the edge and the gold was in the middle!! He then got one more off Jeff’s patch giving him a total of 1.89grams for today. 

The wind has stopped so Steve went back to the creek and got some firewood. I dug out the pit then we put the detector over it, just in case there was gold hiding under there. Great to have a fire again. 

Beautiful clear night and I was still in my shorts – so nice by the fire but it didn’t take long to get chilly again.

Fri, 15th July, 2016 Bush camp near Sandy Creek, E of Nullagine, WA

7am 13.5 degrees so didn’t put the heater on but after we got up I realised I probably should have!! Still windy outside but the sky is still clear and blue.

Jeff headed back to explore his mine area more. I went back to my patch and Steve worked another area nearby.

I got 5 ‘hellos’ off my patch before smoko then nothing so I moved further up the slope. Still nothing so moved back down and further across towards where Steve was working. I got a loud signal that I thought was rubbish but dug up anyway as you never know and guess what it was a nice little nugget. It was more of a ‘You Hoo’ sound and he got my attention. Steve called out that he had a big piece so ran over to check out his – it was a lovely nugget.

Back to my spot I got another ‘You Hoo’ in a flattened area of spinifex and I dug up a little round flat piece. Steve beat me with another nugget that had quartz in it – very nice – we would like more of that size.

A 4-wheeler zoomed by but didn’t stop to say hello. Back to the van for open grill sandwiches – we both qualified for them today. Of course I had to make them as Steve’s gold weighed more!! Got out the scales for the weigh in. Steve’s two nuggets weighed in at 7.01 grams, my 8 nuggets came to 1.53 grams!! If he can continue with the bigger nuggets I am quite happy to be picking up the little ones!!

  

Steve got out his rake to clear away the spinifex around the area where he got the two nuggets – played hide and seek with a little snake too!! I worked my way around the cleared areas and then got a light ‘hello’ next to one of my drag marks from when I first walked up!! A nice little round nuglet. Walked back across my patch to try up the other side and got one more nuglet. That gave me the 10 for the day and my shoulder said it was time to rest. Got to spend some time doing my blog etc. My total for the day was 1.96 grams for the 10 nuglets. More than happy with that. 

Steve went back to detect his cleared area. I walked up the rise with my camera. It is quite pretty around here. 

Zoomed in on our camp just east of Sandy Creek (the taller treed area). 

Walked back to see how Steve was going. This is his pile of raked spinifex. 

Still working the cleared area. 

He got another nice one out of that hole. All three bigger nuggets were in a row a few feet apart.

Jeff came back empty-handed unfortunately. He didn’t see the 4-wheeler but saw his tracks. He hasn’t come back this way.

Weigh in time – for the gold, not us. Steve’s 3 bigger nuggets and four little ones came to 11.25 grams. Now we are making some money!! 

 Took close ups of this biggest one (4.31 grams).

Temperature drops quickly once the sun starts to set so back into the warm clothes and into the van. Luckily we have stew left-overs tonight as we are both a bit weary!!