Thurs, 26th Sept, 2024 Bush camp on pending lease, off Sandstone-Meekatharra Road to Gwalia Museum RV camp, near Leonora, WA

16 degrees min, overcast and windy again.

Bob and Margaret are leaving Mandurah so we will meet them tomorrow arvo in Leonora. Unfortunately a storm is arriving then too according to BOM!

Packed up and tried other spots on the way out. Steve got one bit (0.18g) off a scraped area in unusual rock area - not the usual salt & pepper.

Headed back out to the road to Sandstone and continued on the nice smooth gravel road. Spotted Daddy Emu and his young chicks just off the edge of the road.

Passed the turn off into Barrambie Station where we stayed with Joy and Lance. They are now in Dongara so will try to catch up with there sometime.

Lunch at Lake Mason Station info board pull over. Road not as smooth on the Sandstone Shire side.

Onto bitumen and into Sandstone - still looking neat and bright with all the colourful bouganvillea. The pub has closed and is boarded up. Passed Outback Accommodation where we helped Mickey and Chris a few times - great experience, fabulous people. We will catch up with them again in Leonora where they are still working for St Barbara gold mine. They have a place at Northampton too so will have to visit them there too.

Continued on the bitumen to Leinster. We have just missed a storm cell which has left the road wet but headed north east. There was a nice rainbow.

Drove into the mining town to check out their supermarket - not much available at the moment.

Decided to continue on to Leonora as there is a free camp at the Gwalia Museum carpark so we can wait for Bob and Margaret there. Dark clouds in the south.

Went through a light shower. We must have missed the main part as the road is wet ahead of us.

The sky brightens as we pass the turn off into 10 Mile Outcamp where we spent 4 months helping Rob with the bore runs etc.

Fran sent a photo of Sophia with her glasses. They will check her eyes again in a month. Hope that sorts out the problem for her.

Into Leonora. The Coles Express isn’t cheap here. The 24hr Ampol is 30 cents cheaper so we will fill up there tomorrow.

Out of town then we took the road to the historic mining town of Gwalia which has an active gold mine there. The Museum is fabulous and now we can part there for 72 hours too. We pulled in and backed up a bay away from another van. A lady came rushing out yelling then we realised we weren’t in trouble - it was Cheryl and Gary from Melbourne, who we visited in January. I knew they were over here and was going to find out where they were shortly. Fancy that - they had just pulled in too.

We got set up. The murals on the side of the Museum need touching up.

Got out our chairs and jumpers and chatted the afternoon away and into the evening. It was 7.45pm when we finally went in for dinner. They are such a great couple.

The clouds went with the wind and the stars are out - a lot cooler so closed up the camper.

10.30pm we heard thunder and lightning flashed then the rain started with strong wind. It wasn’t heavy rain but the wind shook the camper about as we are up on the hill by the Museum, overlooking the open cut of the mine.

Wed, 25th Sept, 2024 Bush camp on pending lease, off Sandstone-Meekatharra Road, WA

The wind is back early this morning. Min 14 degrees, clear sky. Should have stayed north in the warmer weather!

Packed up and moved to the other end of the lease - no joy. Three other vehicles pulled up so we left them to it.

We continued on to the other pending lease where there was dry blowing and scrapes. No joy here either.

Had lunch then went wandering again. Steve went over the hill and found some more old scrapes and picked up a few bits. I followed but didn’t find anything. Someone else had left a smiley face where presumably they found gold - does make you smile when you see it.

Back to the camper for a cuppa. Annalise sent a video and photos of Beau eating - he certainly likes his chops and had a whole broccoli to chew on. Hope he continues to be a good eater.

Steve went for another big walk and met one of the chaps from the vehicles we saw this morning. They are from Geraldton and came in with a friend from Meeka and hadn’t found much so far.

While we were having drinks, Ray and Carol rang for a chat. They are at Woodgate as the Qld detecting spots weren’t any good.

The wind stopped at nightfall but then started up again when we went to bed.

Tues, 24th Sept, 2024 Bush camp at Peace Gorge, Meekatharra to Bush camp on pending lease, off the Sandstone/Meekatharra Road, WA

15 degrees min, blue sky with puffy white clouds and a light cool breeze.

Slow start this morning. There is a new sign about Peace Gorge. Imagine getting about with all that gear on.

