Finding new patches of gold was a popular topic around the campfire and ideas were beginning to develop into a plan that would hopefully see the three hardened bushies with a swag full of bounty each. Every year reports filter through of a lucky prospector finding a decent size nugget in the Western Australian Goldfields but the chances of this happening are slight as most of the alluvial ground has been worked pretty hard over the last 20 years. During the gold rush period pre 1900 reports have it that many prospectors specked gold in large quantities, 10 – 15 ounces a day whilst travelling from one gold field to the next and there are still sun bakers as we...
Over the years I have spent many lonely days in the bush and during the last two years spent most days a long way from camp out in the mulga. You soon realise that making yourself your own best friend solves the lonely problem but you do find yourself talking and asking questions then replying with the answer. For most people a desert bush view would appear as mass of trees with practically no ground cover apart from iron stone and quarts rocks and no visible life but if you look more closely another world appears. Millions of ants of every size and description some always ready to attack where as others are happy to share their environment, also spiders...
To many people life in the bush has a romantic side where the mind conjoures up perfect shady camp sites under blue sunny skies with plenty of happy friends sitting around eating campfire cooked meals and drinking lots of cold beer. The reality however when living in the bush on a permanent basis and working each day regardless of the weather conditions can be somewhat different. Having plenty of food in freezers and a supply chain for refills organised, sufficient capacity for holding water and other essentials in case the next town trip is delayed by rain throws up a few challengers the average weekend camper doesn’t generally come across. Most of the problems can be overcome with planing and...
While the majority of Australians enjoy the comforts of life in built up areas those in their quest for gold lead an entirely different life. The bitumen roads, fast foods, internet, restaurants, electricity for lighting and hot water and huge food stores are envied by those in bush camps a thousand kilometers or more away from the bright lights. The weather extremes are accepted, freezing cold winters and blistering heat in the summer are dealt with by fire or a twelve volt fan, life under canvas certainly has its moments. Recently I joined some mates dry blowing for fine gold south east of Wiluna in the desert country of WA. Our neighbors, camels, dingoes and roos make their way down...
The Western Australian Pilbara region has many secret spots that require hours behind the wheel if you wish to visit and enjoy them. One such place east of Marble Bar, in fact 250 K’s east on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert is Carawine Gorge. This is an amazing spot to visit as the trip out into such isolated regions doesn’t prepare you for the impact the views this Gorge has to offer. Carawine Gorge is the head waters of the Oakover River which runs for two hundred k”s there a bouts and then becomes the De Grey River. This year recent winter rain falls had the surrounding country looking its best for many years and plenty of deep...
