This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Category Archives: 1999 Travels


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 23

FRIDAY 23 JULY     GEMTREE

Today we needed a quiet day to rest the mining muscles!

The cold wind that started blowing yesterday, from the east, continued today. It really chills things down.

07-09-1999 Gemtree camp ground.jpg

Part of the Gemtree camp ground

I had a headache for much of the morning – wondered if I was brewing a cold.

It was baking day for John. He made potato bread and rolls, Chelsea buns and some pasties. Quite a marathon session.

I had a marathon of my own, doing three loads of washing, including the bedding.

We sorted through the zircons brought back on one of the previous days – I am sure there are a few cutting stones in there.

An Englishman who was camped nearby, with his young family, showed us some amethyst crystals he had collected from Wylie Station, in the Hamersley Ranges of WA. He gave us a mud map sketch of the location.

Some new people set up in “our” clearing – a couple from Melbourne, who are also members of the VKS Radio network. They have relatives in Alice Springs and do a lot of 4WD track exploring around Central Australia. They drive a Disco – the more luxurious brother of our Truck!

Tea was pasties – yummy.

John spent the usual hours on the computer after tea.


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 22

THURSDAY 22 JULY     GEMTREE

Yesterday’s success was a great motivator, and we went back to the zircon fields, for more.

Before leaving, I wrapped my Band-aided cut thumb in gladwrap, then John coated it in electrical tape. I put it in a plastic bag and wore the green glove over all that! It worked, and kept the dirty wash water away from the wound. Exposure to that could have been asking for trouble!

07-21-1999 wendy inspecting wash.jpg

Sorting the washed gravel – with glove on my injured hand

We dug some more in the same hole as yesterday, and seemed to do well, again. Of course, many of the pieces of zircon that are found will, on closer examination later, prove to have cracks or flaws that will make them unsuitable for cutting.

07-21-1999 01 zebra finches in fossicking water.jpg

Zebra finches came in to drink in the washing water puddles

I got very muddy from the wash process water splashing on me. As the day goes on, this water gets more and more muddy. We can only carry a limited amount of water out there, so it can only be changed once during the day.

07-26-1999 07 dirty job.jpg

This is not a clean pastime!

The chilly wind started to blow again, through the day.

Got back to camp about 5.30 and headed for the shower. Alas, there was no water! A pipe had broken. They were trying to fix it. I was all itchy from the mud on me. Washed hands and arms in the van sink.

Tea was corn chowder, cold fish cakes, and coleslaw.

After tea, the good news was that the pipe was fixed and we were able to shower. That was a relief as I’d have hated to go to bed the way I was!

I dressed the thumb, which was very sore, with a melolin dressing and gauze pads. John had a look at it and was quite impressed with the damage! He promised to tell me when he sharpens knives in the future.

It was a cold night.

John was on the computer again, until the power went off. At least, this is ensuring that he cannot lose track of time and stay up too late.


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 21

WEDNESDAY 21 JULY     GEMTREE

After breakfast, we went out to Mud Tank and went fossicking on the flats there.

We seemed to do quite well, working in an old hole and enlarging it.

07-21-1999 02 our zircon fossicking rig.jpg

Our makeshift zircon fossicking gear

It was hard work. John worked in the hole, digging out the soil and gravel, onto the big, coarse sieve that he made. Then he uses his “rocker” to sieve that product twice more, through finer sieves.

07-22-1999 05 ohn sifting.jpg

John sifting dug material, using a sieve on the rocker stand he made

Then it is my turn to wash that final sieve full – using our red camp gear container, full of water. Then I turn it out onto our table – again, camp gear – and sort through the wet stones to pick out anything that might be worth keeping.

07-26-1999 01 sieved heap.jpg

A sieve full of washed gravel, ready for inspection

It is a good division of labour.

We took a break and ate lunch, then dug on for a while. Went back to camp mid afternoon.

07-26-1999 05 following gravel.jpg

John is following the layer of gravel

After I had cleaned up, made spicy corn chowder soup, and then fish cakes, for tea.

John had sharpened my vegie knife this morning, apparently, without telling me. Because it was unexpectedly sharp, it bounced off the board when I went to cut onion, and sliced some nail and the end off my left thumb. There was much blood! I band-aided it up, without telling John, who was outside, because he gets cross when I cut myself! Later, at night it became very sore, and I eventually had to confess about the reason for the bandaids.

We were quite weary from the mining and did not spend much time out at the fire.

John played computer games until the power died.


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 20

TUESDAY 20 JULY     GEMTREE

I went to the Office and booked us in here for another week. The trip to Alice and replenishment of some supplies meant we could stay longer here. I asked about the aquamarine that I’d read about, and was told that what they get out in these parts is a show of colour in a milky base – not something that is worth cutting. So we will not worry any more about that!