After a cuppa we headed into town to try and get gas and a few vegies and fruit. The town creek has filled up and there is water across the causeway.

No gas unfortunately and you should see the prices the locals have to pay for fruit and veg!

Called into the Council office where they have a nice museum and library. They have a section of free books for exchange so we took the ones we have read and got a heap more.

When we went back out to the truck the Police had set up a breath-test in the middle of the road so Steve pulled out and blew in the tube then he had to take the tube off so we can dispose of it rather than the Police. He passed of course.

We headed out of town to the turn off onto the gravel Sandstone-Meekatharra Road. The road condition sign said it was open with care so we headed off. There were a few low areas still with water in them but no boggy sections.

Turned onto a truck through the pastoralist’s gate and met a vehicle. His father has a lease further along and he said to go through if we wanted. We were heading back north so we went along the fence-line track then turned towards the pending areas we wanted to check out. Lots of tiny yellow flowers about.

We stopped at the first one and had lunch.

Went for a wander over big lumpy ironstone rocks - no much quartz about but I got a scream and it was a nice little treasure then another scream and it was a bullet! 

Windy gusts are keeping it cooler, 3pm 29 degrees. Had a cuppa then went wandering again but just got exercise and a few bits of rubbish to put in our bin.

Still windy so stayed inside for drinks, cards and dinner with the camper closed up.

Mon, 23rd Sept, 2024 Bush camp on Killara Station, north of Meekatharra to Bush camp at Peace Gorge, Meekatharra, WA (Brian’s birthday)

18 degrees, cloudy and no wind. No more rain during the night.

Sent Brian a happy birthday text - out reading meters, working man. He and Ian are going to Bathurst for the race soon and he will get to meet his new grandson, Arthur, then too.

Packed up and headed back out. The track was well maintained and obviously we didn’t get enough rain to worry it.

Stopped at the homestead to thank Penny again. Her father was mowing the green grass around the homestead and came over for a chat too. He comes up for the 3 months of the mustering season to help out around the place.

We continued out to the highway and headed south to Meekatharra.

All quiet in town as it is a public holiday for their show which was on the weekend.

We pulled into the water point where another couple were filling up their van. Chatted with them for a while then realised they were Anthony’s parents, Tony and Sharnie. We met Anthony (from Darwin) at Kurundi, NT last time. Ray and Carol became friends with them and they had been here earlier on with Tony and Sharnie - what a small world. Tony had just left them and was headed back to Darwin.

Topped up with diesel at the Coles Express. When we first started travelling they were the best to get fuel from price-wise as they offered 10c off if you spend $20 in store, we used to get a gas bottle each time back then with the old van so it was very good. Then they seemed to get dearer and were sometimes 10 to 15 cents dearer then the others hence we looked for all the 24hr fuel places. Now it is the same price as the card place and they still have the 10c offer so I got a new soda stream bottle for $20 and got the 10 cent off the $2.019 price. We needed a gas bottle but they don’t have the little ones so will try Mitre 10 tomorrow when the shops open again. Very helpful lady in the store too which was nice.

Annalise sent a video of Beau eating his lunch - such a big boy now holding his strawberry and munching away with his two bottom teeth!

Drove out to Peace Gorge with all the boulders. Been here plenty of times before and found a good spot near two trees to hang our washing line from.

Got the washing machine out and did half the washing before lunch. Even though it is cloudy there is enough heat about and a nice breeze.

After lunch finished the washing. Keeping an eye on some rumbling clouds to the west but they seem to be going southward.

2.30pm - heard thunder rumble again but it was from a storm in the east. It arrived very quickly that we had to rush about getting the clothes off and truck closed up etc before the wind and rain came down. Got most of the washing dry, just the last load that we nearly dry got wet with the rain drops so will hang them out again tomorrow.

Heavy rain so the red dirt quickly looked like a shiny surface with the layer of water on it.

The storm moved on and the water soaked into the ground quickly. The sun came back out so I rehung the clothes that weren’t quite dry.

Got them dry just before the next storm cell hit an hour later.

Jodie replied to my text - they are all doing well and she send some photos and a video of Arthur playing with his mobile which he has just become aware of now he is one month old. Another of him waking up with big smiles - so cute.

The sky is all clear to the east again but very dark and rumbling to the west as the storm heads away.

No more rain tonight but the air has stayed cool from the rain.