Milparinka-Tibooburra Trip July 2011

Hi All,
Just returned from a flash visit to Milparinka, Tibooburra area and thought I'd post a report on the "scene" out that way.
Getting away from the Blue Mountains just in time to escape the cyclonic weather that was had here found us leaving in ever increaseing showers and stormy skys until about Parkes where things started to improve for the better. After a quick stop over at Lake Cargellico an early start before sunrise saw us on the road again heading west to Hillstone where I think we found the cleanest butcher shop in NSW along with one hell of a good butcher who was kind enough to package our meat in vacuum seal bags! Fortunatly the roads out this way were dry enough to make traveling them a breeze but i'd hate to see them in the wet times.



After a roadside refuel stop at the intersection with the Cobb Hwy we made a b-line for Wilcannia via Ivanhoe where it was pretty well north by north west all the way. We stopped at Wilcannia to refuel again only this time the service station guy filled the thank and two jerry cans I was carrying in the trailer for us...... something we would regret indeed about 5 or 6 hours latter!

Arriving at White Cliffs at about 3-3.30pm we made a questionable decision to push on to Milparinka thinking we may need to entertain the idea of a roadside camp latter that afternoon, but as the sun sets about 20mins latter out that way, with luck we could make it to Mt. Browne before sunset......
As the sun was setting we were on the Mt. Browne station, just in time to set camp!
Opening the tarp from the trailer the wonderful aroma of "essence a la diesel" hit hard, the helpful guy at Wilcannia had given us a bonus 5-10 litres straight into the trailer all over our camping gear!!!!!

The misses was NOT happy with this....

Ok, I've been in worse situations before, we can manage this girl I says, trying to be positive...

The tent fly was pretty diesel'ed but the inner wasn't to bad, I'll set it up with a tarp over it I says, trying to be positive...

We shot the fly to one side and I set the tent, oh o was that a mouse I see?, trying to remain positive...

Was that another? and another? oooh ****, there climbing up my legs, The misses being a little sensitive to "essence a la diesel" is still in the truck trying to hold back the tears, hey darl, seems to be a little bit of a mice problem out here still, not to possitive about what her next reaction will be I can tell ya's...

Well holly ****, I can now say I've experienced a mice plauge. The bastards were everywhere, as soon as it was dark they were in, big time! Personally, I didn't mind so much that they were climbing all over the tent I can live with that, but when I saw that they were eating the tent that was enough, decamp time.
We pulled out of Mt. Brown Mouse Station at about 10pm not knowing exactly where for but knowing we were getting away from any prospects of catching the buebonic plague or mice disease in general, but most of all knowing that my wife may still be my wife the sooner we get out of there!
We drove up to Mt. Poole that night and on the way blew a headlight on the way, dosen't get better than this I says! trying to get positive...
We keept James Poole company that night and a long night it was sleeping in the front seats, that don't tilt back.....

Fortunatly I had scratched down the number of Mark Black at Mt. Stewart station and I called him early that morning. For all that went bad the night before, I feel that due to Mark all was to become wonderful in our world again. A quick trip out to meet Mark and discuss options re where we could camp and prospect saw us at a perfect camp site within an hour. I was able to clean out the trailer and de diesel our gear and set camp under a beautiful gum near a dam that was also to provide us with plenty of water and entertainment, I think every animal (except mices) that had an abode within 10kms was to visit that dam as they heard that they would get there photo taken by my wife and possably posted on to this gold forum!

















Now, I reckon you could bet your glass eye that your false teeth would fall out that you could not find a more peaceful, serene more beautiful place to prospect! It was soooo nice I almost forgot why I went out there!
I must say that the prospecting thing became a very secondary thing, and I'm a fanatic...... The place to us was like paradice, The quiet was increadable even to hear a plane flying above was a rare thing.
Amazingly when I did manage to don my gear a get out for a swing I scored my first tibooburra gold, a tiny piece which I thought for sure would be another tiny rusted nail tip, something which there is no shortage of I can tell ya!
Come Saturday we decided to do a run to South Australia and damb it we may as well do Queensland as well, even if they did win the origin! (bugger) trying to think positive thoughts for next year here...





Then back to the future!!!!!



Back across the clay pans en route to Tibooburra again....



The sun rises / sets were doin' there thing for us as well....





And of course there was a fair share of "Reds"



Flora was also amazing.....





The ground was a mixture of ironstone....



And quartz....





Before we knew it seven days had passed, we heard from the kids that the weather had settled down back in the Mountains so unfortunatly we had to bid our farewell, decideing to head due east to Bourke via Wanaaring proved to be just another highlight of the trip with some amazing bird life and scenery on the way...





Then we saw the Brolga's!!!



It really didn't get any better than that, two flying in front of us and landing nearby in a group of about eight!
Truely amazing!!!!

Oh, and the gold?

Well after about five sessions out with the detector I managed to pull five pieces, the best going 0.7gms and the others tiny, but for us the whole trip was a golden experience, even after the dramas of night two, all these things are put out to test us and in the end we can smile and say "yep, been there, done that!"

And be better for it!



Cheers, Phill.

Hi Phill,

Mate .... ... What an amazing story and trip! You got diesiled, miced, tent eaten etc. yet it still sounds so great! Now I want to go there as well. Great photography as well and I can understand how the land can 'distract' you from detecting. That was a true pleasure to read about and I look forward to hearing more like it.

All the best,

Nature Pete.

A land blessed with dreams,
blue horizons and freedom for all.
Life is held by water clear,
Lines in the sands holds no boundaries
It is the journey that is golden.
The ability to share what comes from within
unites us all.
Amen.

CB.

G'Day
Phill thanks for a fantastic story Tib is just one of those places as you found, Blacky is a character like all the locals and its hard to explain to everyone that when your there gold isn't everything but what an experience, If i was fit i would be there, thanks again for a great post
Big Fella

Phill..now that is what you call an experience worth sharing and THANK YOU for sharing it with us. Great story and fantastic photos (you or the misses ??).will now try and talk my wife into same experience (without the diesel or the mice). Once again thank you.

everhopeful

everhopeful wrote:

will now try and talk my wife into same experience (without the diesel or the mice).

Awww ... where's the fun in that

I quite enjoyed watching Ange squirm when she read of the mice going up legs, over the tent and my favourite - eating the tent

Nature Pete.

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for the replys, it was a really terrific experience for both my wife and I.
I must also say that my wife was very trepidacious about the whole idea of such a run, I got over trying to talk her into it, in the end just decided to go, and now she can't wait to get back out there.

How good is that?!!

Thinking....... that, what they say about the outback is quite true, once you go, you don't want to return!
The "never never"? Once you get there you never never go, home...

everhopeful, my wifes photos, except the one of the Au, that was mine hehehehe!!!

But, it IS the journey that is golden!

the Au is only a bonus.

Hopefully back out there at least once before the end of the year.

Cheers Phill

Nice report and photos -- good stuff. Am working on a plan to get up there in Sept/Oct so your info is useful. cheers.