MON 1 - WED 3.08.2016: Drove through Moree (known for their artesian waters), a town that Carole just a few years ago, had visited for school swimming competitions. What a difference time can make to some areas. We were planning on a drive through, but ended up completing the shopping and washing. The fossicker (Carole that is), having visited Lightning Ridge has renewed her passion for finding her fortune through stones! Decision was made to revisit Billabong Blue Sapphires and try our luck with sapphires. It was great to catch up with Leigh Curwen who is still overseeing the fossicking site. Took it easy the first day, settled in hung out the laundry, Carole took a stroll down the road to see if there was any 'colour' and we enjoyed the mandatory fire - excellent.
Day 2, sun was shining, birds were singing and grass was growing so we were down at the site by 9.00am. Except for the morning tea and lunch break Carole soldiered on till 4.00pm and yes found colour, but not yet rich! Well may you ask what Leigh and Carole are doing rummaging around in the dirt - quite often the people that have visited on the previous day may have missed seeing the sapphires either due to a lack of sun or inexperience. The stones deemed unworthy are tossed onto the ground and there are times when sapphires are inadvertently discarded, hence the reason for the rummaging!
Leigh invited us back for 'Happy Hour' which was thoroughly enjoyed and as we parted he made mention that "there may be a shower tomorrow". As we had booked in for four days we were somewhat disappointed, but did not think there would be too much of an issue. Rained most of the night and as the roads are gravel, with the main one having just been graded, there was a concern over our ability to exit the camp without becoming bogged.
Leigh visited and advised that rain had been forecast for the next day and there would be no fossicking. We made the decision to leave, but had to do so via the back road, with an agreed to plan with Leigh that if we did become bogged we would just keep blowing our horn till help arrived! Poodle Palace (the off road van that isn't), set sail assuming that the tractor would be needed to tow us out, but no, we drove through water, road ruts and slid our way down parts of a very sodden road to make it onto the bitumen. The Leyland Sisters were somewhat 'chuffed' with their achievement till they went to say goodbye to Leigh and were almost bogged in the front yard of the residence!
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| JUST A LITTLE WET! |
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| CAROLE & LEIGH |
Drove to Guyra (Population 1,947), and were planning to stay in their free camp. Rain sodden grounds which we would have definitely not been able to exit. Plan B - frequented the local Bowls Club and asked if we could stay in their car park. Positive response and best of all - we are on bitumen!
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