16th to 22nd Apr, 2023 Bush camps east of Leonora, WA

Sun, 16^th

8.2 degrees, heater on again. Got up half hour later, 21 degrees, nice! Clear sky.

John & Julie sent a photo of Steve’s smiley face they found as they wandered around. They had found a 7 gram nugget too, hopefully not near his smiley face! Heading back to Kalgoorlie tomorrow. Hopefully we will catch up with them later in the year.

Rebecca had rung so I rang her back. They had a great trip snorkelling and diving and even had a swim with whale sharks. Covid still got on board the ship (same company we did the Kimberley one on) - they aren’t feeling sick but will do a RAT test tomorrow just to be sure.

Drinks by the fire. The wind had stopped so it was a warmer afternoon. Cooled off quickly though when the sun went down. The mozzies were about so had dinner inside.

 

Mon, 17^th

10.2 degrees but the heater went on as that is still too chilly for us. Sent Leanne a birthday text for today.

Blue sky with thin wispy clouds. We packed up and headed back to where we had found the patch of nice nuggets last year. Had a wander but we didn’t leave any behind! Steve chatted with a couple from Bunbury who had been out Laverton way and just made it out before the roads became boggy with the rain off the edge of the low from Cyclone Ilsa.

Had a cuppa then drove back to Margaret’s patch of last year. Well she found one with my detector as theirs had broken, then they headed home. We then found a patch near hers so we named it after her.

Parked up then went wandering.

No joy - just more lead shot. Had lunch - warmer 26 degrees today. I read for a while and Steve and Bob went wandering. Steve came back with a grin and not saying anything, which means he has gold in his mouth. I gave him a flash - his reward for gold!! Unfortunately I was conned - it was the smallest speck, 0.08g but he did find a 10 cent piece and a lovely clear crystal so I forgave him. At least we aren’t goldless for today.

Margaret gave me her clear crystal that she has carried around in her purse for years from when her daughter was working on a station north of here. Hopefully the gift will bring me good luck and to her for giving it to me.

Lovely fire and sunset colours on the thin clouds. Unfortunately the mozzies were buzzing again so inside for dinner, cards and a movie.

 

 

Tues, 18^th

11 degrees, clear sky and a cold wind coming through the top windows so the heater was on again. Sent Suzanne a birthday text.

Packed up and headed back down the track then turned off and headed down towards the old Redcastle Mining Centre.

We stopped at the old Government Well - from the early days but now being used by a company. We can hear some machinery working in the distance.

We wandered over towards the old building - Margaret reckons it would be a great holiday home - lots of ventilation. On the way we checked out some of the old shafts and holes.

Continued on down the track, slow and steady as there were a lot of creek crossings and rough track so Bob took it slowly towing his van.

We found the pending leases and chose a spot near old pushings.

A lot of rubbish about but we will wander the other bits hoping to get a bit they have missed. No joy before lunch. Steve went out again, I did my baking and made a cheesecake for dessert tomorrow for the Solar Eclipse and some more pikelets.

While we were having a cuppa a car drove in and the chap came over to say hi. He said he has a lease further down and was taking his sons there but usually called in here first to pick up a few bits. He said he would park further over. He said he has picked up lots of little bits around the edge of the pushes here and to try further up the lease where there was a big white dirt area as he had found lots there. He showed us where his lease was further south and that there was a good pending area nearby too. He explained the best way to get there - nice chap to share that with us.

We had drinks around the fire. Bob asked if I could download some movies for them as they got attacked by little bugs last night having their lights on to read their books. That was the light is only on the TV so the bugs won’t worry them - we had noticed any thank goodness.

There were no mozzies so we sat outside for longer though it cooled off quickly so we still had dinner inside.

 

 

Wed, 19^th

Two years since Mum left this world and moved on to eternal life. I miss her so much but I can feel she and Dad are always with us and happy we are enjoying our lives, along with Erica now. This is Mum aged 61, a year old than I am now - she had less wrinkles and no grey hair!!

12 degrees at 7am, put the heater on again as it makes it so nice to have breakfast when we are warmer. Gusty cold wind and clear sky.

Nice day wandering.

Drinks by the fire with a cool breeze. Meow wants to get out and go at night so Bob took her for a walk with her harness on but she wasn’t impressed with that.

Inside for dinner, down to 16 degrees so put the heater on to make it more comfortable while we watched TV.

 

 

Thurs, 20^th

9.8 degrees so the heater on again. Clear blue sky and light breeze. Katelin and Sarah’s birthdays - will send them a birthday text.

Smoko time we waited so see if we will see any of the solar eclipse out here. It is crossing over Exmouth at 11am but we got nothing here - the sun just kept shining.

We moved camp a bit further along the track.

There is a big open hole that was excavated following a vein. The other chap said he had picked up some species in the rubbish piles.

We set up camp.

Went wandering. Back to camp for a cuppa.

Steve went for a big walk with the tablet to guide him to the other ‘red spot’ to check out access and whether it was worth going there. He left at 4pm and by 5pm I was getting a little concerned. We got the fire going and 10 minutes later he walked into camp. He could smell the fire - he knew where he was using the map on the tablet but it was just a long walk!!

It was lovely around the fire, no mozzies. Watched for satellites and cooked dinner on the fire but ate inside as it cools off quickly. Put the heater on to take the chill off while we watched TV.

 

 

Fri, 21^st

8.8 degrees at 6.30 so put the heater on and it was a nice 22 degrees when we got up half hour later for breakfast. Clear blue sky and light breeze.

Packed up and headed across to the haul road the other chap had told us to take to the next area. It is actually a gazetted road from the Leonora-Laverton Road short cutting down to Kookynie. We passed Yundamindera then we found the bush track he mentioned and followed it, winding through the trees etc then found a fence line and followed that down to the pending area. Steve stopped before the next creek area and went for a walk - too hard to get Bob’s van through there so we backed up a bit and drove in off the track and set up camp.

Cows and an emu had been wandering about as we could see their footprints and cow pads!

Had a cuppa then went wandering. My way had no quartz and no signals so I continued up the hill for a look around. On the next rise was a quartz blow so I went down and then up to it and got a signal on a cracked rock but it was just a bit of steel - how that got there I don’t know. I looked around the view and spotted Steve below and over on some salt and pepper ground so gave him a whistle and a wave. He thought I wanted him so he started towards me so I went down the hill and met him.

Back to camp for lunch.

Wandered again. Had a great day.

Drinks by the fire that Bob had set up which is lovely.

Cooled off quickly so after we spotted a couple of satellites we headed inside to warm up with the heater and have dinner.

 

 

Sat, 22^nd

9.8 degrees, heater on.

Two vehicles came down the fence line track and stopped for a chat. One was a chap that Steve had met on a walk from Margaret’s patch and they were trying to find a lake where their friend was - a bit lost!!

We decided to move on so packed up, had lunch and worked our way out the bush track to the formed road. Followed it all the way north to the Leonora-Laverton Road and headed back towards Leonora. A big travelling bus came by with Travelling Gasfitter on the front and on his ute on the trailer what Travelling Gasfitter - Plumber by Law. Another traveller in a bus further along then a big truck that brought up so much dust you couldn’t see for a while. Another couple of vehicles - all taking the short-cut south.

Forecast is for cloudy sky on Monday so decided to get our washing done tomorrow. Went back to Kev’s spot but went around the hill to where Bob had found a nugget in 2017 in a creek. Set up camp.

Lovely sunset with a bit of cloud. Good timber about so got the fire going and did our vegies in alfoil but cooked the pork chops inside.

Warmer evening so we didn’t put the heater on.