SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER   LAKE MARABOON TO RUBYVALE   88kms

We did not have to get an excessively early start today, since we are not going far.

We had the usual straightforward pack up and uneventful hitch up and departure. Stopped off in Emerald, where we posted the insurance renewal for our rental unit, bought a paper and then visited the book exchange for a big buy up.

Thus well equipped, the run to Rubyvale was easy.

We set up in the Rubyvale Caravan Park, for $70 a week. The owner was very friendly and helpful. He is a similar age to us, has a sapphire mine, and a replaced hip. His wife runs the Post Office that is at the front of the caravan park.

We set up on a site on the side fence, with a road behind us, but with shade. The amenities block is pretty basic, but clean. There is a small swimming pool – good! It seems a pleasant place. There is one permanent dweller, and we are the only tourists in – so it is going to be very quiet. The park is across the road from the hotel, and it is an easy walk to the shops.

After setting up, we rode the bikes out of town to where a jewellery sale was advertised in flyers we’d seen pinned up. There were a couple of interesting looking items, but we did not buy anything. Saw many houses and shacks for sale, some on claims. Rode 5.4kms in total, which was quite enough in the heat.

There was no sign of JJ, who was supposed to look us up here, this afternoon.

I had a swim – the pool is quite adequate for cooling off in and a bit of exercise.

There was a cooler breeze in the evening, which was pleasant. We could hear lots of fruit bats squabbling in the trees around the park.

Tea was roast lamb and vegies. Probably not a great choice, in view of the weather, but nice.

Today, it was really hot in Melbourne and Adelaide – in the 40’s. Cyclone Thelma, which went very close to Darwin, as a Category 5 cyclone, a few days ago, is finally exhausting itself inland from Derby. It was a nasty one and really battered the Tiwi Islands. It has been responsible for some massive rain falls up north.