First job of the day was to get the brake sensor switch (that governs starting Gordie’s ute) out of the Titan to give it a good clean… Branch enjoyed the activity… they pulled the switch apart and cleaned the terminals so the contact was good – and everything worked like clockwork after that – for which we were all thankful!

Mt Magnet reportedly had a great mining and pastoral museum so we planned to go and check it out….and it certainly did not disappoint!

The museum had an extensive collection of artifact which gave a really good perspective on life during the gold rush era and early Australian settlement….

There was a replica of the hut which was part of a camel breeding station near Mt Magnet at the turn of the century which was the scene of a notorious triple murder. The famous author Arthur Upfield who was a boundary rider on the Rabbit Proof Fence was working on his latest novel “The Sands of Windee” about the perfect murder and he regularly discussed ideas with his fellow workers. His theme for the murder story was that the culprit burned the bodies and crushed the bones in a dolly pot … no body thus no proof the person was dead… unfortunately his friend Snowy Rowles used the idea to actually commit 3 murders  – the book was published at the time of Snowy’s arrest and led to a major controversy about which a movie (3 Acts of Murder) was made in 2013. Snowy was convicted and hanged in Fremantle in 1931.

A huge stamper mill used in the early mine to extract the gold from the ore had been preserved inside one of the sheds of the museum…

The historical society had compiled a wall of remembrance with all the names of those killed in mines in WA from the beginning of mining in WA until the present day – a very solemn thought as there were literally thousands – many of whom were very young…

After the museum we drove back through the town…

and out on the tourist drive route that took us past various sites of interest… First stop was Poverty Flats where the first piece of gold was found in the region – creating the gold rush to Mt Magnet…

A current working mine was in close proximity…

A flock of feral goats were grazing by the roadside….

Remains of a miner’s hut was the next stop which was very close to the Ramelius Mt Magnet Gold Mine currently in operation…

Further along the drive was the lookout where we could see into one of the open cut mines… and also an old open cut mine now used as the tip…

While we were exploring the lookout area we came upon some old drums and mullock heaps – looking much like a very old mine lease… Klaus had not brought his metal detector along unfortunately but we went into the bush for a look around… Trev found a  mine shaft opening and went inside – definitely an old mine with a seam of quartz that they must have been following… but we saw no gold (not surprising!)

We drove on and stopped at some interesting rock formations – the Amphitheatre… and some local caves….

The former township of Lennonville was our next destination…. The town began after gold was discovered nearby in 1894… at its height, Lennonville had a population of 3000 people and was a hive of activity with 5 hotels, shops, businesses, a school and church…

The only thing really left of the once-thriving town was its railway platform… a few metal pieces, some rubble piles and non-native plants where once gardens would have been lovingly cared for..

We left Lennonville and came across a large echidna crossing the road… so stopped to take a pic – he was very healthy and well fed!!!

Driving back to Mt Magnet township we stopped in for a look at “The Granites” some rock formations that have cultural significance for the local indigenous people….

That afternoon Klaus was keen to go out with his metal detector to fossick for the elusive gold nugget… an “old mate” in the caravan park had given him some info on a site out past the tip which was OK to fossick at as there was no active mine lease over it as yet…

So we drove out following the instructions… along past the cemetery and tip, turn left at the fence … follow the fence along until you see a wrecked Holden ute… which at first we could not see …

but then did a second left and went along the tip fence further finally locating the wreck… and then drove along a track to ????

“Old mate” was supposedly out there waiting for us but he was nowhere in sight… no surprises – you cannot trust any info any “prospectors” give you – people are very cagey when it comes to looking for gold! We were out in the middle of nowhere and felt that perhaps he had given us a bum steer…

In the distance on the track we saw a white 4WD… and what looked like a mine ute with the orange flag… as we got closer we saw a young couple talking to the “mine guy”… they were blocking the road and so we waited… but they waved us on so we went around them through the bush and got back on the track.

The area they were in looked pretty much like what the “old mate” had described to Klaus as the area but we could not start looking there so Klaus drove on a little further and we got out…

Klaus fired up the detector and got some quick hits… unfortunately only scrap metal…

The mine guy had left, and we decided to head back as we had not found anything – it looked better back where the young couple were…

but as we approached there was now a white ute with an old guy talking to the couple… and he had a big angry looking dog in the back of his ute barking profusely….

Trev and I drove around them and went on further while Klaus stopped to talk to them – the young couple were using a metal detector so were looking around, and the old guy with the dog was just checking what they were doing…. And he was quite rude to Klaus so Klaus drove on and followed us… and lo and behold the “old mate” from the caravan park turned up – Klaus got out the metal detector again and started looking….

Trev and I decided to return to camp as we  were having the communal roast for dinner so needed to start preparations…. We left Klaus with the “old mate” and went back to camp…

The whole gold prospecting thing at times seems like something from another time… gold fever is still well and truly alive out here with lots of dodgy characters seeking their fortunes… Trev was speaking to one guy who was saying that only 2 weeks before in Mt Magnet, 2 prospectors got into an argument… and guns were drawn so the police had to be called… things can get pretty wild when greed takes over…

Klaus arrived back safely emptyhanded… but we all enjoyed a great home-cooked roast dinner… as Gordie put it “better than anything you can have eating out!”…

That night we had an unexpected visitor check out our van… not sure why we attract cats… this one was very friendly and cute!