6.30am
21.3 degrees and a beautiful sunrise to greet our two year travelling
anniversary. We are both still loving this lifestyle and love our van and all
the amazing people we meet and places we see.
Put
our t-shirts on and Jeff took our photos to mark the occasion.
Packed
up and headed back down towards Nullagine to where Jeff found a few nuggets the
other day when he went looking for the spot he was told about by others at
Mosquito Creek.
We
had the windows down (as usual) and I head a hiss noise and thought it was coming
from the front. Steve said it isn’t a tyre and I said the front was fine. Then
I looked back and the back one wasn’t. Our turn for a flat tyre. Pulled off the
road and Steve got to work plugging it. Luckily we were off the road as a big
road train rumbled by. Another 4WD pulled up to check we were ok. Jeff realised
we weren’t behind anymore and came back to find us.
Back
on the road and we turned east just past Underwood Well – sent Louis a text.
Drove
through lots of bull dust to Trig Well. Jeff had tried to fix the pipe when he
was here as it had come off and no water was pumping into the tank for the
cattle trough. Someone has pulled it off again and the cattle had no water
except some sloppy mud which they were mushing in trying to get a drink. The
boys got the pipe back on and taped it up but there was no wind to turn the
windmill and pump up the water.
We
had a cuppa while checking out all the core samples dumped nearby and
discussing how we can help the cattle.
We
could see the water down the well so decided to drop down a hose and try and
pump it up with our spare water pump.
After
a few attempts with hose lengths then tying a rope on the pump and dropping it
further down the well we eventually had water going into the trough – albeit
very slowly. A couple stopped to chat (they are camped near where we are
heading). They said they had rung the pastoralist to say the hose was broken
and when we said we had fixed it and were pumping up some water, they asked for
some, but it is too slow to fill for them. She said they were there yesterday
and the water was pouring out everywhere so she put a sheet of iron so it could
flow down on the ground instead of back into the well – they could have
reconnected the pipe too!! They were probably the culprits in breaking the hose
connection as they said they took it off the top of the tank and twisted it
down to fill up their drums, hence putting pressure on the connection – some
people just don’t think!! They also said there were about 8 vans in here and
they were all moved on because they didn’t have 40Es for the exploration area
and some were camped on the actual mining leases. It is the same pastoral lease
as Mosquito Creek so maybe he kicked up a stink hence the mining department
coming down there too and moving people on (before we got there). They left to
find another well 17km up.
The
birds were enjoying the muddy pools.
Jeff
was cooling off under the tree.
Eventually
the trough started to fill and a few cows came closer. One slowly inched its
way over keeping a close eye on us. It drank for quite a long time before the
next one approached.
Then
the wind blew and the windmill started to turn (of course you can’t see that in
the picture!!) and pump up some water but only a couple of pumps unfortunately.
Other
cattle started to wander in for a drink. Unfortunately the pump wasn’t keeping
up with their big thirsts. Steve and Jeff watched on from under the shady tree.
A
good strong wind started and water started going into the tank but it will take
a few hours of pumping to fill it up enough to get it to flow into the trough.
I took a video.
We
did our best so hopefully the wind will keep blowing and fill up the tank. We
packed up and continued on past a mining lease. A big dry blower.
A
few open shafts were along the road. This one had a little stone cottage beside
it but not much remains of it now.
We
stopped where the others were camped and chatted again. They suggested driving
further along the track to camp or offered for us to park there with them. They
are on the edge of a mining lease (owned by the guy with the dry blower back
down the road) so we drove through the lease and pulled up where we thought
they said. I got online and checked it out on Tengraph and we were in his lease
so we made lunch then headed back. When we got to where they were camped they
had gone. They did say they were moving tomorrow but must have decided to head
off earlier. We pulled into their camp spot and set up.
They
had got some gold from the flats around the camp area so we headed off with our
detectors about 4pm when it was a bit cooler. I was the only winner with a
little nuglet.
As
it is so flat on this side (the hills on to the east) I got some lovely sunset
photos.
Steve
got the fire going and we had late drinks in the cool of the evening. Got all
the windows and vents open now!! Steve cooked the steaks using the lid of the
camp oven in the fire and I did up some vegies so a quick and easy dinner. Enjoyed
our outdoor shower till the cool breeze blew!!
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