Sun, 30th Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA

6.30am 27 degrees, clear sky and gusty wind.

After breakfast rang Mum and Dad – still raining there – so lovely says Mum. Nice and cool too. A cyclone might form next week too.

Rang Griffo to wish him happy birthday. They are heading home from their road trip to Hervey Bay. They were in Rockhampton and the sun is shining there but they aren’t sure what lays further north regarding flooded rivers. Chatted to Wendy too, Sarah is in New York with friends ready to bring in the New Year with the big ball drop.

Decided to do some exploring as it is cooler in the truck with the air conditioning going. I forgot my camera so no photos. Found a big open cut mine (Wonder North Mine) and walked in for a look as it is unused at the moment. There are lots of exploration sample bags everywhere so maybe it will reopen. It is further down to the water than Jasper Dam so we won’t be going down it for a swim!! All the dirt from the hole is now a big hill beside it.

Drove around it and found some old shafts where the old timers dug with pick and shovel.

On the way back we checked out Teutonic Mine which was a couple of shafts. They filled with water so the pastoralist put in a pump and built tanks next to them with troughs for this sheep. Someone has a mining lease over them now though. These are all on Tarmoola Station.

Followed an old exploration track back home then had lunch in the pool. 38.2 degrees in the van. The water was cool as last night was a much milder night.

One thing being out here on our own is you don’t have to worry about what you wear or lack of clothes. Only the goannas and cows visit us.

I worked on my blog while Steve finished connected water to the old shearer’s quarters. There is a kitchen on one end and Rob has his gym gear set up in the other section along with a couple of beds.

Rang Kym and arranged our New Year celebrations. They went exploring to try and find a track up to the top of Penzance Hills which Darren had mentioned. They didn’t find a track – Darren has a helicopter so he probably just landed on top. It is a breakaway escarpment. Kym and Glen did climb up one spot which had a lovely sandstone cave and a great view across to the west which will be great for our sunset photos tonight.

Had our cuppas in the pool, again. North wind is very hot. 4pm 40 degrees in the van – late afternoon is always the hottest.

Relaxing arvo trying to keep cool. Both goannas, Cyril and Cedric, wandering about without a care in the world – getting very friendly. I am glad we have the screen doors on the cottage now otherwise I think they would move in.

Puffy white clouds coming over. Certainly nicer sitting on the verandah then inside the van at the moment. Had dinner outside till the mozzies drove us in.

10pm, 35 degrees with occasional breeze. Still comfortable sleeping with the evaporative fan blowing on us.

NO PHOTOS TODAY.

Sat, 29th Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA

Gusty cool breeze all night. 8am 25 degrees, clear sky and the breeze is still blowing (ESE).

Steve ‘fixed’ the hood on the old Chev then we wired it onto the body. Wired the doors closed and then hooked the winch to the back and towed it around a bit so we see more of the front from the verandah. Kym and Glen arrived and commented how smooth the track in is. They also thought the Chev looks great where we moved it as you see it first when you come into the camp area.

Had a cuppa on the verandah then headed down to Glens Bore. Steve hooked on the ‘track clearer’ and we followed our wheel tracks back into the pool. Made it.

We drove further down from yesterday where there was a bigger clearing for parking. Took some more photos of the lagoon. Will send some photos to Rob and of the things we have been working on around the camp.

Walked to the south end with Steve and Glen. Lots of green grass for the cattle.

Got to the end of the pool. Looking back up then to the dry end.

Akira, Kym’s dog, thought it was great. We now know the depth as she could run up and down it.

Went back to where we arrived yesterday then walked to the north end of the pool which wasn’t far up from where we had parked.

Steve spotted a couple of big emus but I missed them. Looking back down the pool.

Lots of big tadpoles swimming around.

Headed back to camp trying to straighten out some of the bends in the track depending on what trees were in the road! Kym and Glen headed home as the other worker is up from Perth and they are getting him to dig out a trench for the water pipes for the orchard.

Home for lunch, it was pleasant on the verandah so we didn’t need a dip in our pool. I worked on my blog and emailed Rob with the photos of the ‘Pool’ etc.

