Sandstone

After Cue we drove south to Mt Magnet and then 155ks East to Sandstone, we had an overnighter on the road and that night it rained and when we arrived in Sandstone it was cold and drizzly rain, we both got out our jeans and jumpers, have been in shorts for such a long time I had forgotten where my jeans were! 

The weather in Sandstone improved and it turned out to be a lovely little town. Small with the hotel open and selling basic grocery items as well as beer, Post Office open 3 mornings a week and visitors info open April to October, about a dozen houses and a Shire Office and of course the caravan park. Everything is well looked after and tidy, Caravan Park is run by the shire, really nice and not pricey....

We decided to stay the week and spent each day prospecting, no gold but we enjoyed ourselves, had a very helpful neighbour Marty give us some good tips on prospecting. Most of the people here in the park are prospectors and take it seriously, having at least two metal detectors and also quad bikes to go further in the bush, Marty took Brian out on his quad and showed him areas to go etc but they were not areas Brian wanted to take the Triton....

Another great thing about the town was William a young Chinese man and his fresh veg stall open weekends and Tuesday and Thursday and he made bread too, I bought a loaf every morning he was there and he cooks at the caravan park Monday and Thursday nights, $12 for a take away Chinese amazing, of course we were in on that. There is also a Pie lady called Lady Di who bakes pies while you wait in a pie maker, not tried the pies preferred the fresh veg and bread, but amazing to have all that in such a small town.

London Bridge one of the attractions

Some of the areas we were prospecting in

A map we bought showing the old gold mines, the black crosses are a pick and shovel and mean a mine shaft can be working or abandoned and the grey pink dots mean abandoned shafts, lots of tracks and areas to fossick around, we went as far down as Hancocks which was about 10 to 15 ks away

Today we found a creek bed to wander up and down

Some photos of the town

The lovely bread William baked $6

He had lamingtons one day, $3 each

Chinese takeaway I had the chicken on the left and Brian had sweet and sour pork, both with fried rice 

Tomorrow we will moving on, slowly heading south and home......