MONDAY 7 DECEMBER     LAKE MARABOON

We drove to the gem fields for a day trip. Took the highway for 45 kms to the west of Emerald, then turned north on a sealed road.

Cruised around Anakie, Sapphire and then went on to Rubyvale. It was just the usual sort of lightly timbered grass and scrubland until we got to Sapphire. Here the houses were somewhat higgle-piggle  – it did not look as if the place had ever been surveyed or properly laid out. There were rough sign boards advertising gems for sale and some cottages that seemed to be on claims.

Just out of Sapphire, we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn. There is a bottle shop and drinking establishment built there.

Between Sapphire and Rubyvale, could see signs of large scale machine mining, in places.

Rubyvale appeared somewhat more of a “normal” township – at least along the main street. But once away from that, the straggle of camps on claims became more evident.

In the tourist information, we’d seen an ad for Old Mick’s gem cutters and shop. The name had appealed to John, who calls me “Mick”, so we had to go there. It is actually run by a lady, but named for an old timer on the fields.

We spent some time chatting to J, the shop owner. I ended up buying a ring from her – a lovely parti-colour sapphire (mostly yellow) on a nice broad band. It cost $340 and is to be my Xmas present.

J recommended that if we wanted to go fossicking in the area, to go to the Washpool Fossicking Area. There are several designated fossicking areas around the gemfields – where large scale machine mining is not allowed, and where claims are not pegged. The Washpool area is to the west, a few kms from Rubyvale. We tucked that information away for possible future reference.

Moved on to a place that was on a claim, along one of the winding, unsealed tracks that make up most of the township. It provided the gear, and taught visitors how to sieve the gravel wash and look for sapphires in it. This cost us $5 each for a bucket of gravel each. We found some bits of sapphire. John is better at the sieving than I am and gets the interesting bits more concentrated in the middle of the sieve load than I can. He found two “cutters” – stones that were big enough, and uncracked enough to be worth faceting.

I’d asked J if she knew of JJ and she told us that he was living out on Mt Leura station, on the Keilambete road, several kms out of town. So we drove out that way, found the property and drove in. A man came out to investigate, at the noise of the vehicle – and it was JJ. He was surprised to see us, obviously, but seemed pleased. We spent a couple of hours there, talking with him. He has a sort of caretaker’s role at the property, as the owner is away a bit. So he has a cottage to live in, there. He has a cute little Chihuahua called Zac. J offered to take us “specking” – looking for sapphires – on the property, if we came out to stay at Rubyvale, as we told him we were thinking of doing. We arranged to meet him next Saturday, in Rubyvale.

Back in Rubyvale, drove past the caravan park and thought it looked alright. Nothing lavish – one would not expect that, out here.

Drove back to camp, thinking it had been quite a fruitful day, and thinking that we would move out to Rubyvale next.

I made lentil cakes, with a lemon yoghurt sauce. Got the recipe from a newspaper. John did not like them and I wasn’t all that keen. Don’t win them all!

We drove 214kms today.