The wind changed to north east which is hotter. 2pm 35 degrees. Time for a dip.

Steve pottered about fixing things – he is trying to get the water connected back to the shower block for when they muster in March.

Had a cuppa then Steve went off looking for places to detect. I played games on my Tablet – bad news that, will have to ration myself as I could get addicted!!

Late dinner on the verandah, mozzies arrived just as we finished eating. The wind is gusty but has cooled off a bit.

29 degrees at bedtime – all good.

Fri, 28th Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA (finding 10 Mile Pool)

6am 27 degrees – so much better temperature, clear sky and light breeze.

Got up early for breakfast so we can head off early to do our bore run as it takes at least 3 hours. Will take longer today as we are putting in star pickets around the solar panels, bore and pipes on the tank to prevent the cattle and donkeys from chewing the pipes and cables. Found some of the culprits near Christmas Bore.

Steve got his exercise putting in the posts – I had a go, hard work. Ground looks soft on top but there is a very hard base underneath.

Next trip we will put the wire around to keep them out.

Home for lunch, nice breeze, 12.30 37 degrees. We sat out on the verandah as it was very pleasant except for a couple of flies. Cedric – the little goanna who lives under the verandah joined us for lunch. Wish I had my camera as he wandered by on the grass then looked up at us and put his front claws and half his body on the concrete then flattened out as if to relax. He sat for a long time poking his tongue out but wasn’t worried about us at all. He didn’t think much of my cherry pips and we had already eaten the lunch meat.

Drove back to Glens Bore to put in star pickets there too.

Decided to try and find 10 Mile Pool. Rob had tried to find it as it is marked as a permanent pool on the Hema. He will want to put yards there as if there is water then the cattle will hang around there. We can see his track on the Hema but it went a long way south then back up through the bush so we decided to go back to Glens Bore (named after Glen as he found it) and head east directly to it. Lots of twists and turns with Steve getting out to move logs etc. In the end I drove and he walked ahead moving obstacles. Eventually we arrived and it is long thin lagoon which is part of a creek. Goes for about 1km but isn’t deep.

The ducks think it’s good.

Steve wandered down to the south end and found some cows.

Nice rocky outcrop – good for a picnic but don’t think I will be having a dip here.

The end of the lagoon.

I drove back home winding out way through the trees. Will come back tomorrow with the arrow frame with some big tyres on top for weight to try and make a clearer path.

Home for drinks in the pool – very pleasant.

I got dinner going while Steve made his ‘track clearer’ and towed it down to Glens Bore. I rang Kym to let them know we had found it so they will join us tomorrow.

10.30 pm 30 degrees with a nice breeze – much better temperature for sleeping.

Thurs, 27th Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA (Jasper Mine Dam)

7.30am 32 degrees, strong southerly wind, cloudy sky. Very hot all night. It didn’t drop below 30 but we had a good breeze blowing in even if it was hot. Early this morning a shower of rain rushed over us – let a couple of drops on the ground.

I have downloaded some word games on the Tablet so have gotten hooked on them!!

After morning tea we packed up and headed down to Jasper Mine Dam to meet Kym and Glen for a swim and lunch.

First we stopped and checked out the old pumping station – on the map it also says Bore Field. Not sure if this was for the town or mines. There is a main power pole in the middle with 4 lines going of N,S,E,W. 

We are near Sullivan Creek – didn’t realise till I checked the map that it is Sullivan Creek that runs behind the main homestead where the big lagoon is at the moment.

Drove down onto the flat area where the machinery would have driven in and out of the open cut mine. The water is a lovely colour but we won’t be drinking it. The top is rocky but then quite soft under that. Glen cleared a walk way around the point then we dropped into the deep water on the other side. Need a grid, rope or a pontoon so we can get in and out easier but otherwise it was heaven.

After a lovely cool swim we had lunch then got hot enough again for another swim. Steve went for a wander with the camera. Glad I have my noodle.

Drove back to the homestead to pick up a few things and have a cuppa. The wind picked up the plane out of the tree and dumped it upside down.

