23rd to 30th Apr, 2023 Bush camps near Agnew then north of Meekatharra, WA

Sun, 23^rd

Blue sky and a few clouds. 13.3 degrees min, 15.5 at 7am so didn’t need the heater on for a change.

Susan’s birthday. Will give her a call later as we have good phone reception here.

Got the washing machine going. Margaret is doing their clothes too - she has the same washing machine. We might have to shout ourselves a new one when we get home as this one is starting to make some grinding noises and it is 8 years old now. Steve serviced the truck that way he can drop off the oil in town. He has a good system going, dropping the oil into a garbage bag lined tub then he can put it in the oil drum once he has the new stuff in. We leave no mess on the ground. Nice and sunny and there is a good strong wind blowing.

Rang Susan while the washing dried. They are still in Cairns and might be heading off again soon in their van.

Kaylene rang - Rick has headed off to the Palmer for a few days so she was home alone. I rang Suzanne for a belated birthday call too. Great to be able to catch up with my friends so easily.

Went for a wander but only found a few bits of rubbish. Had afternoon cuppa then packed up. We are going to have drinks with Chris and Mickey when they get home from work and park up there for the night. Bob and Margaret will meet us in town tomorrow.

It was great catching up with both of them again and I scored a heap of greens from Mickey’s lush vegie patches, celery, capsicum, shallots and basil. Hopefully we can catch them at their new home next year to check it out.

 

Mon, 24^th

Warmer night. Mickey and Chris off to work very early!! We stayed in bed!

Bit cloudy. I did my computer stuff.

Packed up and drove around to the shops to wait for it to open at 9am. Just need a couple of tomatoes as ours has started getting black spots. Mark drove by and pulled in for a chat with Steve. He is still out at the first place we saw him but hasn’t found much of late.

I also checked in the Info Centre and found they had a great exchange book/dvd library so chose a heap and went and got the ones we have read and DVDs we have watched to swap. Had a lovely chat with the lady - her daughter lives in Cairns. It is such a small world sometimes.

Bob & Margaret arrived and got their shopping then we headed out of town to a pull off area for a cuppa. Wispy clouds and a head wind as we headed northward towards Leinster.

We can see the new big mine camp at the King of the Hills mine that was near the Tarmoola Homestead. We used to use one of their roads to short cut down to the homestead. I think the mine bought the station off Rob. Seems to be bigger piles too so they must be working the area well.

Continued on then passed the turn off into Ten Mile Outstation that we looked after for 4 months early 2019. It was a great experience.

Passed Thunderbox Mine - huge hills and a great big hole too according to the truck driver that we were chatting with as we neared the mine.

The clouds are getting thicker and darker as we continue north. Forecast for rain tomorrow around Leinster so we were hoping to get to the pending lease before it starts. Also it will drop 10 degrees, today is 29 degrees and tomorrow the maximum will only be 19 degrees!

A mine vehicle zoomed passed us and crack - big star in the middle of the windscreen, luckily not in Steve’s vision. We seem to only get cracked windscreens when we are driving on the bitumen!!

Turned left at Leinster turn off and headed towards Agnew. This was an old town (gazetted 22 Sept 1936) but now it has a big mine near it and they have even put up wind turbines as well as their solar and diesel generators. Pulled into the site of the old hotel - which we did see on previous visits. It was pulled down so they have put up a shelter and some information. Not sure if they mean this holey stuff as pressed metal is usually in patterns and they put it on the ceiling etc.

A shower of rain fell as we checked out another info board near the road then into the camper and van to have lunch.

Across the road is a great display that we checked out on previous visits though the ‘man’ is new.

Continued down the Old Agnew Road and stopped at the site of Lawlers. We haven’t been down this far so a new road to mark on my map. Had a wander about reading the info. Old sign near piles of bricks that might have been the hotel as there is a lot of broken bottles about and a newer one near the old Police Station.

Further along we turned onto the road to Pinnacle Station but we didn’t go far and turned off onto a rough track onto the pending lease. Unfortunately there are lots of sharp rocks and one got Bob’s van tyre just as we were pulling up to make camp. Steve and Bob got to work changing it and plugging the hole so at least it is still usable.

Got camp sorted as a short windy burst of rain hit us for one minute.

Went for a wander with the detectors but only rubbish. I turned mine off and wandered over to the mine shafts. Should have brought my camera. Amazing how they dug these holes in this hard ground - yes they had explosives etc but still they were hard workers.

Back for a cuppa then at 4pm thunder rumbled and lightning flashed then the wind and rain came again so into the camper for cards and early drinks.

5pm the rain stopped but we stayed inside as it was cold outside. Little showers came and went.

 

 

Tues, 25^th

Dark rain clouds and thunder this morning - Weather Bureau got it right. 16 degrees.

We are camped on high ground so no problems there. Thunder rumbles got closer so we stayed inside reading our books. The rain started - quite heavy too.

We stayed indoors all day as it was cold and miserable but we were comfortable playing cards and reading our books.

Another storm rumbled and flashed over us but moved quickly on. Only got to a top of 18 degrees in the camper. We didn’t resort to the heater but I was in my winter clothes with my light blanket on my legs. Steve was still in his PJs!!

The sky is clearing and the storm has headed south-east so Steve and Margaret went wandering but they only found rubbish. I stayed in with my new book. Bob got the fire going so we sat outside for a while watching the lightning flashing in the east and south-east.

