13th to 20th Oct, 2022 Bush camping around Meekatharra, WA

Thurs, 13^th Oct, 2022

4am 11 degrees, minimum was 10.4 but it was up to 16 by 7am as the sun is rising earlier to warming us up. Clear blue sky.

The wind is still very chilly. The birds are very happy - we feel like we have a huge aviary beside us but we can’t see them.

After lunch I worked on my blog and left Steve getting exercise!

The wind has settled but that brings out the flies! Glad I have my fly-swat outside while we have our drinks as the fire doesn’t keep them away!

 

 

Fri, 14^th Oct, 2022

Still windy, clear sky, minimum of 13 though it was up to 19 by 7.30am with the camper windows closed.

Packed up and headed back out till we met the bitumen highway. Turned south to Meekatharra. Topped up with diesel after buying some milk at the Coles Express to get the 10c/l off and she gave me another 4 even though I didn’t have a docket. It was $249.9 so that brought it down to $235.9/l but the milk was $3 per litre nearly double in normal Coles prices of $1.60 - dearer than the fuel!

Topped up with water. I rang Erica to see how she and Terry are travelling - okay.

Headed back north again on the highway to Goodin Mine area. Flat country with red dirt and spindly trees - big change from the hills and spinifex around Nullagine. Pulled up for the night just as the sun was setting.

Coolness in the air again so we sat inside for late drinks and dinner.

 

 

Sat, 15^th Oct, 2022

Another cool night, min of 13 but it was 20 degrees by 7am so all good. Windy but not strong, clear blue sky.

Lovely chat with Kaylene and Rick - Kaylene had posted another photo of Dad’s orchid with more flowers - lovely. Certainly much better phone signal now than when we were here years ago - had to drive up onto a hill to get phone reception.

Moved to another spot and stopped to chat with a couple. When Steve got out the chap said, “I know you”. Steve had met Daniel and Lee-Anne near Cue when he went detecting and I flew home. Fancy that. They manage a caravan park south of Geraldton.

We found a spot to park up and had lunch. 30.7 degrees. Bit of cloud coming over and the wind has dropped. Daniel and Lee-Anne were camped in another area so they stopped to say bye. They said to come and stay with them, which is lovely of them. Very nice couple.

Too many flies to have drinks outside so we played cards while we had our drinks till sunset then got the fire going and we sat outside for dinner enjoying the very busy sky with the Space Station and lots of satellites zooming across the sky. The stars were very bright and clear too. Warmer night too and no wind so it was very pleasant.

 

 

Sun, 16^th Oct, 2022                    

13 degrees min but no wind so it doesn’t feel as cold. Clear sky.

8.30am the wind is back, gusting strongly. Quite morning.

Lunch, got to 34 degrees with the strong wind gusts but we are comfortable.

Saw on the ABC news app on my phone that there has been terrible flooding across NSW, Vic and even Tassie. I sent Wendy a message as they were heading to Shepparton. They didn’t get there, at present at Wilson’s Promitory. Dave’s brother’s house is half under water, poor thing - she sent me a photo. I sent a text to Malcolm too and he said the paddocks are flooded. They had 100mm in 24 hours which isn’t much for Cairns but it is a huge amount for down there.

Steve did the service on the truck while I watched the end of Harry Potter 4 that I started at Mosquito Creek but had to leave when the fire was heading towards us.

A few clouds are coming over and it is still windy so no fire tonight.

The wind got stronger so we closed the windows as it has cooled down again.

 

 

 

Tues, 18^th Oct, 2022          

Cold night, minimum of 9.2 degrees at 5.30am! By 7.30am it had reached 18, thank goodness. Windy and clear sky.

31 degrees at lunch. I rang Grace to see how she and Fred were going - all good. Lovely chatting with Grace again. Then I rang Margaret - she and Bob were fixing up the van’s cabinets. Hopefully they can come up and meet us around Leonora for a bit soon.

I watched Harry Potter 5 - working my way through them. Steve went off for a walk.

He saw Tony from the other van and arranged drinks at 5 so we wandered over with our chairs etc. Met his wife, Glenda, and we chatted the afternoon away. They had lived in Pinjarra then in Mandurah running 3 businesses but got out at the right time and have been enjoying life on the road and detecting. It was nearly 8pm when they walked us back with a torch then we chatted some more about the camper etc. They are getting a new van made and are building a home on Russell Island off Brisbane. Lovely couple, hopefully we will bump into them again somewhere.

 

 

Wed, 19^th Oct, 2022          

Another month since Mum passed on - I think of them both daily. Missing being able to ring and chat but I chat with them in my head and remember lots of funny things we laughed about together. They were the best parents and I love them dearly.

Warmer night, min 16 degrees. The wind is back with strong gusts. Clear sky.

We packed up and tooted to Tony and Glenda as we headed back out to the fence line and then back to the highway.

100km south to Meekatharra, we had explored all the history here in May 2016. Filled up the water tanks so we can wash everything and colour my hair and clean the camper. I uploaded my blog etc then we got a burger from the food van. Steve did the order and the lady asked ‘where’s your wife’. They still remember us from when we used to come in each fortnight for food and our special treat lunch from them while we were working at Quinns.

Out to Peace Gorge - also called the Granites because of the boulders everywhere. As we were about to eat our burgers, Jon sent a text that they were at the dam and sent a great photo of him with Bandit in the boat.

