1-8 Sept, 2024 Bush camps, Mosquito Creek area, east of Nullagine, WA

Sun, 1^st

Father’s Day. Steve is enjoying it - doing what he loves, being in the bush looking for gold.

No phone reception here but we will move later to find some between the hills. I only have to look to the heavens to send my Dad my gratitude for being a fabulous father.

Gusty wind is keeping the temperature down.

Steve headed off for another big walk. I stayed around camp working my way along the base of the hill. Steve found a golden Father’s Day gift so he was happy.

We had lunch then packed up and continued along the track till we found some phone signal. Got a sad message from Margaret, too hot for Bob so they are coming up here. Will let them know when we are heading down and hopefully they can meet us around Leonora.

Steve got a nice message from Jon for Father’s Day and one from Fran for Dan. Sadly Jon has to go back to work in the Adelaide Yard so no Father’s Day cuddle for him though he had lots over the last 5 days he had home.

We continued on and found some better signal. Looks like someone has spent some time here as there are two big fireplaces and a trench so they must have been in some rain too. We parked up and set up for the night.

A photo came through from Jenny, they have found some cool water north of Meekatharra and were enjoying drinks with their feet soaking.

They are now on pending lease north of Wiluna enjoying some cooler weather.

Daniel rang for Father’s Day too. They had just got home from playing Frisbee Golf with Jack etc then lunch with Fran’s parents. I could hear Sophia in the background.

Rang Terry and he is doing great. Pulled out the van to get ready for the Birthday Rally next weekend where they will award him his Life Membership. He has a new case manager with Churches of Christ Care and he mentioned that he couldn’t get the back sliding door open properly. She arranged for the ‘mower/maintenance’ man to come around the next day and he fixed it though the rollers need replacing. Looks like someone tried to break in so he suggested putting up a security light. They will do all that for him through the funding he gets for Level 2 Home Care Package. So good they just got in and sorted it for him.

Had a cuppa, 40 degrees in the camper. The wind has stopped but it is still pleasant outside in the shade of the truck. I decided to keep reading but Steve went off to try and find another Father’s Day golden gift!

Sadly his golden gift was a beautiful sunset.

Late drinks by the fire then dinner watching the stars and satellites.

The wind picked up but our fire was nearly out so all good there.

Blowing hard as we went to bed so it is cooler.

 

Mon, 2^nd

The strong wind blew all night which cooled things down but gave the camper a good rocking.

No joy here so we packed up and drove over to Fantasy Lease to say hi to David but it was closed up.

Continued along the tracks and chose a spot for lunch which we had inside as it was still too windy to eat outside. I had checked the weather forecast yesterday and it had shown that today was to be windy but tomorrow should just have a cloud or two. Still 36 max but maybe a bit cooler by Friday.

We had a few games of Skipbo after lunch then Steve went for a big wander. Too windy for me so I stayed inside and read.

No joy so we decided to head back to a previous spot. Parked in the same spot in time for drinks. No fire though - still too windy.

5.30 - the wind stopped but we didn’t make a fire just in case it blew up again. A few mozzies buzzed about as the sun set then it was all quiet as we enjoyed the sky view again.

 

Tues, 3^rd

No wind this morning, min 22 degrees.

I went for a big walk along the edge of the hills and found nothing till I came back to camp and went up the little ‘creek’ and got a specie. Steve had gone back to his ‘reef’ and found a little nuglet below it.

We had a cuppa then drove along the track into ‘crown’ land - not live or pending at the moment and just parked by the road to have a wander.

We had a nice time on the hill slope.

Certainly a hot day again, 36 degrees at lunch and the breeze comes and goes.

We moved the camper further over onto flatter ground for the night.

The wind picked up from the west which was nice but some gusts nearly blow you over.

There are a few clouds about to the forecasters got it right.

The wind settled so Steve dug pits and we used the flat plate from Dan’s fire pit to cook the steaks and fried the ‘roast’ vegies on the plate too - yum.

Another beautiful night.

 

Wed, 4^th

Another still morning but by 8am the gusty wind from the west was blowing which is nice.

I felt a bit queasy this morning, it felt like my sinus thing again so I stayed back to rest and Steve went wandering.

