2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Fri, 19th August, 2016 Bush camp, near Black Shepherd Mine, 60km N of Nullagine to Bush camp, 15km S of Marble Bar, WA (Secret WW2 Airbase, Corunna Downs)

7am 17.6 degrees – a lot colder this morning with that cold howling wind. I had said to Jeff yesterday that I don’t put the jumpers away as the weather changes quickly. Should have known not to change the sheets too!!

Packed up in the wind. Farewell photo with Jeff.

We all headed back to the Trig Well to see if it is full. The poor windmill would have been going crazy with this wind. It is full up. Glad the boys fixed the pipe back on or all that water would have been wasted.

Needs some maintenance though as there is a leak in the tank.

The cattle have lots of water now.

Waved bye to Jeff as he headed south.

We turned north again and headed back to Marble Bar. Spotted two kingfishers in a tree as we headed into town – such beautiful colours. Stopped at the park to top up with water and dump the toilet. Had a cuppa on the green grass of the park watching a bird (looks like a butcher bird) go through the rubbish bin.

Back down the track passed the 4 Mile Mine Detecting area and turned off onto the track leading to the Salgash Mine 1 where we had found the gold on the hillside. Parked behind a little hill that has a couple of mine shafts in it.

Went up for a look.

We are not too far off the road – you can see the dust of a car going past.

Looking back to our van and then across to the hills we crawl up and down and through creek beds to get to the detecting spot.

The wind has dropped a bit but we decided to go sightseeing and go detecting tomorrow. Drove further south then turned off to the Secret WW2 Airbase on Corunna Downs Station. The sign back at the Marble Bar road said 35km but there has been no other signs since then but we followed the track on the Hema and got to the right spot. At least there is a good sign here.

Followed the road in till we found the taxiway.

Further up the road you can see the crossing of the main airstrip.

Stopped for a photo – looking east down the strip. Then west over the truck.

Drove to the western end where the workshop used to be.

The taxiway meets the airstrip here.

A disc on the side of the strip said ‘gun pit 20 metres’. Wandered through the spinifex till we found it.

Looking back down the airstrip – a mirage in the distance, looks like water.

Headed down the strip to the other end (2 km) where the wind sock used to be.

The other airstrip is shorter (1.4km) and it goes north to south, crossing the east west one.

The taxiway runs off the end of it. Steve got the truck wound up and we tried to take off but ran out of strip before we had to turn left into the taxiway, got to 120km/h – should have tried it on the longer one!! Took a video.

Followed another track through the Army Camp area – nothing left here, except more gun pits.

Back down the main strip again – looking to west.

Stopped to check out a sign – the site of the Wireless Shed and another Gun Pit.

Back onto the track that ran across the air strip and headed towards the hill where the airforce personnel were housed.

Using the other map we figured out this was the hospital – Steve found a loo.

Up on the hill was a Bofor Gun site (wherever that was).

Continued past more concrete slabs of the Air Crew Quarters and Ablutions Blocks till we found the Workshop and Kitchen Mess area. Lots of junk strewn everywhere.

Followed the track up onto the hill, past a small slab for a water tank and onto a flattened area on the other side of the hill. Looking back over the airstrip area and then around to the east over the Small Bore Rifle Range etc. There is a creek running along the end of the airbase area which according to the Hema Map has a pool.

Zoomed in on the rifle range.

Turned around and took photos over the creek then around to the mess and workshop area.

Steve parked in the kitchen. He found an old stove, washing machine and fridges.

We think this might have been a bomb holder.

I walked further along and found the Workshop area.

Back along the track then took the turn around the bottom of the hill passed the Nurses Quarters, Canteen etc – a few slabs and lots of spinifex. Around to the other side of the hill to the Picture Garden area. The serviceman, Ernest Cook, who started it sadly died when he fell from a truck here.

Inside the capsule was his service records etc.

Back to the main road where we passed the Aircraft Bays where the planes were sheltered. Dirt was pushed up in a half circle to protect the aircraft.

Headed back to the turnoff then followed a track to find Owen’s Gully as per Doug Stone’s gold book. He has the worst maps and directions in his book!! Drove up and down hills and through creek beds but didn’t find anything that looked like scrapes etc to detect. Fabulous ridges though.