OFF TO FIND GOLD AGAIN

We traded in our old GPX 4000 detector and bought two new GPX 4500's so now we both have the top of the range and can cover twice as much ground. We stopped at a "Ghost Town" called Paynesville (no not the one in Victoria). It is half way between Mt Magnet and Sandstone. There is nothing left of the town - just a couple of graves in the cemetery and lots of tins and bottles.

There is a couple of old prospecting huts also (some with a sense of humour - this one is in the middle of the bush miles from nowhere). We parked the bus off the main road in the driveway of an old Quarry - perfect spot for the bus. On our first day back in the bush - we decided to drive along a track towards the old township and this is what we found. What is it you may ask?

I will give you a few hints:

• There are plenty around in Western Australia





• They are sometimes very old





• Sometimes they are alive - sometimes dead





• They cost a lot of money





• They create lots of work

Give Up!!!!!

It is a bloody wooden stake that went into one of our new tyres (only done 10,000kms) in the side wall. Not impressed. We had intended refitting our old tyres to travel around the gold areas but hadn't got around to it. Steve spent the next hour replacing the tyre. Needless to say, we have since put all the old tyres back on. I found my first piece of gold at Paynesville. It is a nice little piece still attached to some quartz.

We have since returned to Laverton where we thought, with our new technology, things were going to be a bit easier. Well the potential is there but it's not without plenty of exercise and we now realise Laverton is not where it's all at. Maybe it was once, but we're ready to move and scour the earth further North, Nullangine, Marble Bar and the Kimberly goldfields, can't wait to see the Tropics.