Thargomindah to Yowah Opal Fields - 27 June 2014

Leaving Thargomindah this morning we saw the sign to the Thargomindah Golf Course so of course we had to have a look to see what it was like.

The road we took from Thargomindah to Yowah was sealed most of the way but had 35-40 kms of red dirt for part of it. Even so, it was pretty good. We stopped off on the side of the road for morning tea. One thing we have noticed this far out west is that if you are stopped at the side of the road and someone goes past, they slow down until you wave that you are okay, and then they drive on.

You turn off the main road to Yowah, which is about 21 kms in and the road narrows to one lane. Just after we turned off, we saw a tree with 4 carcasses hanging from it. We stopped to have a look to see what they were. They looked like dingoes. Bruce thought they were hung on the tree for people to know there were dingoes around. He said when they lived on the farm, that's what they used to do with snakes. They'd hang them on the fence.

We checked into the Artesian Waters C/Park at Yowah for the night. There wasn't much to choose from between the free camp down the road and the C/Park but last night had been really cold so we thought it would be good to have power so we could use the heater. It was $20 for the night. We had heard (I think it was on Trip Advisor) that if you didn't stay at the C/Park you couldn't get petrol as the bowsers are at the Park. We didn't need fuel anyway so it didn't make any difference.

There is a bore just inside the C/Park. Next to the bore are 4 different coloured doors. Inside are bath tubs and you can have a bath in the hot water from the Artesian water coming from the bore. We didn't try it out. The thought of using a bath that other people had used just didn't appeal.

After we set up we went for a drive out to the Fossicking area, a very extensive area about 1/2 km from town. We drove around it and there are claims everywhere. Georgina at the C/Park said you could fossick anywhere, but I can't imagine people would take too kindly to us fossicking on their claim. It was hard to see where one claim finished and another started. We were happy to just look this time.

We parked the car back in town and walked to an Opal Gallery to have a look. Yowah is known for its Nut Opal and Matrix Opal with a bit of Boulder Opal. You are allowed 2 claims per person of 2 hectares each claim, provided you are over 18. The lady in the Gallery said they had a few claims but wouldn't say how many. Maybe their kids?

We ordered fish and chips at the C/Park and took them up to The Bluff a few kms out of town to eat while watching the sunset. It was lovely but would have looked better if there had been some clouds. We spoke to another couple who were up there. They have been travelling for quite some time and spent 3 months over Christmas working on a sheep property in WA during the shearing. They said it was extremely hot.

Back at the C/Park, we were invited to the next van for a chat around their brazier. Colin and Gaylene have done a very big trip from Cairns down through Canberra, Victoria, Flinders Ranges, Oodnadatta and Strezlecki Tracks, to Yowah. They will be back in Cairns in about 4 days. They organised the trip for about 10 vans in the Kedron Users Club and I think they had time constraints for people working

So far on our trip, we have had mobile reception at all the towns we have stayed at. Not long after driving out of town, signal is lost till the next town. We did get a surprise yesterday when we were on our way to Thargomindah. Out in the middle of nowhere the phone rang. It was Katrina to let us know the Waeco Esky I had won at the Caravan Show in June had arrived.