July 20^th

We awoke to an overcast morning with a few drops of rain..not only the sky was grey but the bush as well. If a quantity of rain falls the countryside will really love it. Today we saw the first very poor cattle for the trip.

We stopped in Menzies with the idea that there may be a grocery shop..only a Pub shop which keeps very few goods. However internet connection was strong enough for a phone call and a couple of blog postings.

On our way south out of Menzies there was a really smart sculpture which had been inspired by the the inland Australians and made with reverence to Antony Gormley. The artist Silvia Kennedy wanted to make an artwork which represented some of the characters of Menzies.

We came south to Goongarrie which was originally a gold mining area and then a sheep station. It was first known as ‘Roaring Gimlet’ due to the sound of the south westerly winds roaring through the gimlet trees. The  Goongarrie National Park was created in 1978 primarily as a representative area to conserve the flora and fauna of this ecological zone. The track in was easy travelling although it was not the main entrance track. The camp host, Paul, was very helpful. We camped near the old Shearers Cottage so we could light the donkey and heat water for a shower.

The fine rain continued but we decided to walk the 3 km track- ‘ Nganamarta Walk Trail. This took us 45 minutes. It is not spectacular country but having the opportunity to walk through it gave us an idea what the country is really like. One of the points of interest was a shallow old gold mining hole dug through granite and quartz. What a tough way to make money.

Paul returned with information about the area and took us to see a Sandlewood tree which we were not confident of identifying. He also showed us on the map cross country drive on which we could return to Menzies. We will decide in the morning because of the rain. It is nearly 6.00 pm and light rain has been falling for about an hour. The donkey is heating water for the shower which is inside the Cottage. There is no electricity so it will be a shower by torch light.  

Some time later...the shower was excellent with plenty of hot water which actually lasted until morning.

Shearers Cottage with EC parked at the front door.