2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Mon, 3rd Apr, 2017 Karalee Rock campground 50km E of Southern Cross to 24hr RV Stop, Coolgardie, WA (Pipeline & Coolgardie history)

7.30am 19 degrees, clear sky and still. Packed up and said bye to Jim and Kay. Sent Rick Mitchell a birthday message for today.

Back onto the highway continuing east following the pipeline. Through more road works where the water truck was keeping the dust down.

Stopped at the site of ‘Gilgai’ the 7^th Pump Station rest area. Unfortunately it and the houses has been demolished due to asbestos. No. 2 pump station has also been demolished. Read the info and stories of the people who lived and worked here.

Continued along then turned off and followed the dirt road to the townsite of Woolgangie. The pipeline has gone away from the highway here. We followed the road that leads to a rock further north then we found a sign on another dirt track leading to the townsite. I walked down one side of the pipeline and Steve drove over the pipeline and down the track on the other side. There was a caravan parking sign but nowhere to turn around!! The track continues on to No. 8 pump station but is not recommended for caravans. We are parked where the railway line would have been.

Steve came over the ladder and we checked out the info and the remains of an old home. Very hard to photograph let alone read these shiny metal signs. In the summer of 1895 this railway stop ran dry so a telegraph was sent the Premier. Eventually special water trains were sent out then the pipeline was started to alleviate the problems across to Kalgoorlie.

Up and over the pipeline – looking to Woolgangie Rock which has a water catchment wall around its base too. The big water trucks have been coming in to get more water for more road works.

Lots of patches on the pipeline – each marked with an initial and date.

Steve found some space to turn around and we headed back. Zoomed in on the water trucks.

Back over the pipeline. Only some concrete foundations left of the telegraph station.

My brochure said that ‘Dedari’ No. 8 was open and had a caretaker but when we pulled into the rest area the information said it was now closed too due to asbestos. It is 5km off the road and we saw dust of another water truck going in to get water from the dam so we decided not to go in.

Continued on through Bullabulling. The tavern was established in 1897 but has recently closed. It is located at the base of another large granite outcrop which provided water for those on their way to the goldfields.

The new road is much nicer. Approaching Coolgardie we turned into the Camel Farm and spotted a couple in the distance behind the houses but the road was closed.

Coolgardie – the Mother of the Goldfields. The name Coolgardie is said to be derived from the aboriginal word ‘Collcaby’ which refers to the area’s mulga vegetation and gnamma waterholes. Over the years, Coolgardie has been known by various names such as Bayley’s Find, Fly Flat, The Old Camp and The Old Diggings. Coolgardie was the first settlement in the eastern goldfields. After alluvial gold was found in 1892, Coolgardie grew in 10 years to a town of 15,000 people, 23 hotels, 6 banks and 2 stock exchanges. The main street was made wide enough for camel trains to turn around in. The heat and isolation led to innovation, in this case that of the Coolgardie Safe, which used water and a breeze to keep food cool before days of electricity. Twenty-three buildings have been listed on the National Estate register.

Some interesting houses as we drive through. Wheels and beer can patio fence.

Drove around to the railway station where a 24 hour RV Stop is located. Saw a Bushtracker and through it was Greg. Chatted to the lady, Belinda. She and her husband, Max, detect and are from Qld. He was out on some pending ground trying his luck.

Set up then checked out the info about the railway station (1898-1979) which used to house a museum.

Peered inside.

Parked on the main street next to the park.

Wandered up and down the street reading all the information plaques.

Inside the museum housed in the Warden’s building, I checked out a replica of a nice nugget I would like to find, called Thunderbolt. Found in Kalgoorlie region in 2013, weighing 119oz.

The Golden Quest Discovery Trail starts here on its 965km trail up through the goldfields district and back to Kalgoorlie.

Continued on with the town plaques.

Very wide street.

Nice pressed tin ceiling in this old shop.

Don’t sit on the window ledge at Ivory’s Corner, est 1896.

More history.

Crossed the road to more hotels.

Lots of banks too.

Walked around Prior’s Park, an open air museum collected by Ben Prior throughout his life.

More info as we headed back to the truck.

Nice painted shovel.

Now that’s interesting.

More hotels.

Looking down the street to where we are parked (on the right).

Great play on words – Gold/Ghost Mining Town!!

Camels and water were very important in the old days.

The Warden’s house.

A ‘pool’ as tribute to C. Y. O’Connor.

Up to the Lions Lookout. The view Bayley and Ford first saw in 1892 as they rode in from Gnarlbine Soak looking over to where they first struck gold – the area they called Fly Flat (because of all the flies). This is the Bayley’s Reward Goldmine headframe.

Looking back over town, mine tailings dump which become new hills with Fly Flat behind that, then down below the lookout and then south to more mine areas.

Finnerty’s Dam made from a gnamma hole.

Another lovely home and garden.

Back to the van for a cuppa and chat with Mark and Belinda. They had their one night here so will keep heading towards Kalgoorlie. I said we will stop at Lake Douglas so might see them there.

Headed up to Lindsay Mine lookout – big open pit. Obviously not used any more.

Steve spotted some sparkle and got out his pinpointer to see if it was gold. It sounded off so he chipped some off and will crush it to see how much is in there.

I found more on another big rock – too big to throw in the truck!!

Drove back through town then down the Esperance Road to The Gorge. It was once a significant local water source prior to completion of the Perth-Kalgoorlie ‘Golden Pipeline’ in the early 1900s. Nowadays it is a popular picnic spot.