Ready to Go

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Ready to Go

Sunday, 10 June 2012

June 9th & 10th, 2102- Blue Gem Caravan Park-Sapphire

Saturday morning we were up early and away from Clermont by 8:30AM. Filled up with diesel on the way out of town before heading South towards Emerald. I know it sounds like a lot of repetition but the road was shocking with lots of road construction. Took us almost 3 hours to travel 160 KM to Sapphire. We don't try to travel that fast when towing the caravans, but this was ridiculous!


Had some interesting rock hills along the way which just sort of jut out of the ground in the middle of nowhere. Also passed through Capella which was a very nice looking little town. We turned West again at Emerald towards Sapphire.


We checked into the Blue Gem Caravan park here just before lunch. We are definitely in fossicking country. I think we are the only two vans here that aren't living here for a few months digging for sapphires, quartz, zircon etc. We need some digging equipment, a few dogs each, and need to take up chain smoking to fit in. We think its a cross between Andamooka, Coober Pedy, and White Cliffs.

The girls did several loads of laundry after lunch before we went for a driving tour of Sapphire and Rubyvale. We all had a good laugh but will most definitely not be moving here. Not a Tidy Town nominee as it would appear you just store everything you ever owned in your front yard. Every second place sells Gems or you can go in and fossick through a bag for your own. Our favourite name of a place was the "Willy Wash" and no it's not what you think it is (as Rans and I found out the hard way)!

Another humorous highlight was the cows walking down the main road. Too top it off we saw a sign that they (as well as camels and goats) have legal right of way on all local streets.



Sunday morning we attended the local markets. Lots of stalls but 80% of them sell sapphires or other gems. If everyone here prospects, polishes, and cuts gemstones we wonder who actually would be at the markets buying them?? The people here are very friendly but it takes a certain type to invest month after month, year after year searching for the big score!

The remainder of the day was taken up cleaning and catching up with our computer work. We are heading East again tomorrow towards Rockhampton.

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