Headed back home with fluffy clouds coming over. Back to camp by 4pm, 41.2 degrees in the van. Even the big fridge in the cottage is struggling so we will leave the generator on all night tonight.

Dark clouds moved over as we had our drinks in the pool – which wasn’t cool like the dam but it is still refreshing.

Cooked dinner in the cottage – trying to keep the heat out of the van.

As we watched a movie we could see lightning flashes in the SE.

Wed, 26th Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA

7.30am 33 degrees, breezy which made it ok for sleeping.

Graded the track again with the grid. The grid gets bogged in the soft sandy section but the rest is getting smoother.

Cuppa in the pool – hot wind blowing well so when you get out wet it feels refreshing.

Pottered about.

Midday 41 degrees in van. Steve decided to move the fire pit and make it ‘pretty’. He put it in a busted wheel rim for better support then put quartz rocks around the base – still needs a few more yet. Just the thing to do in hot weather!!

2pm 43 degrees. Steve set up one of the pop up sprinklers on a verandah post so the water can spray across the grass so I don’t have to move the little sprinkler as we don’t have heaps of water here and I sometimes forget about the little sprinkler.

Mr Bustard came for a visit at smoko. He wandered across towards the water tank then down the track where he knelt down then rolled in the soft sand. Did that a couple of times then wandered off.

Dark clouds blocking out the sun which has made it more bearable. Put ice in the pool for drinks as the water is getting a bit warm now.

Steve burnt our rubbish in his newly decorated fire pit – looks like the Olympic cauldron burning. Should have taken a photo.

Had dinner outside as it was cooler sitting out on the grass. Mum rang while we were having dinner so rang her back a bit later and we chatted about the weather there – rain, rain and cool 26 degrees and the heat here, 43 degrees and no rain.

Grasshoppers and beetles have covered the awning outside the van as we leave the fluoro on to keep them away from the door of the van.

10.30pm 35.6 degrees with 2 fans blowing and the hot wind blowing in the window – better than no wind I suppose.

Turned off the generator and put on the 12 volt evaporator fan which did the trick so we could sleep.

Tues, 25th Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA (Christmas Day with Kym & Glen)

Got up early to video chat with the boys and Mum and Dad but no one answered. Eventually I got Jess and she and Jon were still at home opening their presents. Daniel rang once he got to Mum’s so we then rang back once Jon had arrived. Had a lovely chat with our boys, Jess and Fran, Mum and Dad and Greg, Tracy, Matt, Tim and Katelin too. It is nice being able to see them all as we chatted. Miss them all so much but love our life together in the van.

Rang Brian’s phone this time for a video chat with Terry, Erica, Brian, Jodie & Bryan, Stephanie, Sam and David, Amanda, Bradley, Ben and Ella. Looks like they are all having a great time at Woodgate. The old table tennis table had died so Terry brought down the pool table from Bundy and after moving one of the support posts they are all having fun playing pool. David brought up his table tennis table which can go over the pool table so the table tennis competitions can continue – a true Woodgate tradition.

8am 30 degrees, clear sky and gusty warm wind. We played Skipbo after breakfast – I had a win for change, 2 games to 1.

Took our Christmas selfies – Steve said we were having a Christmas with a rusty Holden (Chev) ute, just like the Aussie Jingle Bells song.

Had a cuppa then packed up the food and drinks and headed down to the main homestead for Christmas lunch with Kym and Glen. It is starting to get hot now so we are pleased to be inside with the air conditioner going and we don’t have to share our lunch with any flies.

Had a great time and so much food – Kym made a Dutch dish, Kotel Skotel, which was delicious. Enjoyed our bubbly and stone fruit and of course yummy rum balls, rocky road and white Christmas. I bought cheap bon bons with terrible jokes and little stickers to put on the very big hats but we felt festive with them on.

We chatted about gold prospecting as Glen bought himself a better detector then we taught them to play Sequence and had 4 games, 2 wins for the girls and 2 for the boys – will have the decider another time.

We were so full we didn’t get to have the fruit cake I made and the icecream Kym made so we packed some up to take home. Kym had also made us homemade Baileys, corn relish, pasta sauce and carmel sauce to go with the icecream and she gave us a tub of the Polish dish as she had made far too much. Headed home at 6pm with dark clouds coming from the west with wispy fingers trying to drop some rain on us.

