Googs to Kingoonia

Day 17 - Googs to Kingoonia

Sunday, 10 November 2013

Not too happy to learn the track led off OVER the dry lake. Eek, want to go first Pat O'Dowd? No problems though. Although a few of the dunes proved a bit of a challenge for the 100 series and TVAn. But nothing that a shovel and the Max tracks and a couple of pairs of willing labourers couldn't sort out. The tracks up the dune were very badly scalloped out, so quite hard to get up enough speed without the trailer bouncing all over the place. Although Ian and Robyn are seasoned campers (and cyclists and kayakers) this was a 4x4 training trip for them.

We were quite happy to muck in and besides it was a beautiful day and no flies. Flowers, birds (a beautiful Mistoetoe bird heard and spotted, and later identified in my ebook) and a few lizards

Turning right at the top of Googs, and following THE Dog Fence (that I read about last year, book from op shop:) we set off for Tarcoola. Remains of a gold town, with battery, railway station. A red painted (tin) pub with no beer, school, church and hospital. Still curtains up so it can't have been abandoned that long ago. Along with earlier stone cottage ruins,mpeople have lived here for a while, from the gold rush days, and the railway days.

Had lunch sitting on the steps of an old stone house then said our goodbyes. M gave HH a thoughtful 'thank you for recovery help' of some TINs of beer, James Boag and TEDs, what a treat.

Only 75 km to Kingoonia. One of the pubs in that Austrqlian Bush Pubs book, that has led us astray a few times :). Had been closed for a while, but Michael found it reopened earlier in the year. And we found it open with cold beer. Served up by the delightful Tracy (and partner Neil). Owner John had a few days off, but he was back now and enjoying a coldie on the veranda happy to let Tracy continue doing a good job. They were from Dongqra and travelling like us. After a cold beer, we set up camp over the road, a bit closer to the rail line (!) and after a bit of a clean up walked back to the pub (with the old truck called Donald parked out front).

Tracy had said she was cooking pizza and we were up for that. Met a few of the locals as well. A young worker from the nearby station. They were getting ready for the shearers, so interesting to learn first hand about the seasons of life on the stations. The local Dogger (dog fence repairer) was also imbibing a few - think he had been imbibing a long time, heh heh. Again more real life stories. Help, how can I ever contemplate life in suburbia again? Lenny, a local teetotal aboriginal popped in. He is a dab hand on the guitar and a good singer and regularly entertains the patrons at Kingoonia.

Walked back to bed under the light of the moon and stars. Heaven on earth!

	Gold grevillea [Map]		Ian and M train spotting [Map]
	Our naughty boys [Map]		Fossil Home [Map]
	Dropped from a great height, it went splat with su [Map]		Painted Dragon? [Map]

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