Colonel Ricie's station was in a different part of Austrailia Shirley, I think, but so what, there are big Cattle Stations in this bushy area. What do you think Craig? I'm easy. It'd add to the story for sure. That VB Bitter Beer Shirley is my favourite in real life. Love a cold pint. Horrie likes the idea of finding sites for big industrial Gold mines for those with the capital to set up a mine. Many $millions at least. A contract from the Colonel would be nice. And a Geologists report to boot! Horrie does have a House with Office and 3 bedrooms in the small township of Yalgoo, at the start of the gold fields just south of the town. Horrie's home is on a big 2 acre yard and a very big locked brick and steel Shed full gear, his 4wd 10 seater tourist bus, his jet ski, workshop, Lots of Security too with cameas and and sirens..and good neighbours with guns. Kick off from there I reckon after getting some patrons on contracts or expressions of interest, or auction $. Or Colonel Richie, a rich Cattle Baron. What do you think Craig, fancy playing Sir Richie again?
No, Sir Richie belongs in the past. We need Rabbit for this story. Sir Richie was a bit of a dandy. Rabbit is an old horny toad, rough, tough and ready to tangle. We will need his expertise to keep us alive in this harsh environment. So we set out on our journey on a cold June morning.
Had PC trouble yesterday reason Rabbit was not here. Sir Richie..no thanks.. none of that hibrow British class system for this Aussie. Gotta chuckle at Brit efforts to keep its long gone empire alive with MBE awards still given out.
Hiya Craig, good to see you back. Fair enough about Sir Richie. I heard the pro Republicans are happy to wait til Elizabeth II passes and Charles III takes over. Despite my Irish background, I quite like the monarchy. Imagine Barnaby Joyce being our head of state! Horrie has his home and big shed in the small town of Yalgoo at the start of the Yalgoo gold field and only an hours drive from the town of Mount Magnet where we met up. So, I reckon we should start at Horrie's place in Yalgoo and head south into the fields. These are all real places if you wish to google them by map.
I looked up Yalgoo. There is a lot of good information about it. It seems that June is a good time to visit there, weather wise. We will need plenty of water because it only rains 1.63 inches normally during June. We will need a good metal detector for each of us. And a personal detector beacon in case one of us wanders off and gets lost. I think Rabbit already has pick axes and shovels. What about gas or as you Aussies call it `petrol`. Won’t we need some way to carry a lot of that? I didn’t see any gas stations out there.
We should always carry extra 50L jerry cans of petrol and lots of food and water. Radios are a must too and Horrie carries a Satelite phone just in case. Tools too and spare parts for breakdowns. There is definitely safety in numbers too. The Wombat II metal detectors Horrie gave Rabbit and Sadie are top shelf and our main propecting tool. Shovels and picks for sure too. Guns and a good first aid kit also.
Keep up please Ms Smith as Rabbit and Horrie have already stocked us with plenty of tucker (food) and bottled water plus a huge array of mining gear. Shovels and picks goes without saying plus thanks to Horrie we have the latest detectors.. so a touch of the hi tech. Say we head for Yalgoo this arvo, get some shut eye then drive to the fields tomorrow morning. How does that sound. Isn't Sadie an Aussie Shirley... you wish for her like you to be 'a simple North Carolina country girl'?
Welcome to my little little town of Yalgoo says Horrie. and the town of Yarloo with our little lake 'Nameless' that rarely get this full. A much longer than usual Wet season recently for up here. There are Fresh water crocodiles in Lake Nameless but they are fairly harmless being only a metre in length. Don't tread on them though, then they will give you a nasty bite. People still swim in it avoiding the reeds where they usually lurk. The town council got a protection order on them and I helped draft up the application for them by Surveying the Lake and surrounds for free. Naturally the Shire puts all their surveying jobs my way. This is my place with 3 bedrooms, one each. and this is my big well equipped shed. Feel free to store your things in it. all on my two acres.
Here are a few more pics for color: Prospecting with gold detector small gold nuggets. Fresh water croc on land Fresh water croc in reeds A dangerous old mine shaft
"Isn't Sadie an Aussie Shirley... you wish for her like you to be 'a simple North Carolina country girl'?" Wherever I go, whatever I do, I'm always a simple country girl at heart, Rabbit. Sadie opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a huge spider in the corner of the room. She could have screamed for help but, being a simple country girl, she did what simple country girls do. She ignored it, got out of bed and got dressed. She smelled the fragrance of coffee coming from the kitchen. What was that other scent she smelled? She hurried down the hallway and into the kitchen. Both of the men were already there. Rabbit was stirring something in a pan on the stove. "Good morning, Cobbers," she said. "What you cookin', Rabbit?"
Sure are Rabbit, just loading some last things. I loved your beans and franks on damper. You should cook that more often. I have heaps of canned foods you're welcome to. The big Freezer has heaps of tv dinners, steaks, snaggers, fish and lobsters from Geraldton... I've just phoned to let our local cops know that we're off, and roughly where and when, and to keep an eye on my place.
So of we go around Lake 'Nameless' and onto the main Southerly gravel track up and down hills into the Yalgoo gold fields. Our little convoy of three well equipped 4WDs pass some trucks coming the other way and wave, and then some Kangeroos going our way block us. We slow down and let them bound back into the bush. Later on I lead us off into a side road signed posted as 3km to Luckless Mine. 'A small diversion' I radio to Sadie and Rabbit who chuckles back. This is the old Luckless mine that was mined late19th century sending the venture broke. I bring my tourists here to check out their metal detectors and they usually find the coins I scatter about and rake over. Have a crack, they're mostly just old one, two and five cent coins, even foreign coins. No gold though, none. The Wombat metal detectors work a treat and pick up many coins, almost enough to buy one beer. We scatter them back and scuff over them. I throw in more 5 cent pieces, our smallest coin. I made up the names 'Nameless' and 'Luckless'.
Where next Horrie. I have fossicked for valuables in a lot of places over our big, wide land but dont recall Yalgoo being one of them. Did I tell you I picked up a sizeable nugget south of Kalgoolie.. about 20 year back now. I'd be slumming it up by now in luxury in a Sydney or Perth mansion except that some low life scumbag swindled me out of it. That was when I gave up the heavy grog.