Wed, 7th Mar, 2018 Elachbutting Rock, east of Bonnie Rock to bush camp, near Mount Jackson, WA (exploring)

Cooled off eventually in the early morning. Had to pull up the sheets in the end. 6.30am 23 degrees, clear sky. Lots of tweeting birds.

Margaret and Bob had already been up the rock – early birds. We headed up after breakfast. The ‘wave’ is on the other side but this side has a pretty good one too – more of a high dumper I reckon. Further around from Steve.

Along the other direction. My turn for a surf.

Climbed up onto the rock. Looking down on the ‘wave’ area then over our camp spot.

Found a few water holes rejuvenated after the recent rain.

Top of this section of the rock is quite up and down. Heading to the cairn so we can added another rock to it.

Looking over the other side then over the fields with tree windrows.

 Then around to the other end of the rock and around towards the other end though it goes on for a bit more than we can see. 

Headed that way to find the 4WD track we passed. First we had to cross a valley.

Then the rock continues on.

Found the track which comes up onto the rock and around to an open space above where we first pulled up last night – you can see the straight road coming to the rock.

Continued around to the same valley we crossed before but on the other side of the rock then we headed towards the other end.

Bit of a crack in the rock.

Some interesting rock formations up here.

More pools as we headed to the other end.

Turned around to head back. Spotted some other campers below and called out ‘good morning’. Heading down – big section of caprock waiting to fall off one day!!

Down to the van again. Wandered over with Bob and Margaret to check out the Pioneer Well. It has water in it and there is a trickle running down the edge of the stones.

Checked the map again then packed up and drove around ‘the correct way’ to the other side.

Parked up then walked in to the edge of the rock. Monty’s Pass one way and the Wave the other.

Bit narrow to get to it as the trees have grown up.

Steve found a great seat.

Found an interesting curve in the wall – sent Steve up but it was a bit steep.

Looking along the rock towards the ‘wave’ section.

Continued on to the 40 metre narrow passage created by the big hunk of caprock sliding off the main rock. Pretty cool and dark but only Steve found the rock in the middle of the path!!

Looking back to the entrance.

Steve is nearly out the other end.

I turned on the flash to get a shot of the inside as it was too dark to see.

Out the end where we looked up to see a bit of the rock they call ‘Finger Rock’ which snapped off the other side and the slab we just passed beside.

Continued further around to an amazing acoustic cave called ‘Kings Cave’. I sat at one end and whispered to Bob – took a video of it too. It is like the Whispering Wall, the dam we visited in SA with Margaret and Gary.

There was a hole at Bob’s end which made a great window.

Looking back to the other end where I was sitting before.

Looking further around the rock slope.

Back to the ‘hidden’ entrance to Monty’s Pass. Steve reckons they could remove a couple of the rocks to make it safer for us ‘grey nomads’!!

Back through the tunnel and out into the sunshine again.

Back to the sign then along the track to the ‘wave’. The boys were having fun.

Walked to the far end – looking back and up onto the rock.

Back to the vans and trucks and we headed back along the track to Beringbooding Rock. Not sure about the B&B accommodation. Apparently there is a real one around here.

Stopped for a cuppa in the nice picnic area – also camping which running water for the toilet as there is a huge water tank here. The water is caught using the walls we have seen on other rocks and funnelled into the tank which can hold more than 8.5 million litres. It is the largest rock water catchment tank in Australia.

Noticed in the information it mentioned Monty Masefield who said he was the only settler east of Yanoning Rock in 1942 after lots of other farmers left. Probably who the ‘tunnel’ was named after at the other rock.

Through the gate and up to the channel that feeds the water into the tank. Stepped over the wall to check out the other side of the channel – needs a good clean out.

The roof needs a lot of repairs. We could see the water in it – looking quite full too.

Amazing bit of engineering putting up these walls so that the water flows around to this one point.

Climbed straight up – more little walls to stop the soil from eroding away.

Continued on to the rock cairn which marks the survey peg that H.S. King left in 1889.

 My turn to add the rock.

Zoomed in on Elachbutting Rock in the distance.

Great view from up here.

Spotted the Balancing Rocks but didn’t go down and push them over.

A pool and ‘garden’ are walled off so the rain runs down to the channel leaving the plants to grow etc.

Followed the wall around to Kangaroo Hole.

The mud nest is protected as the water would fall like a waterfall over the rock.

Walked around to the other side. Makes a great echo too.

To the left it looks like the caprock is nearly ready to slide off.

Continued along the wall edge and back to the tank. Interesting tapering as they built the tank.

Headed off again and this time we turned into the old 1930s townsite of Bonnie Rock. There is camping allowed here behind the hall and access to the toilets. Only the Hall remains with information and signs showing where who lived where.

On the other side is the railway line and huge grain storage area.

Headed back towards Mukinbudin. The grader and roller drivers are hard at work this morning fixing the road. No Stop-Go people here. We just followed along till they finished then they waved us by.

Stopped to check out the racehorse – he was running along nicely with the wind blowing the windmill today. I took a video.

Bob remembers coming out this way to do a shed and said it was a station that was like a town and had its own butchers etc. This is the station.

Stopped at the next historical site which was the gateway constructed in 1947 by Stan Goodchild.

Nearly back in Mukinbudin when I saw a drive-in theatre. Doesn’t look like it has been used in a while.

Topped up the fuel tanks at the 24hr depot. Went back to the park near the Men’s Shed to have lunch and check out the big tractor on display.

I walked around to the intersection to check out the huge silo which was built in 1949 by Jack Jones.

Drove around to the main street – the old pub needs some loving.

Steve had found a hut next to the railway station which had some photos and information. The present Shire was settled by pastoralists who, in the 1870s, took up large leases in excess of 20,000 acres to run sheep, as well as Sandalwood cutters and miners en-route to the goldfields. The main industry today is broad-acre crop farming and large scale sheep production for wool and meat.

Interesting group. Not sure what that is about.

Headed east. Stopped to check out another history sign about Pope’s Hill. Colonel Pope and returning soldiers who contributed greatly to the development of farming land in the Lake Brown area (nearby), which was the first large scale Soldier Settlement Scheme in WA.

The ‘Lone Pine’ is growing well.

Into Bullfinch which is quietly waiting for another goldrush. The Bullfinch Exchange Hotel is looking lonely.

Found some info in a very ‘open’ park – no shade shelters, just a playground.

Turned north onto a dirt road towards Mount Jackson. An emu darted out in front of us but disappeared quickly into the bush.

Lots of salt lakes which are part of the big Lake Deborah lake system.

Past Mount Jackson and the big mining around around it. Crossed the Haul Road with Stop signs and big lights.

Found the pending prospecting lease I had marked and found a track in to a cleared area. Set up camp and settled into our chairs for a drink. 

As it got darker Steve decided to walk with his Garmin GPS to check the boundary points when a vehicle came along the road and turned into the track. It was the chap who has applied for the lease and when Steve saw his face he recognised him from the Aussie Prospector series we had watched on Fox when we were home. He was the one with the big dry-blower called Godzilla. That’s two people from the show we have met now. He was fine with us being there – well he didn’t have a choice as it is pending therefore we can legally be there. He said his application was being opposed so he  reckons he probably won’t get it any case. He left to head back to his camp.

We had dinner outside watching the stars come out and the satellites whizz overhead. Saw a few falling stars so made some wishes.

Certainly was a hot day and it is taking a long time to cool off this evening. Cold showers again tonight.

By bedtime though it was a comfortable temperature.