Well after a chilly evening we woke and started with pancakes for breakfast. Our aim for the day was to get as far north as we could get. It took a while to pack up while chatting to the guys next door explaining our trip and hearing of their experiences travelling with a family of three kids. It shows that even back then what we doing is possible without some of the comforts that we have on our travels.
We decided to take some of the back roads to Emerald, the highway scenery doesn't change that much, also a good time to test out the dust worthiness of Ernie (a few spots need some work). Stopped in Emerald there for lunch and dropped into the info centre. Love lady Max mentioned that it is a short stop over at Rubyvale for fossicking and then mentioned Teresa Creek Dam as possible place to park for the night. It's just as long as the highway.
Well Max was spot on, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn on the way, we stopped for some sapphire fossicking in Rubyvale, at Bobby Dazzler Mine. Getting a bucket of dirt and sieve with a few instructions we were fossicking like champions. In the end we came out with a couple of green sapphires totalling 16.9 grammes. It was interesting talking to Fran about how mining has really slipped off here, rents have dropped from $600 / week to $300, with many houses now for rent and businesses moving on. Made me think how little towns handle the boom and bust times, I am sure it's a real struggle. They now in the in the process of building the business back up. Out the back of bobby dazzlers noticed our first pair of Brolga's, rather large birds that didn't mind a photo to two. (Sorry on the other camera)
Today was the first day the temperature went above 20 degrees, 24 exact. It felt more temperate as well with the humidity starting to increase. Hope there is more that to come!
Taking the back roads again to the campsite at Theresa Creek Dam the colours and scenery were simply spectacular.
(To be inserted the picture of storm and rainbow)
With cattle across the road (as they don't do the fence thing up here) and not a straight section in sight with too many cattle grids to speak of, it meant eyes had to be on the road, no relaxing.
After a drive where you could count the cars on one hand, we pulled into the campsite faced with a sea of trailers and caravans, a little hidden place which is obviuously well known to the locals and gray nomads. We pulled into a lovely little spot, setup and started cooking tuna casserole "wok style". Meals were polished off with some to spare for tomorrow.
Having said we wanted to head north early to have to timeout in Townsville we apt hiking that place is nice enough to hang for another day and then make the big 510 ish kilometre trek up north. Will see the office in the morning to see if they will have us for another day ...
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