SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER     MOUNT SURPRISE

Again, it was an early start, and back out to the topaz fields. We seem to have the fossicking “bug” – John more so than me.

Went to Elsie’s place to collect our pick from Sam. He had a young couple there for a lesson.

We found a couple more bits, at the same place. But there is a big difference between finding bits of topaz and finding pieces that are worth cutting into gemstones for jewellery!

When it was starting to get too hot, pulling rocks out of the creek bed, we drove further up Tourmaline Gully, just for a look about. Then we drove out the Bulleringa road, that is shown on our road map of the Gulf Country, towards the west, for maybe ten kms. That was enough to show us some quite spectacular rock country. We will ask Joe about going all the way out to the Bulleringa National Park that is marked on the map. Our general tourist information, and books, don’t say anything about this.

It is obvious that there has been a sizeable bushfire through these parts, and not too long ago.

Drove back to town and followed the same routine as yesterday – sleep in the cool van, then a swim as the afternoon began to get a little cooler.

Had a talk with Joe. Apparently there was a large fire, earlier in the year. It started beyond the Forty Mile Scrub and burned in a NNW direction, through a lot of this country, over about a week.

John told Joe that we were happy to stay on longer here, as long as they could keep coming up with interesting suggestions for things to do! They are doing all they can to keep us here. He said that if we needed to top up our food supplies, we could give Jo a list and she would fax it through to the places in Atherton that supply them, and the order would be delivered with theirs, on the weekly supply truck. Very good. Thinking of things for us to do is a good exercise for them, too, because it will provide resource material for them to give future guests.

For tea I made a vegie stir fry with oyster sauce, and boiled rice.