Whilst at the Office I succumbed to temptation and bought a Gemtree polo shirt – cost $30, but seems high quality fabric.

Took a packed lunch and headed off to do the full circuit of the Cattlewater Pass/Pinnacles Bore Track, this time.

We drove west, to the garnet fossicking area, and took the track to the south again, but continuing past where we’d been before. Followed a short side track to an old mica mining area, to the west of the main track, and poked about for a while. I feel frustrated that we are such novices and do not know more about what is good material and what is not.

07-20-1999 01 blackfellows bones mica mine on hill.jpg

Waste heap at Blackfellows Bones mica mine, seen from a distance

We continued on the track to the Blackfellows Bones mica mine site, which was quite extensive. Could see the waste heaps glistening from a distance. Had to drive across the Ongeva Creek flats to get to this. It is an attractive site, with mountains all round.

There were remains of bough shelters that had been used by miners. The prolific bird life out here indicates that there must be water somewhere fairly close by. This could possibly be cattle watering troughs, as we are on a station, after all. I spotted a Horsfields bronze cuckoo.

07-20-1999 03 ongeva valley from mica mine.jpg

Bough hut remains at the bottom of the hill, and Ongeva Creek valley

While John was pottering about with his eyes to the ground, I climbed a hill and took photos.

07-20-1999 04 ongeva ck valley

Ongeva Creek valley

The morning had disappeared quickly and we ate lunch at Blackfellows Bones mine.

07-20-1999 02 mica mine

Mica mine

Then it really was time to keep going, if we were to get round the circuit. Continued broadly southwards, though the track wound around a lot. Its quality varied, being quite rough in parts. There were a few places where we actually needed to engage the low range.

07-20-1999 05 view cattlewater pass tk

Outlook from the Cattlewater Pass Track

Yesterday, at the first gate, we’d seen a couple of camper trailer rigs setting off down this way. They would not have found it easy going at all, and would not have had much fun in some places.

Stopped at a prominent white quartz outcrop beside the track for a look around it. Found some shiny black stuff – didn’t know what it was except that it occurs in quartz!

07-20-1999 01 quartz hill at FA10 area

Another quartz outcrop

This really was a very scenic drive, through different types of rugged hills. Had to cross a sort of earth dam wall at one point. The track traversed river flats – the Hale River, then we crossed scoured, rocky plains to emerge out onto the Arltunga road at Ambalindum Homestead. It was about 5pm when we reached here.

07-20-1999 06 cattlewater pass tk

On the Cattlewater Pass track

Turned east on The Gardens road and once we reached The Gardens Homestead, it was familiar territory, from our previous drive. We turned north. The sun was almost setting as we passed the Pinnacles Bore. We were very pleased that we had the easier part of the circuit track to drive in the dusk. It was dark for the last part, and almost 7pm when we got back to Gemtree.

It was a long day, but a great drive – one we will remember as a highlight. We covered 215 kms today.

Tea was tinned soup, fried ham and cheese sandwiches. It was late, of course.

The moon was almost half full. It is beautiful here, at night. I love the sense of space.


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 19

MONDAY 19 JULY    GEMTREE

After an early lunch, we drove off to explore the old mica mining area, on Mt Riddock Station.

Mica was mined in the Harts Ranges from the 1880’s to 1960; this area was the main source of mica in Australia. As a heat resistant material, it was used for a variety of applications, such as “windows” in the doors of fuel burning stoves of the times. Mica is found in flaky sheets.

We turned off on the track to the garnet fossicking areas, but kept going south for about 10kms from the highway. The whole area is very scenic, with ranges all round, and the broad valley of Ongeva Creek cutting through. The tracks are rather slow driving. There is a maze of them and we drove slowly around, seeing what was along some of them.

07-19-1999 04 quartz hill from mica mine.jpg

Quartz hill outcrop at Mt Riddock

We came across a prominent quartz outcrop on a hill. There was lots of clear and smoky quartz pieces lying about here, and we gathered some of this.

07-19-1999 02 quartz hill old station area.jpg

Quartz outcrop, with pieces of quartz around its base

The first mica mine, nearby,  was supposed to have aquamarine crystals occurring, according to our fossicking literature, and we had a look around, but did not really know what it looked like.

Moved on to a second mica mine – not far – and in scrounging around, John found some garnets in a creek bed, so we sieved for an hour or so there. I was not sure if what we found there included any cutting stones, though.

07-19-1999 05 mica sheet at old mica mine .jpg

John with a piece of mica at an old mica mine

It was lovely, being out in such a beautiful area, on our own, in the sunshine, just pottering about.

