7am
16.5 degrees, clear sky. Lots of noisy birds. One bird makes a very unusual
squawk and Steve wonders if it is the Bower Bird – sounds a bit like a rattle
gun. He posed for a couple of photos – will have to look him up.
Headed
back to Halls Creek on the highway. Saw a van off the road with lots of stuff
around it and doors open. Slowed down to see if they were ok and there was a
chap sitting on a box at the back playing his guitar. He had hit a roo and its
paw through something and now the engine won’t go. He had rung around towing
services but they wanted $1200 to get him from Halls Creek. He was recharging
his phone to make a few more calls. He would have accepted a lift but we didn’t
have any room. He was foreign and thanked us and commented that this was known
as the ‘Murder Highway’ but so far he had 6 vehicles stop to offer him help.
Into
Halls Creek. I got Phil and Kylie on the phone this time. They are heading to
Coral Bay and have had a great time so far.
Checked
out the Liquor Shop – only sell 25% strength beer and that’s it, so no grog for
Steve. I still have some wine left.
Filled
up the fuel and loaded up with food again for a couple of weeks. Headed 50km
west on the highway through flat open country then turned off onto Old Ballara
Road and followed the track down to where we have our 40E permit to detect
around Mt Dockrell (Ray and Carol’s suggestion).
Pastoral
stations around Halls Creek have been handed back to the Aborigines and are now
‘communities’. Past some horses and a donkey near the old homestead of Old
Lamboo. Further on we came across lots of cattle near a bore and yards. Little
hills and gullies and a few dry creek beds to cross. Saw an emu as we came
across another bore, yards and cattle. Crossed a deep sided creek then found a
shady tree to have lunch under. Some cattle were grazing nearby and one white
one started to come towards us then just stood there and watched us the whole
time.
Continued
on through the hills and white quartz blows.
Brolgas
wandered along near a creek and old windmill.
Mt
Dockrell came into view (498m).
The
mark on the Hema for the Mt Dockrell mine is near this big quartz walled hill.
Followed
the track around it. Another China Wall.
Back
to the main track and further along we found an old camp.
Across
the creek was the processing plant.
Nearby
a poor old truck slowly falls apart.
We
went over the creek and tried to follow a track then had to make our own (low
range 4WD) trying to reach the GPS mark Ray had given us. Found a spinifex
clear bit and parked up for the night. We were on the other side of the quartz
hill. This area was burnt a year ago so the spinifex is only little.
Quite
breezy and hot in the sunshine but nice in the shade. Steve went off detecting
while I did some more of my blog – so much to catch up on. Our route today.
The
sun set over the hill at 5pm. No joy for Steve.
Lovely
evening, 7pm 26.7 degrees. Moon looking large as it climbs up over the
hillside. Clouds are coming over from the east.
Lovely
balmy night – even took the big blanket off.
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