Dear Family and Friends.
We pulled into Willows Gemfield about 3PM yesterday and received a very warm welcome from Barry, Sharon, (Barry's stepdaughter), Ricki, Sharon's partner and a friend by the name of Madeline. We sat round and chatted for a few hours after which Ken maneurvered the the van into a fairly tight spot on Sharon and Ricki's front yard.
A storm had been brewing for a while and we listened to weather reports on the way here in the car. Storms were predicted for Emerald (just 70klms from where we are) right through to Bundy and Gladstone, down the coast as far as Brisbane and across to Toowoomba. Gale warnings were out and advising people in these areas to secure or put away any loose objects they may have in their yards. As we drove along there were just a few dark clouds and the rest were soft puffy clouds. We thought we would miss the storm because Emerald was the farthest town west that the storm was predicted to hit.
Well, were we wrong. Lightening flashes were coming from all sides as well as loud claps of thunder. We stood outside for a few moments before we said goodnight and when the rain came it came down in heavy drops and then in just a few seconds it teemed down and it was a mad rush to get inside before we were saturated. I think they had about 3 to 4inches and next morning you could hardly tell it had rained so heavy until you saw when someone had driven off the road and sunk down into the dirt beside it.
Our gem hunting has been delayed for a few days as a result of the rain, I think because of the difficulty of where we are going. The positive thing is that Sharon says after a heavy fall of rain it can wash the top layer of dirt and soil away and can leave you with stones on the surface and if you know what you are looking for it is sometimes there for the taking.
It is a little bit like lightening ridge in that you don't tresspass on anyone elses dig. The general rule is that if there is a pick, shovel, and a bucket on the site then it is being worked and you don't tresspass and you leave it alone. Another unspoken rule is that if you have not been near the dig for more than four days then someone else can take it over. We have been told stories of people saying they would share what they find with others digging the same hole and then that same person steal the gems and clear off.
When the girls have told us these stories they are talking about sapphires valued in the thousands and hundred thousands. The yellow sapphires are the rarest and obviously of greater value.
For the city slicker it's an unusual way of life as they are quite remote and well off the beaten track but they love it here and wouldn't go anywhere else. I'm sure we will have many stories to tell before we leave here.
Before leaving Howard we spent another day in Hervey Bay with Diane. We spent the morning at Diane's house and then went into town and had a chinese meal together before we said our final goodbye.
From Howard we went up to Bundaberg where we spent the afternoon with Russell (my brother), Megan, their children Kylie and Scott, and Kylie's son Curtis, whom we had not met before. We had a lovely afternoon together
After leaving Russell and Megans our aim was to stop at Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy. The two places are very close to each other with just a few klms between them and most people seem to say both names rather than just one. It took longer to get there than we had thought and when we drove into Agnes Water it was already right on dusk and before we knew it it was dark. The caravan parks were full and I mean full. The only way to get out of the park along the esplanade was to drive through the park and so we had to weave our way around the park. At one time we thought we might not get through but after getting someone to move their vehicle in really close to the tent we finally made it. It was probably a good thing because we wouldn't have enjoyed it being that full. People's guy ropes overhung the next persons and I said to Ken you would be able to hear someone snoring in the next tent. So, with nowhere to go we remembered passing the car park opposite the boat ramp and we went right down in the back corner and spent the night there. When I woke the next morning just after 6am, Ken was up dressed and about to wake me. When I looked outside the car park was full of cars and boat trailers. Every man and his dog must have gone fishing, so we had a quick breakfast and left our parking spot for someone else to use. We will go back another time but definetely not in school holidays.
We moved on next for an overnight stay at Calliope (Kal -eye - o- pee). A great free spot to remember for another longer stay. There was a market going on on the other side of the river as we could hear the loud speaker so I made my way over what was an old road and strolled around looking at what was on offer. I purchased some Rosella Jam. I had never heard of Rosella jam before but it has a taste and texture like a plum come strawberry / rasberry jam. It's quite nice.
Our next stop was to be hear at Willows Gemfield. We stopped at Blackwater to get some groceries and then went to a local park to have some lunch and who should we run into but Werner, Tracy and the children (Our neighbours at Yandina) So we chatted and told each other where we had each been and where we were each going. Who knows we may run into each other yet again, possibly at Longreach.
We pulled into Willows Gemfield about 3PM yesterday and received a very warm welcome from Barry, Sharon, (Barry's stepdaughter), Ricki, Sharon's partner and a friend by the name of Madeline. We sat round and chatted for a few hours after which Ken maneurvered the the van into a fairly tight spot on Sharon and Ricki's front yard.
A storm had been brewing for a while and we listened to weather reports on the way here in the car. Storms were predicted for Emerald (just 70klms from where we are) right through to Bundy and Gladstone, down the coast as far as Brisbane and across to Toowoomba. Gale warnings were out and advising people in these areas to secure or put away any loose objects they may have in their yards. As we drove along there were just a few dark clouds and the rest were soft puffy clouds. We thought we would miss the storm because Emerald was the farthest town west that the storm was predicted to hit.
