Thurs, 29th Aug, 2019 Kingsford Smith Pathway rest stop, east of Gascoyne Junction to Milly Milly Station, west of Meekatharra, WA

7.30am 17 degrees, clear sky and light breeze. No joy in capturing mousie!

Went for a walk to find the fossils – the flies have found us again. Lots of little wildflowers starting to bloom.

Steve found this slab with little fossils in it.

Found some more on the broken up slabs. Some look like shrimps and one might be a starfish.

Further along the slabs disappear and it is just ironstone pebbles.

I found this great one that shows the shell.

Obviously not a very special site as the roadwork crew just drove over the slabs with their machinery.

Found some ironstone bits still attached to the sandstone base.

Pretty Mulla Mulla.

Had a cuppa as puffy clouds started coming over us. Continued heading east. Stopped at a Wool Wagon Pathway site this time. Apparently this was the last remaining part of the old Wool Wagon track but they didn’t mark it so we can’t tell where it was anymore. The sign was very hard to read too. It had a poem about the arduous task of transporting the wool along outback tracks from station country to the coast. With the onset of the motor car around 1915, the track fell silent and is slowly disappearing.

The wind has picked up. A nice blanket of yellow wildflowers.

Slowly climbing in elevation again (310m) as we pass the turn off to Landor Station where the next country horse race meeting is to happen – I think this weekend. We turned south.

Across Congo Creek that has a nice pool of water.

Turned off to check out Bilung Pool, a Wool Wagon Pathway site.

Lovely spot though the flies are in full force even with the wind blowing hard. We are on a hard rock ground about 20 feet above the pool.

Pretty little plant.

I walked around the top of the pool to where the creek bed was where the water would flow down into the waterhole. It appears to be quite deep.

We had lunch then continued southward. Steep descent to cross the Wooramel River.

Looking downstream then upstream – I can tell because the water is flowing under the causeway!

Next Wool Wagon site was a well which has been reconditioned. While we were reading the information a huge gust of wind roared over us showering us with dust. The wind is really blowing hard now.

Well 19, originally dug to 33 feet (10.5m) and yielding approx. 125 gallons per hour (550L). It is reputed to have a storage capacity of 4,500 gallons (20,000L). Steve has this under control after all the wells on the Canning Stock Route. I videoed him bringing up some water to pour down the trough – the little finches in the tree will be happy to have a drink.

More pretty flowers.

A dam nearby is lined with another red wildflower.

Further on I read a sign which said we had just crossed over the 26^th parallel so we have left the North-West. The weather people and others often refer to being across the line.

Passed the turn off to this station’s homestead, Byro. The clouds are getting darker to the south.

We turned east on to the Beringarra Byro Road which the road crew were grading so it was nice and smooth. We are heading to Milly Milly Station. We were going to station sit here last November for Rob but ended up doing the 10 Mile Outcamp for him instead which we enjoyed.

Back into ‘breakaway’ country.

Then onto open flat red dirt plains – what the cattle eat beats us!

Low hills appear as we enter Milly Milly Station. We met another road crew working on this end of the road. The country looks similar to 10 Mile but it has the Murchison River running through it so after good rain it would be good grazing country.

Across the Murchison River which has only a little pool here. A sign marks the peak height of the March 2006 flood. We would be well and truly under the water even in our truck.

As we near the homestead we spotted some old stone buildings – probably to do with the shearing shed etc.

Love the sign – yes I did read it again.

Drove into the homestead area but nobody seems to be about. He usually has some backpackers here to check the bores etc. We had a cuppa then went for a walk.

Lovely entrance. Rob is planning to fix up the buildings – big job.

I walked around to the other side where on old wagon is.

A bunch of ‘quails’ greeted me, very loudly.

Looking across to the front house then the middle one with the main homestead at the rear.

We wandered in to check out the hedges that we were to look after. Unfortunately it looks like the hedges and grass haven’t had any water for a while.

A foundation stone on the main building states it was laid on the 1^st of Feb, 1908. What a grand place for back then.

Looking back at the main building from the kitchen house.

We decided to stop here for the night as the wind is blowing hard.

A map showing our latest travels and the yellow markers where we have camped.

I found a packet of Chang noodles has had a nibble so I checked all the cereal boxes under the bed and packed them in the truck just in case our ‘friend’ wants some breakfast.

I wrote some blog while Steve read as the wind whistled around us. Played Skipbo while we had our drinks. The wind settled down after sun set so it is nice and quiet now. No cattle about either.

As we went to bed the wind came up again.