07-19-1999 03 corkwood tree

Corkwood tree in the old mica mines area

Got back to Gemtree at 5.45pm, a bit stiff after all the clambering about, and digging. We drove 120kms today.

Tea was tinned soup and chow mein with rice.


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 18

SUNDAY 18 JULY     GEMTREE

Another camp based day. This is such a pleasant place that just being here is enough, without going somewhere every day.

07-09-1999 gemtree camp.jpg

Our Gemtree camp

John worked on the tax and financial paperwork for much of the day. This is never a fun task and he was not a happy camper.

I read, knitted, sewed, and generally stayed outside as much as possible.

C and A did the zircon fossicking tour this morning, and came back with ten cutters.

Tea was packet chicken noodle soup, cold roast chicken, mashed potato, and salad.

Again, we spent some of the evening sitting round the campfire.


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 17

SATURDAY 17 JULY     GEMTREE

Today was a camp based day, after the activity of the previous two.

John was well into reading a suspense novel I had finished with, and read for most of the day. He also sorted through stuff that he had “filed”, looking for tax relevant materials. This made him grumpy!

I sorted the garnets from the other day. There may be a few cutters amongst them. I was disappointed with the lot from the top site though, as they were mostly fractured. Apart from that, I read and wrote up the diary.

07-10-1999 correa wild.jpg

Local wild correa, or native fuschia

The new people at the back, who were roared at last night, turned out to be C and A, the couple with the two young girls and the broken camper that we had helped out on the Mereenie Loop Road. They had recognised our van when they came in yesterday, but decided to wait until daytime to catch up with us. They gave us a 6-pack of beer as a belated thank-you for our previous help. We chatted for some time. C had gotten sick of Alice Springs, too, and they’d had a few days camped out at Ormiston Gorge, which she said was great.

We had an early roast chicken dinner, then went over to play paddy melon bowls at 8pm.

You get one melon, with your name written on it in texta. They play several rounds – men Vs women. You queue up and take it in turns to heave your “bowl” at a big one sitting in the middle of a circle, some distance away. Those that end up in the circle, score. It is a damn sight harder than it sounds! Paddy melons are uneven shaped and very hard to direct. The men won!

07-17-1999 bowls.jpg

John playing paddy melon bowls

Damper was served afterwards. We had one little piece, which was all we felt like, and then went back to the van. The night was quite chilly.


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 16

FRIDAY 16 JULY     GEMTREE

We got up at 6am, with help from the alarm, and left at 6.45 for Alice Springs. The dark night was just beginning to lighten, pre-dawn, as we left. It was bloody cold in the van as we couldn’t run the heater because the generator hadn’t started yet.

The sun rose behind us as we drove west to the Stuart Highway – really pretty. The sky in front went through various stages of dark blue, pink. purple. We rarely see a sunrise these days!

Reached Alice at 8.15 and went straight to Land Rover to put Truck in for its hose fitting.

Walked to the town centre, browsing in some shops as we went.

Bought another gem sieve – a more coarse one this time – at the Disposals, which was much cheaper than the hardware shop. Cost $28.

Went to the Library and changed books. Collected our mail from the Post Office and found that it contained two unexpected cheques: a $5 Keno win and $500 loan repayment/dividend from the bowls club, return of money my father had lent them. John’s Group Certificate for tax was there, along with a letter from his sister, the third in a short period.

John took a half hour on the Internet at the library and emailed S again. While he was doing that, I went and did banking and bought some cards.

We had a fish and chip lunch – well, it IS Friday! They were nice too.

We walked back to collect Truck. Then did a grocery shop. Bought newspapers – I have missed having those. It is one of the few down sides of being out at Gemtree.

By phone and radio, prior to today, we had arranged to visit KM, who runs the Alice Springs base of the 737 Radio Network. He is in poor health. We were welcomed by a very friendly little puggy type of dog. K has a big old dingo, which came out when urged, was patted, and went back to bed. K used to live out on Mt Riddoch Station. He said some aboriginals brought the pup to him, there. Its eyes were still closed, it was so young. He reared it – said it was an excellent dog. He also showed us big garnets that the natives brought in, out there.

K has a whole room for his Network gear – several radios and dials, fax machines and the like. We donated $10 to the cause. Asked him if he could keep alert for anyone who might want to pair up with us to do a Simpson Desert crossing.

It had turned into a hot day.

We refuelled and also refilled the jerry can – 82cpl. Much cheaper than Gemtree.

I drove some of the way back to Gemtree and we got back about 4.30. Drove 308kms today.