I sent them a photo of our yummy lunch.

Steve set up the washing machine and we got the laundry started! Steve wandered over to another van for a chat with the chap there.

Then I remembered the ‘camp’ photo - hence the washing on the line!

The sun is hot and there is a nice breeze so it won’t take long to dry the washing. Will do the sheets and towels in the morning. Cleaned the camper - so nice to give it all a good freshen up.

A few more campers came in - plenty of room around here.

Ray and Carol returned our call while we were having drinks. We had a great chat with them.

The wind stopped at sunset. Warmer night. Unfortunately there is a terrible plastic burning smell which we think is coming from the dump! We saw smoke there on our way into town.

 

 

 

Thurs, 20^th Oct, 2022                    

Warmer night - no need for the big blanket.

Washed the sheets and towels. Steve coloured my hair so I feel ‘young’ again.

Made up the beds again - rolled the big blanket down to the end of the bed as the weather forecast is for 16 plus minimums.

After morning tea we drove into town to try and find some more books. The Op Shop has closed so tried the Info Centre. They had heaps of good ones so swapped some and made a donation for the rest. That will keep Steve going for a while - I am still catching up to him.

Topped up the fuel at the 24hr tank ($2.458/L) as Coles Express has jumped 10 cents since our last visit for $259.9 - really.

Filled up the water tanks then had lunch in the park listening to a couple of ‘locals’ have a barny!

Headed south towards Cue. Had to pull off the road for two 8m wide loads to pass us.

Into Tuckanarra - an old town/mine area. Stopped at the homestead to check what tracks we can drive on and got permission as long as we had our Miner’s Right which we do.

Spotted a couple of roos. We don’t see too many so worthy of a photo.

Found the track up to the pending area we wanted and found a nice tree to park beside to try and block a bit of the afternoon sun which is always the hottest. There was a small goanna sitting inside an old tyre rim - very old type.

The goanna wasn’t worried about us so we set up camp and then he slowly wandered off.

There were some pretty flowers too.

The flies are bad so we had drinks inside playing Rummykub.

I cooked dinner then Steve got the fire going so we sat outside to eat and watch the sky and the fire now the flies had gone to bed. Unfortunately a few mozzies were awake but they weren’t too bad.

Nice temperature evening - left all the windows open.

Wed, 12th Oct, 2022 Bush camp by Gascoyne River crossing, Landor Station to Bush camp on pending exploration lease, NW of Meekatharra, WA

The wind is back. 7am 17 degrees, min of 15. Mostly clear sky.

Across the causeway. Stopped to get a photo of the other side of the mail flying-fox cable and a plaque.

Turned onto the road to Mt Clere Station rather than going up to the Landor Station homestead. Open grassy plains with a few low hills, shrubs and a few trees. A ‘live’ kangaroo - haven’t seen one in ages, bounded across the road.

Red dirt road that’s had some damage from the vehicles after the rain. Not corrugated so it is a nice drive. No vehicles either.

Still travelling in the Gascoyne River flood plains.. Lots of nice green shoots coming up from the recent rain. Lots of purple Mulla Mulla line the side of the road with the bright pink little wildflowers. A flock of brilliant green budgies zoomed along beside us.

Across the Gascoyne River again - lots of flowing sections across the wide crossing.

Nearing Mt Clere Station homestead we saw a vehicle off the side of the road then saw a chap in the creek fixing a broken fence wire. We pulled up and he came over for a chap - works for the station. He said he went across to Landor on the Wednesday before the races and just got back before the rain came. A lot of people were stuck at Landor because of the roads being cut with the river but the actual race day was dry so they had fun! He said the water had reached the station east of Gascoyne Junction 1pm yesterday so it is slowly working its way westward. He said the boss had graded the worst bits of road further on.

We left him to continue his work and headed past the station homestead. More pink and yellow flowers everywhere - so pretty and the colours are so bright. Yellow blooms are coming out on some shrubs too.

The flowers continue as we roll up and down some small hills then back into the flat country though I can see some bigger hills in the distance.

Still windy and the sky has cleared. Passed the turn off to another station homestead with the vehicle graveyard by the road. Past Mt Padbury Station homestead which is right by the road then across the wide waterways of the Murchison River - also running from the recent rain.

More yellow flowers and it goes on for a while.

Pulled off the road for lunch - the sun is out but the wind is cool.

Continued across Yalgar River - like the others with lots of small branches either side of the main channel.

Spotted two roos sitting under a tree - we hardly see any wildlife except little birds and crows!

More yellow shrubs and some purple ones appearing now. Great wide smooth road.

Turned off onto a wobbly bush track to find a pending exploration lease (hasn’t been signed over yet so we can detect on it) to camp for the night. We first pass a live mining lease which was over a long line of shafts but doesn’t look like they have done any recent mining on it since the old days. We continued on a found the pending lease which has a few more shafts on it. Wandered around checking them out. I don’t think I would like to be climbing down there no matter how much gold was there.

We found a spot on the flat and set up.

The purple and yellow shrubs are here and there is a soft green plant that looks like it should be in the coral surrounded by fish.

Set up a fireplace on the windless side of the camper for drinks. We just have phone reception here but only a few FB notifications so obviously everyone is well. We can hear so many budgies but they are hiding. A heap of sparrows are flying around then on dust they flew over us with the budgies all tweeting together - lovely.

The breeze got chilly so into the camper. 19 degrees at 9pm.