Well, were we wrong. Lightening flashes were coming from all sides as well as loud claps of thunder. We stood outside for a few moments before we said goodnight and when the rain came it came down in heavy drops and then in just a few seconds it teemed down and it was a mad rush to get inside before we were saturated. I think they had about 3 to 4inches and next morning you could hardly tell it had rained so heavy until you saw when someone had driven off the road and sunk down into the dirt beside it.
Our gem hunting has been delayed for a few days as a result of the rain, I think because of the difficulty of where we are going. The positive thing is that Sharon says after a heavy fall of rain it can wash the top layer of dirt and soil away and can leave you with stones on the surface and if you know what you are looking for it is sometimes there for the taking.
It is a little bit like lightening ridge in that you don't tresspass on anyone elses dig. The general rule is that if there is a pick, shovel, and a bucket on the site then it is being worked and you don't tresspass and you leave it alone. Another unspoken rule is that if you have not been near the dig for more than four days then someone else can take it over. We have been told stories of people saying they would share what they find with others digging the same hole and then that same person steal the gems and clear off.
When the girls have told us these stories they are talking about sapphires valued in the thousands and hundred thousands. The yellow sapphires are the rarest and obviously of greater value.
For the city slicker it's an unusual way of life as they are quite remote and well off the beaten track but they love it here and wouldn't go anywhere else. I'm sure we will have many stories to tell before we leave here.
Before leaving Howard we spent another day in Hervey Bay with Diane. We spent the morning at Diane's house and then went into town and had a chinese meal together before we said our final goodbye.
From Howard we went up to Bundaberg where we spent the afternoon with Russell (my brother), Megan, their children Kylie and Scott, and Kylie's son Curtis, whom we had not met before. We had a lovely afternoon together
After leaving Russell and Megans our aim was to stop at Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy. The two places are very close to each other with just a few klms between them and most people seem to say both names rather than just one. It took longer to get there than we had thought and when we drove into Agnes Water it was already right on dusk and before we knew it it was dark. The caravan parks were full and I mean full. The only way to get out of the park along the esplanade was to drive through the park and so we had to weave our way around the park. At one time we thought we might not get through but after getting someone to move their vehicle in really close to the tent we finally made it. It was probably a good thing because we wouldn't have enjoyed it being that full. People's guy ropes overhung the next persons and I said to Ken you would be able to hear someone snoring in the next tent. So, with nowhere to go we remembered passing the car park opposite the boat ramp and we went right down in the back corner and spent the night there. When I woke the next morning just after 6am, Ken was up dressed and about to wake me. When I looked outside the car park was full of cars and boat trailers. Every man and his dog must have gone fishing, so we had a quick breakfast and left our parking spot for someone else to use. We will go back another time but definetely not in school holidays.
We moved on next for an overnight stay at Calliope (Kal -eye - o- pee). A great free spot to remember for another longer stay. There was a market going on on the other side of the river as we could hear the loud speaker so I made my way over what was an old road and strolled around looking at what was on offer. I purchased some Rosella Jam. I had never heard of Rosella jam before but it has a taste and texture like a plum come strawberry / rasberry jam. It's quite nice.
Our next stop was to be hear at Willows Gemfield. We stopped at Blackwater to get some groceries and then went to a local park to have some lunch and who should we run into but Werner, Tracy and the children (Our neighbours at Yandina) So we chatted and told each other where we had each been and where we were each going. Who knows we may run into each other yet again, possibly at Longreach.
It's a long way out here and the drive isn't all that exciting except that the road mostly runs parallel to the railway line and coal is clearly what keeps a place like Blackwater alive. We travelled past the place where the trains get loaded. The train is one side of the road and the coal is on the other side and the belt that takes the coal crosses over the road. I wish we had stopped to take a picture. From trying to count there are anything from 100 to 150 carriages filled to the brim of coal.
As I said there 's not a lot out there to capture your attention and fatigue is proably the number one cause of road accidents. We passed a sign to this affect, then soon after we passed another which said "Trivia Games keep you alert." Nothing else just "Trivia games keep you alert." Soon after that a sign read "Question - What is the floral emblem of QLD." Then further along another sign. "Answer - The Cooktown Orchid." And further along still was this sign saying "Keep playing and stay alive." I thought that was impressive. but alas there were no more Questions.
Leanne...., When we walked around Childers the name on the dentist surgery in the main street caught my eye and I thought you and John might like to know what it was. "The Decay Slayer"
For those who don't know Leanne is a Dental Nurse / Practice manager and John is the dentist.
The photos are of Hervey Bay with the tide right out and the people you see are trying to catch bait by using a bait pump that they put into the sand and suck up whatever it is to use for bait.
Another photo is at Seventeen Seventy again with the tide right out and the cactus plants are those in Sharon and Ricki's front garden, Sharon's the gardener and really loves her cactii. There are many about to break open in flower so I hope to get more pictures. Many of these cactus plants I have never seen simply because they don't grow down our way.
Well, that's my book for the day. Speak to you again soon.
Love to all
Ken and Lyn
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