Thurs, 11th August, 2016 Bush camp, near Marble Bar, WA

7am 22 degrees, clear sky and a cold breeze so I had to close a couple of windows while we had breakfast.

Didn’t take long to warm up though. I continued working on the hillside and found three more rocks and two nuglets. Steve came back with nothing so he came up and dug out the ‘holes’ where I found the nuglets and rocks and I found one more nuglet and another rock.

The three nuglets nearly made a gram so with the other bits from the smashed rocks I am putting down 1.1 grams in my tally.

Went for a drive to investigate the area and try other spots detecting. Found a hole on the hillside. I thought that was it but then Steve peered in and saw the shaft went down under where we were standing.

Lots of green rock here too which is a gold indicator apparently.

Nice view from here too.

Continued along the tracks to another spot to detect. Spotted another caravan further down on the flats.

Not as hilly here as at Mosquito Creek but still very picturesque.

There was an old timer hole in the top of a hill and lots of other diggings. I wandered around the scrapes and Steve followed the ridge down. I went down a bank and slipped and fell but luckily only grazed my knee and arm. I had a few gangaloins (however they are spelt – little fluid lumps on my wrist) and the fall broke them up which was good. A doctor years ago when I had them hit them with a book to break them up so obviously he was right!!

No gold but I found some pretty flowers.

We continued on to try and find the Four Mile Mine. We drove up a creek area and I found a native hibiscus.

The bees were buzzing around them and these shrubs.

Jeff found us and we wandered up the ridge looking for the mine. Found some big scrapes etc and lots of rubbish. Looking back down the gully.

Left Jeff there detecting and we continued on exploring.

Back to camp at 5pm, it was 32 degrees in the van. We wandered over with our drinks for a chat with Ray and Carol.

Jeff came back saying he found the actual mine – lots of big shafts going into the hillside. There was a concrete surround around the main mine and the owner’s name was carved into it and the year ‘1972’.

Another lovely evening – we are enjoying this weather.