Exploring wild flowers and some prospecting

As we haven't ventured on a trip over east etc we decided this year to take some shorter trips, the first was in June when we spent 3 weeks in Sandstone and spent time prospecting, found two small pieces of gold, unfortunately we hit some wet and cold weather and I didn't take many photos of that time, but this trip we have travelled through some lovely wildflower areas as well as some prospecting.

We started off about 10 days ago and left Albany and headed for York as our first overnight stop and it rained the whole way, we camped in York by the river, free and managed to hook up to power, which was good as the first thing I did when we stopped was put on the heater.... After York the weather improved and we travelled along some lovely wildflower areas, stopping at Canna, a very small place where free camping is allowed behind a hall, next to a church and again power, lovely spot and a small walk through the wildflower, two other vans there and a campfire. Our next stop was Yalgoo Caravan Park, not a long journey but we did a few detours for wildflowers. Yalgoo has some potential for gold so we were allowed on a lease near town to prospect but didn't manage to find anything.   After two days there we travelled to My Magnet, which is on th Great Northern Hwy, busier town, stayed in the caravan park. The town is almost surrounded by working mines and we had to get permission to prospect, they gave us a small area to prospect on, not far from town and in the first half hour we found a small piece of quartz with gold in..... But even though we went back the next day that was our only find there. We had to report to the mine office what we had found and where, and they were very impressed with the find and said the area we found it in had been gone over hundreds of times, so we felt lucky to have found it.

Our next stop was Sandstone and we arrived in sunshine and parked next to an Avan who turned out to be a friend,  Ron from Albany.... Next day was cloudy and cold, we went out with Ron to a patch he found gold on but it started to rain after about an hour there so it was back to camp, it rained steadily all day, next day Sunday wasn't much better not much rain but cold and windy, got maybe an hour out prospecting. 

Today Monday still heavy clouds and as Ron knew the Leinster area we decided to head there. Leinster is a mine town and we arrived around lunch today, staying at the caravan park

Our camp at Canna between Morawa and Mullewa

Church at camp area, still used

Donkey Orchid

Spider Orchid

Wreath Flowers at Pindar on the way to Yalgoo

Jokers Tunnel around Yalgoo, didn't walk through to the end, but did see others venture in

Rock formations around Mt Magnet

Our piece of Quartz with gold in, found at Mt Magnet