Sun, 16th Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA (4 years & 4 months on road)

Hot night, 5am still 29 degrees. Clear sky and no breeze.

7am a light breeze has brought the temp down to 26 degrees.

Mum and Dad rang – Cyclone Owen isn’t going to bring them any rain. Looks like it will all go south though they did get a good drop last night.

Made lunch for our day out. Going to check out some pending leases south west of us. Checked a couple of wells that Glen and Kym look after. On the map one was marked ‘historical’ but there was no info there.

First pending area was around an old mine camp where there was an old shed, dead cars and lots of old machinery. The pending area didn’t have ‘good looking’ ground and there were piles of big rubber things that are used in mines. Looks like someone is burning them to get the aluminium out of them. Would make a terrible fire!

Continued south to Mount Stirling Gold Mine. Nice view from the top of a hill.

Drove around to the mine area and checked out a big cone thing where there were lots of old tailings.

Looking over the mine area where there are lots of old shafts and lots of bright green sample bags from an exploration carried out here.

Drove down to check out the shafts etc. You wouldn’t get me down there!

Steve found something glistening on the ground. Not gold but it is a mineral of some sort.

We continued south following the exploration track up and down hills. The next pending area was in hilly country but no salt and pepper (quartz and ironstone). We had lunch then Steve went for a wander – nothing, not even rubbish.

Continued on and out onto the Old Agnew Road. Stopped to check out the info about Boxer’s Well and the old Telegraph Line. The well was constructed about 1906 and has been refurbished since then.

Further south we found more info at the turnoff to Sturt Meadows Station. They used the old Boulder Picture Theatre to make a shearing shed when they started to run sheep here in 1930s. The shearers quarters were the old totaliser building from Coolgardie. Recycling at its best. They were both dismantled and moved here and rebuilt – amazing.

This spot was the township of Kurrajong in the early 1900s. There was a very wealthy gold mine nearby but the township never grew.

Nothing left here from the old days but some locals have left their old cars unfortunately.

The town well is nearby, closer to the creek.

We found the next pending lease and it was covered in quartz and ironstone. Found a shady tree to park beside and got out our detectors. I didn’t walk far and got my first signal which was rubbish. Another few meters and this time it was a nice little nuglet. I got 3 more little ones in the same area. Unfortunately Steve only found rubbish but it is a very promising place.

Drove down to Tarmoola homestead to pick up some bits and pieces. There is a creek near the main gate in and the lagoon is full. Some locals were here the other day enjoying the water. Kym says the water doesn’t stay in it for long.

Headed back home via the mine road - a road train had broken down at the entrance but the guys were under control.

Back home for drinks then I rang Margaret with directions to get here. They have already left Port Hedland and are just coming into Meekatharra. They will be here tomorrow which is wonderful.

  

I worked on my blog in the van as Glen had got the wifi extender set up for me yesterday.

Steve gave Kev a call, getting settled in their house.

Very still while we had dinner – 7pm 32 degrees, so had to put the fan on for a change.