Friday, 26 April 2019

Fri, 19th Apr, 2019 Lake Douglas, west of Kalgoorlie to Bush camp near Kurnalpi, east of Kalgoorlie, WA



6am 19 degrees, blue sky with cloud band on the horizon and windy. Packed up and drove back up the road past Lake Douglas – looks nice this morning as the sun isn’t shining on it. The ducks are enjoying it. When we drove in the sun was on it and it just looked like a brown murky dam.


Drove back into Kalgoorlie to top up the water again then we met Ray and Carol at the turn off to head east to the detecting spot.

Bitumen for a while then on to dirt which was pretty good as the grader crew were working on it. Further along there were a few boggy patches but we got through ok.

Arrived at the site of an old gold mining township which has nothing left anymore other than old shafts. Turned off and entered the lease we have permission to detect on.

Pulled up to work out where to camp when another vehicle came past us. He was doing push and detect work on the lease and suggested we park up on a clearing we just past.

Nice open area so we can get warmth from the sun – funny how only a week or so ago we were worrying about the fridge coping in the 39 degree heat – now it is freezing everything!

Stayed away from the big salmon gums as they have a tendency to drop limbs on rooves and the way the wind is blowing I reckon a few might be ready to fall. We spread out and set up our camps. Kerry and Brian on one side and Ray and Carol on the other side of us. Needing jumpers on as the wind is very cold.



No phone reception here which is a bit of a problem as Kerry’s parents haven’t been well. There is a hill nearby so will try there later.

Nice warm soup and toasted wraps for lunch – we need warming up.

Ray, Carol and Steve went wandering with their detectors. I should Kerry and Brian how to use the 2300 as this is there first time detecting. We wandered over the flat area near the van. We are getting a lot of warble as the ground is very mineralised. After a while I got my detector and wandered further up the slope and got a nice signal. I called Brian over to try it with his detector and then got him to dig it out. We were very excited when out came a little nuglet. I gave it to them so that now they have their own bit of gold to help them search for more. They tried to give it back but I said it is how we do it with newcomers. Help them find their first bit then they are on their own and hopefully I will be rewarded later on. I said for Brian to keep working the area around where we got that piece which he did and found some bits of rusty tin. I went further up the slope and was rewarded with a nice piece so my theory worked. Icecream for me tonight though I think a glass of port might be better considering how cold it is.

Continued on detecting. 3pm it had reached 22 degrees in the van with all the windows closed.

As it is Good Friday the full moon rose up through the trees. Looked lovely though it was too cold to stay outside and too windy to have a fire.


Ray had met two other chaps who said they got phone reception between 7 and 8pm so Steve drove Kerry up the hill to try with our phone as it has the aerial. They managed to ring home and speak to her mum etc.

The wind settled down as we had dinner and watched our movies.

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