Quite chilly so didn’t stay out for too long. Put the heater on for dinner. Margaret brought over a custard pie with cream for dessert.

 

 

Wed, 26^th

8.6 degrees so the heater went on. The sky is clear and the wind is cold.

Packed up camp and headed back out to the Leinster-Sandstone Road and headed towards Sandstone. Went into the neat little township for a cuppa. No one about. I walked over to the Info Centre to check what the gravel road was like from here to Meekatharra to save us a few hundred kilometres on the bitumen via Mt Magnet. All good so we headed off.

Stopped for lunch just off the road then continued on to Meekatharra. Topped up the diesel tank then around to the park for a cuppa.

Jon sent a text that he was in Alice Springs in his work’s yard and sent some photos of the view from the top of the hill behind it. He will be heading out on a job soon.

Continued northward on the main road. Crossed the 26^th Parallel - Welcome to the North West, the sign said.

The yellow wattles are starting to bloom.

Turned off onto the dirt track and along to where we had detected in 2016 with Jeff. We decided to go to the scrapes near the hill where we used to drive up onto to get phone signal. Don’t need to know - plenty of service here now.

Set up camp on a quartz area and found a lovely clear crystal so will keep and eye our as we walk.

Collected firewood and got the fire going for drinks then inside for dinner.

 

 

 

Thurs, 27^th

Clear sky, 11 degrees at 6.15am. I waited till 6.45 though to put the heater on and it was still only 12 degrees.

Went wandering. I went up the hill over quartz areas. I got to the top and could see across to the ‘hole in the hill’ then saw the rock hole that Steve had cleaned out for some birds to get water from when we were here last. I continued along the edge of the escarpment following a cattle track. I was a bit concerned about finding camp again, should have taken my GPS but after a couple of tries I spotted the camp without having to back track and trying to follow my footprints. I found the other rock hole (gnamma) where a goanna had been living in on our last visit. Back to camp for a cuppa.

Another long walk - we are getting good exercise today. Back for a cuppa then I did some of my blog as it is quite hot in the sun as the wind doesn’t blow after lunch.

Drinks by the fire. No breeze tonight so it was very pleasant to sit outside longer and watch the satellites zoom around, the half moon rise and the twinkling stars.

 

 

Fri, 28^th (Jon’s 30^th birthday)

Sent Jon a text for his birthday. Hard to believe he is 30 now. He is in Alice Springs at the yard so he could text back. He just did some plumbing (fixing a pipe under the ground) but no gasfitting!!

Filled the thermos and took morning tea with us for sightseeing in Bob & Margaret’s car. Up the hill first to show them the two rock holes.

Then the view across to the ‘Hole in the Hill’.

Steve tried to follow a track down and around to the ‘Hole in the Hill’ but it didn’t work out so we meandered about for a bit till we found the main track back to the mining lease then down past the ‘Belly Plate’ camp where we parked with Jeff in 2016. Lovely green shoots on the flats and the yellow wattles making it look very lush - but it won’t be for long.

Passed some chaps detecting on the flats then made it around to the ‘Hole in the Hill’ for smoko. Not climbing up to it this time.

Drove back to below where I had found my bits on the top of the escarpment and went for a wander. No gold but I found a beautiful crystal cluster and another nice single crystal.

View of one part of the escarpment where the wall has fallen sharply down.

Back to camp for a late lunch then off wandering again. Amazing how you can walk over brown rocks with no quartz or anything for that matter and you find an open hole where a miner had dug out a quartz reef or something.

Back to camp for a cuppa. David had texted that they had a frustrating day with the Public Trustee etc so I gave him a call. Had a good chat about things. They booked Terry’s train ticket for the wedding so they got one thing sorted.

Jon sent photos of his visit to Simpson Gap after he finished work today. Nice finish for his birthday.

Annalise had posted the photo from their engagement up on Facebook for Jon’s birthday so I pinched it.

Drinks by the fire but it was very windy tonight so cooked inside.

 

 

 

Sat, 29^th

12 degrees, heater on for breakfast. Cold wind outside.

Packed up and moved around to another spot and set up camp.

Had a cuppa and went for a wander.

Sadly Bob and Margaret are leaving us on Tuesday. They have had 3 weeks with us - hopefully next time they can have longer.

Got the fire going and chatted around the fire till 7pm then headed inside for dinner. It wasn’t too bad to start but the chill came in so the heater went on at 9pm to make it comfortable while we watched another of the DVDs we just picked up.

 

 

Sun, 30^th

11 degrees and cloudy so heater on for breakfast. Checked the forecast for Newman - much warmer!!

One of the lifters on the back of the camper roof has been getting slower and yesterday it jammed going up so Steve replaced it today with the spare we had bought.

After lunch the wind stopped and the sky cleared to a hot sun. Had early cuppa then moved camp around to where we had been in 2016.

Set up camp near a quartz blow that had some very nice crystals. Steve decorated the fireplace with some bigger ones.

Gave one to Margaret for her garden. Bob said it was good enough for the mantlepiece.

The half moon is hazy again and the sky is covered with thin cloud so no satellite or star watching tonight. Had drinks then headed inside for dinner and movies. I downloaded a few more series of Longmire for Margaret since they are heading off soon.