The Gemfields - Sapphire Fossicking!

Thursday 11 July 2019 – 267 903

After packing down we continued east toward Emerald. On our way we had to pull over to allow some wide loads of mining machinery parts through.  We also stopped at a lookout as we crossed the mountains.

We turned north at Anakie, to Rubyvale.  We are staying the night at Gemseekers Caravan Park – great service and lovely caravan park.

http://www.gemseekers.com.au/

 

We spent the afternoon at Bobby Dazzler, where we did a fossicking trail boot camp. 

https://www.bobbydazzlerminetours.com.au/ 

A guide took us along a nearby creek bed and explained that sapphires accumulate in the outer bend of creeks, below the moist layer.  We got to dig up our own buckets of wash from the creek bed.  The tour guide showed us a unique wooden construction that was lined with logs and used as a base for a machine to pass material across the creek for processing.  We then took our material back to the building and were shown how to sieve, wash and sort it.  I found lots of little sapphires and a few zircons, Drew found several medium sized sapphires and Hayden found several small ones and one sixteen carat sapphire!

Exploring Quilpie (Natural Sciences Loop)

Tuesday 5 April 2016 – 167 304 - 39°C

This morning Drew taught Hayden how to siphon.  We then packed up and said farewell to Evening Star – a great caravan park!  Craig drew us a map of a shortcut from Evening Star to the Quilpie Road and suggestions of things to do in Quilpie.  

Our first stop in Quilpie was the local Visitor Information Centre.  They had lovely picnic tables inlaid with images made from cut opal, they also provided good brochures on the local trees and birds.  Hayden voted at a local photo competition and we had a look through the military museum.  In the street, there were several cattle silhouettes and some great 3D corrugated iron animal sculptures at the visitor centre.  

https://www.visitquilpieshire.com/

We are staying at the Channel Country Tourist Park – we all coped surprisingly well with the heat of setting up in the middle of the day. http://www.channelcountrytouristpark.com/ After lunch, we set off to see the sights of Quilpie!  

Stop one, St Finbarr’s Catholic Church – this has a beautiful altar, lectern and baptismal font all made of opal – absolutely gorgeous!  

https://www.outbackqueensland.com.au/attractions/st-finbarrs-church/

Stop two, Quilpie Airport – there was a large information panel on Amy Johnson’s unscheduled landing at Quilpie.  She was scheduled to land at Charleville, which on her map was shown as the end of the railway line, however the railway line did in fact continue through to Quilpie.  

Stop three, Baldy Top – this was hot, steep and had truly millions of flies; however, the distance we could see was amazing.  

Stop four, Quilpie Council Fossicking Fields – we found some pretty and interesting rocks with slivers of opal within them.  After thirty minutes, we could not stand the flies any longer and left.  

https://www.outbackqueensland.com.au/attractions/quilpie-opal-fossicking/

Stop five, Lake Houdraman – this was a beautiful, peaceful and isolated camping spot.  

Drew and Hayden then went for a swim at the local pool, which surprisingly had free entry.  After dinner, we had a soak in the Artesian Spa in the caravan park.  This was very relaxing, looking up at the amazing number of stars and my body felt much better for it.