Found we have some new neighbours – for the first time since we have been here. They are from WA, with a fold out camper trailer and ordinary car.

Our tea was tinned soup and crumpets.

After tea, we sat round the fire, talking with our neighbours, until quite late, mostly about travels. New campers, over beyond us, had built up an absolutely huge fire. Old Bill, the garnet guide came over and roared at them for wasting wood. Fair enough, especially since he helps replenish the wood heap.

07-31-1999 gemtree firewood.jpg

The Gemtree wood heap – for use by campers – within reason!


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 15

THURSDAY 15 JULY     GEMTREE

With a full tank of fuel, we set out to drive the Pinnacles Bore track to the Arltunga road and then back along the Cattlewater Pass track – a circuit.

We had to drive out to the Mud Tank fields first, then kept going – south west for a while, then south, then south east. It was interesting country, always with hills and ranges somewhere, and a fairly good track. South of Mud Tank there were rather dramatic outcroppings of quartz in the hills.

07-15-1999 01 looking sth from bore tk near mud tank.jpg

Where we are going – looking south from Mud Tank

07-15-1999 02 Pinnacles Bore Tk quartz outcrop.jpg

A quartz outcrop by the Pinnacles Bore Track

We stopped a lot to look at birds. Saw the Australian Buzzard in the wild.

Another stop was at the Pinnacles Bore – by Gillen Creek. This is cattle country, though for much of the way the pickings looked fairly meagre to me. The stocking rate would be pretty low, I reckon. But the little mob of cattle we saw at the Pinnacles Bore looked in good condition.

07-15-1999 03 the Pinnacles Bore.jpg

The Pinnacles Bore – and a Pinnacle

Further on was another stop. This time it was to pick two bucketfuls of paddy melons, for the caravan park. There was a notice up at the Office saying they needed more, for the weekly paddy melon bowls.

07-15-1999 07 paddy melons pinnacle bore tk.jpg

Gathering paddy melons from the side of the track

We ate lunch in the dry bed of the Hale River, near The Gardens HS, watched by more cattle.

07-15-1999 08 lunch at Hale River.jpg

Having lunch in the bed of the Hale River

This was arid country, very stony and quite different to the Gemtree area. Nonetheless, it had a dramatic beauty and was always interesting.

07-15-1999 05 Narbib Ra near The Garden.jpg

The Narbib Range

I had the think that the name “The Gardens” was an irony!

07-15-1999 06 the garden area

The Gardens property

Took a rough track, looking for the remains of the Winnecke Mine, where there were supposed to be some ruins left from gold mining days. But our map was vague. We drove 11kms – slowly. It was interesting country, but we didn’t see the ruins and I am not even sure we were on the right track.

07-15-1999 09 Mt Laughlin

Mt Laughlen

07-15-1999 10 georgina gap.jpg

Georgina Gap

By the time we retraced the way back to The Gardens track, it was too late to continue around the circuit we’d planned – since the 4WD Cattlewater Pass track was supposed to be slow going. John was not happy about it, but I persuaded him to go back the way we had come, past The Pinnacles bore. As it was, we got back to Gemtree at 4.30pm. Earlier, he’d said that was the time he wanted to be back. Had we continued on, as planned it would have been after dark when we got back. Not the time to be out on these tracks! So I thought we’d made the right decision.

The managers were very pleased with the paddy melons.

We drove a total of 177kms.

Tea was soup, rissoles, snow peas, cauliflower with cheese sauce. That is the last of the pea and ham soup.

I loved today’s drive and the country we traversed – elemental, mysterious in parts, beautiful. After Mud Tank, we saw no other people – exploring this country without others about adds to the experience.


by Leave a comment

1999 Travels July 14

WEDNESDAY 14 JULY     GEMTREE

We took a packed lunch and drove back out to the garnet fields. As our supplies drop, and because we don’t want to be making bread too often, we have had to start in on the Cruskit biscuits, eaten with Kraft cheddar cheese and sliced tomatoes. That makes an adequate lunch.

Before lunch, we dug in the same creek area as before, and seemed to find some pieces.

07-14-1999 garnet fossicking creek.jpg

The creek where we were fossicking for garnets

After lunch, John wanted to try up the hill, along a rough track. This digging area looked less worked over, but we did not do as well. I was not sure whether we were reworking gravels already sieved!

It was pleasant working out there, but the bush flies were bad again.

07-29-1999 04 FA9 garnet area terrain.jpg

Interesting Harts Ranges scenery at the FA9 fossicking area

We drove 87kms today.

When we left this morning, the mechanic was working on the pump. The diesel was back working by the time we got back this afternoon, so we filled up. 97cpl.

Tea was soup, omelette, French fries and leftover fried rice.