Tues, 23rd May, 2017 Malcolm Dam, near Leonora, WA

Didn’t wake or move all night. Very cold this morning though, 8 degrees at 7am so on with the heater.

Said hi properly to everyone then we got out the groceries etc and packed away my stuff etc. Lovely sunshine and no wind which makes it comfortable but don’t stand in the shade for too long or you need a jumper!!

Steve had taken photos while I was gone which I downloaded here. Good boy – he took photos of camp when they first arrived.

Heidi found a bath tub in the bush – needed a couple of holes plugged.

First bit of gold here for Steve.

Kev and Linda are happy campers with their bits.

Lovely evening sky with a little bit of moon over Malcolm Dam.

Looking back to camp from the other side of the dam and the dam wall.

Across the dam to Mt Malcolm.

Bath time for Heidi.

Steve found a big hot rock which made the detector sing. He crushed the rock with the dolly pot Bob made him and it was full of little specs of gold which added up. He was very happy.

Another big hot rock that yielded gold. Someone had raked the area and left it behind!!

Mr Goanna was happy to pose for a photo.

Lay day from detecting to change the van’s brakes.

Kev’s fireplace creation from bits and pieces found in the bush.

He found a nice little piece which he marked with his smiley face (copying off Robyn as it brought a smile to his face when he saw the one she had left behind last year). He drove back to the spot for a cuppa – the smiley is to the right of the truck.

The others went detecting so Steve took me for a sightseeing drive. Lots of birds using the dam.

Steve said the water was a lot higher when they came and people were getting bogged trying to drive around the edge.

He had much delight in pulling a Toyota out of here!!

We drove across the dam wall. Looking back from the other end.

Some info about the dam – created for the steam trains.

Drove out onto the Leonora-Laverton Road and headed east towards Laverton. Up a dirt track to a lookout. Looking east towards Laverton, across to a salt lake, then back towards Leonora and around to where we are camped at Malcolm Dam.

Back on the main road and further along we turned off to the old township of Malcolm – created as a railhead and it is still is but the township is long gone.

A few signs mark where the town once stood.

Crossed the railway line then back around to the other side of Malcolm townsite. Drove up a hill where a water tank once stood.

A new sign was put up recently with some great photos.

Headed back towards Leonora then turned off to check out a house on a hill. Lovely view and a lot of old shallow shafts on the top of the hill where there is a big quartz blow. Lots of rubbish too.

Back to camp. Bob is smiling – he has found his first piece of gold. He had tried one of Steve’s coils on his detector and it paid off so Steve got paid for the coil. Margaret had hers days ago so he was getting desperate!!

Steve crushed some more hot rocks hoping to pan off some more gold.

Drinkies time by the fire as the sun starts to set.

Dinner by the fire tonight though we need jumpers but luckily there is no wind so it isn’t too bad. The van is closed up so it was still 17 degrees when we went in at 9pm.