Got home as the wind picked up from the storm front but we only got a very light sprinkle of rain. Had a little bit of leftover chicken and wombok salad for dinner as we were both still very full.

9pm still 38 degrees in the van but there is a strong southerly wind blowing which makes it bearable.

10.30pm down to 36 degrees but the breeze is still nice so all good.

Mon, 24th Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA

7am 29 degrees, clear sky, SW breeze.

More lovely Facebook messages to read. Rang Val to wish her a lovely Christmas – having lunch with some of the family at her granddaughter’s place.

Put the fruit cake in the oven. Steve put the modified old screen door on so the cottage is all insect proof now. Had our cuppas cooling off in the pool.

I started the biggest jigsaw, 1000 piece, in case I need the room but apparently it is the same size as the 300 piece, just the pieces are cut smaller. Should be interesting.

Uncle John rang to wish has Merry Christmas from Aunty Jocelyn and himself.

Midday 38.6 degrees in the van. Only an occasional breeze now with a clear sky. Had lunch sitting in the pool – so glad we have this.

Clouds started coming over from the west about 2pm. The hot dry wind is back.

After smoko we dragged the grid to try and smooth out the track. There are two very sandy sections so when we got the grid bogged we were able then to flip it over and drag it with the narrow end so it didn’t pick up so much sand. Did a few more runs until ‘Pat’ decided he was hot enough. We cooled off in the pool too with our drinks.

BBQ dinner and there weren’t any mozzies about so we sat out on the lawn where it was coolest. Heavy clouds have blocked the sun set but they don’t look like they have any rain in them. The mozzies found us at last so we retreated to the van.

8pm 34 degrees in the van so got our evaporative fan and the new fan working. All good as the breeze was coming in the windows too. Our new cable to put the sound from the TV through the speakers in the van works well – so much better than straining our ears when the movie isn’t loud enough.

NO PHOTOS TODAY.

Sun, 23rd Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA

8am 28 degrees, breezy, sunny with wispy clouds.

Cut Steve’s hair – short on top this time.

Steve did the service on ‘Pat’ and noticed a leak on one tyre. Picked up a broken bolt somewhere – patched easily so all good. Tyres have lasted well.

Changed the oil on the generator – needs doing every 100 hours. As we run the genie 15 hours a day it needs doing regularly.

I made rum balls – crushing the biscuits with the spray oil tin. Then I prepared the 3 ingredient fruit cake – pinched Steve’s rum for both.

I made lunch (37 degrees in van) and we ate it in the pool – very nice. Cyril (Bob named him) wandered along the verandah and past the pool then meandered under the caravan checking everything out. Steve had put out the chicken carcass for him so he was probably seeing if there was any more.

High thin clouds building up to storm looking. The breeze blows on and off but it is quite pleasant.

Kerry and Brian rang to wish us Merry Christmas. They left Cairns in November and are now in Esperance, slowing down now to enjoy the scenery. Hopefully we will see them somewhere next year.

Rebecca and Clive sent photos of them cuddling Ava so I gave them a ring. They had a lovely time with their little granddaughter and things are going well for Ingrid and Aidan in NZ.

Kerry had sent a lovely video with Christmas music which I thought was so nice that I used it and sent it to all my family and friends on Facebook. Got lots of lovely messages back. Spent the afternoon chatting online with many of them.

Jess and Jon were out having dinner with her brother so she sent me some lovely photos. Daniel rang – he is busy building an enclosure near the back door so the cats can have some time outside. Fran will be off for 4 days so they will have some quality time together. Daniel doesn’t go back to work till the 7^th. He said the heat was bad in the shed where he works but he coped with it ok. Very humid today.

Rang Mum and Dad – all good there.

Heavy cloud blocking the sun as it started to set while we had another dip in the pool with our drinks.

7pm 35 degrees in the van – the fan is on to move the air though we get a breeze every now and then.

Still 31 when we went to bed but there is a nice breeze so all good.