I left the door open this morning to allow the breeze into the camper with the ‘fly strips’ flapping and my fly swat ready for those who ventured inside. The door is Crimsafe with midgie mesh and it blocks a lot of the breeze - good in the colder areas but we need all the breeze here. The rest of the windows are just fly mesh which allows in the breeze up top but also the little bugs at night time!! Can’t have it all. I have taken to putting a light outside to attract the bugs and we only have the TV on - no lights so any that come in normally die behind the TV.

After lunch we packed up and went along the track to try another spot. Nice view as we crested a saddle between two hills.

As it is hottest now (37 degrees) we just set up and read our books in the shade with the wind still gusting around us.

There are a few clouds about which block out the sun now and then which is nice as we went wandering. Found a few spots where others have dug before us and all I found was a lead shot near a hole so obviously he missed that one!

No fire as it is too windy but we sat outside watching the sky change its colours through sun set. There is just a slither of the moon reflecting the sunshine now, near Venus.

Thurs, 5^th

Clear sky, no wind, 21 degrees at 6am.

8am the wind is back. Went wandering, getting exercise and cleaning up Australia!

The wind is strong and gusty so after a cuppa we decided to move across to the Valroc leases we have permission to detect on. We headed back to the main track then onto Skull Springs Road again. A vehicle pulled onto the road in front of us - so we aren’t the only crazy people up here. We followed them and they headed to the track that goes in past Adam’s camp (he has permission from Valroc to work their leases. He stopped and we pulled alongside and it was Adam but in a new truck. His brother was with him so we said hi and that we had met their friends when they pulled into the van park at Gove behind us. Small world. Adam said to come to the camp so we continued on. Met Apple again and his sister-in-law and the two kids (the little boy had fallen into a fire while they were on the Gibb River Road so they had to change plans and get him sorted in Perth, luckily it wasn’t too bad - hence they weren’t with their friends in Gove).

We said bye and headed over to one of our ‘spots’ and discovered this is where he had pushed. Oh well we will see if he left us anything.

The wind is still howling so we just read for the afternoon. It is supposed to settle down in a day or two and the temperature is dropping too. Only got to 35 in the camper!!

The wind didn’t stop till 7.30pm so we played cards with our drinks inside then finished off the last of the Spanish Mackerel.

 

Fri, 6^th

The wind is back, clear sky and 20 degrees. We went wandering.

Had a cuppa then I stayed back and read and Steve wandered again.

The wind is keeping it cooler, 28 degrees at lunch.

After lunch packed up and moved across to another of our ‘spots’.

The wind dropped off and the temperature climbed up again!

No wind now so got the fire going and relaxed with our friendly flies who amazingly disappear as the sun goes down (thank goodness).

The wind picked up from the south later on and then got stronger as we headed off to bed so we had to close some windows. 10pm only 24 degrees - nice.

 

Sat, 7^th

The wind got stronger from the south-east during the night buffeting the camper and making it colder so we closed up the camper and pulled up the blankets!!

18.8 degrees min and the wind is still blowing. As it was cooler and windy I did my baking and put a silverside in the Ecopot. Steve went wandering. 

After a cuppa he headed off again so I did some blog writing.

The strong wind settled a bit with just a few gusts now and then.

At lunch there is only a light breeze and it is still only 30 degrees.

We packed up and moved camp again. Got phone signal between the hills and sent off a birthday text to Stephanie.

Along the track to another ‘spot of ours’. No pushings here.

Set up - no wind at all now so heating up.

After a cuppa we headed off for a wander.

Lovely evening, drinks by the fire, then spotting satellites etc.

10pm the wind is back!

 

Sun, 8^th

The camper was rock and rolling during the night with the wind. WA stands for Windy Again.

We relaxed for the morning reading our books till the wind settled enough after morning tea. Did some wandering then had lunch.

Had a cuppa then packed up and drove back to Adam’s.

We are starting to get low on water and inspiration of where to detect next and I must admit the heat hasn’t been to conducive to doing a lot of detecting - Steve doesn’t mind it though. We decided to head back into Nullagine so said farewell and drove back out to the main road and back onto the first of Valroc leases just off the road for the night. Same spot we were when the Tassies left so I didn’t take a camp photo.

The wind settled down but we didn’t bother with a fire tonight. Cooler evening.