Bush Camping - West Australia

[rod1949]

One of my interests is Bush Camping. This involves traversing tracks where the bushes love having an affair with my Troopy.

Over the last 4 or 5 years the Yilgarn Region has been my favourite place to explore. It’s close enough and yet remote enough not to be hassled by the masses. The region also has some fascinating places and natural features, but one has to get off the beaten track to find them.

I'm just wondering how many other West Aussies there are who like bush camping

[wheelinround]

The great out doors nice photo's :2tsup:

[Andy Mac]

Hi Rod,
Thanks for sharing the photos, they're great. I can't find that exact site on a map, but sort of know the area. We used to go camping out there with other families when I was a kid. We all piled into Holden station wagons (no 4wds) and slept out on camp stretchers.
I remember camping in an old mining camp near Mt. Jackson. We did a lot of rock/mineral collecting, banging off bits of stuff with a geologists hammer, great fun!
The main attraction were the old gold mining sites, batteries etc, but also came across the odd sandalwood cutters camp. I also remember there were still mounds of axe cut chips near huts on the way up to Payne's Find, and probably still have slides of that from the late 60's (my Dad's collection)


Cheers,

[rod1949]

Andy,
The bluff (Faye Bluff) is in the Die Hardy range. Where you camped was there a large dam with timber (oregon) posts in it? If so it was Marda Dam. If not there is another area north of Mt Jackson station homestead called Clampton Mine. Plus there are lots of other abandon mine sites in the region.

Mt Jackson Station is now owned by Portman Mining, they've been digging a hole in the ground at a range un-officially named Windarling Range (cause its near a peak called Windarling Peak. The range had fabulous iron monoliths/pinicals on it. I was lucky enough to walk the top of the range and photograph them before they started digging the hole. It had unlimited tourism potential for the long term against a few short years as a mine.

The mine mob cleaned up around the Mt Jackson homestead, it was an eyesore with old cars the previous station owners had collected (restorers could of had a ball). I took some pictures of the homestead when I was out there in early May. I'll post some pictures next week

[capt_starlight]

Hi

Fancy you should mention Clampton and Payne's Find.

My mother is the last of the "real" clamps - her father and uncles (x3) found Clampton in the Depression but it played out before anything really came of it (for their level of money and expertise). There is a funny (both peculiar and ha! ha!) about the finding of the claim. Can tell it if you are interested.

The brothers used to go sandalwood cutting in the area (hence where they looked for the claim).

Two of the brothers married two sisters (of 7 in total) of the family Payne (their mother ran the way station at Golden Valley. Their name was given to the other claim mentioned.....

The two brothers settled at Mucka - both faming (and one ran the town butcher shop).

My greatgrandmother was the first European woman in the area (for "50 miles around").

Have photos of a

[tea lady]

Sounds really interesting. Where's the rest of the story?:?:)

[rod1949]

Heres a couple more pictures. The first being in the Clampton mine area at sunset with the sun reflecting off the leaves of the Salmon gums giving them a golden glow. The second is what I call "WA's Three Sisters" in the Windarling Range.

So Capt Starlight can you tell us more or is the any books avaliable?

[capt_starlight]

Sorry for being cut-off prematurely.

Anyway - no there is no book but there a kind of essay written by one of the brothers (Arthur) on his sandle wooding days. It is in the family somewhere and will try to track down a copy (I used to have one....)

Sandle wooding was done through the area by their father - he was the first recorded white multiple birth in WA though his twin died young. He was in turn the son on an export of mother England (forcible variety) and I have visited the ancestral home (Fremantle Jail) though only for a tour.

The story of the brothers....

After their discovery, they were to go and lodge their claim with the Mines Department (equivalent) the next day. That night two of them left surreptitiously......

And the rest, they say, is history.

Do have extracts from a photo album held at the Southern Cross Museum compiled by a cousin of ours. It wasn't until my mother and I called in on our last trip tot he West (by road across the Nullabor) that we knew the album existed.

[kekemo]

Hi Rod...
Just wondering if your still out there camping...
I've started with the short trips again... going up to Swan Valley this weekend.... leaving tomorrow....
Your pictures of Paynes Find were beautiful....
Missing that camping atmosphere... must do this in short burst.... get my heart pumping again... & most importantly get the vehicle & van working perfectly together... its a slow progress... however its worth the effort... just love the idea of getting away seeing the state in short trips...

Next weekend my daughter & I will wire up cruiser for 12 volt( she'd just done her car... worked find so mines next... helps having daughter as science teacher... we usually can work out anything thats needed)... I have a generator... but still like to have that immediate "hit the switch & have light.... thingy... know what I mean!

I've been getting into woodworking also.... haven't seen any posts from you lately... wondered if you were still around....
Give me a pm....
Just trying to find good friends in WA ... chat or catch up with .... believe the woodworking spirit & commarderie is a great place to start... can get back on my feet with friends that understand...

You should post more photo's .... the ones you've put on are spectacular....
really inspirational to travelling & exploring....
Bye Kekemo:2tsup:

[rod1949]

G'day Kekemo,

Actually it was brought to my attention yesterday that I haven'y been bush since April 2008 (no wonder I've been hankering to get out there again), but I've been Owner building (in the true meaning) our new house which is in its final stages an I should have it completed a month or two. Then it'll be making some fine furniture but thats in the longer term.

I'm working on getting out bush for a week or two around September/October. But before that there is the Woodworking show in August.

Wiring up the "cruiser" is that as in "landcruiser"? and what got to be done?

Anyway my Dear keep you chin up and get out there and enjoy yourself and enjoy the wines in the Valley.

See ya
Rod

[kekemo]

Hi Rod ..... glad to hear that you've not fogotten the travel part of life...
Yes guess that you've been busy with building... keeps us all on our toe that!
Daughter is going to help me wire the Toyota up... she did her car & van... so we'll do cruiser in the next few weeks....
Spent the last few days up in Middle-Swan/Caversham... lovely area... have clients with about 60 acres... right on the River... its like paradise... so when they need me.. just hitch van on... absolutely love it.... work in the day...then out in the late afternoons... just what I need ...like small holiday... & get paid for it too.... arrived back in Mandurah today.... going back up Sunday... was home about 5 minutes & I was straight out in the shed....
Live revolves around woodwork & work... with travel getting thrown in between the two...
Now winter is supposed to be here... I'd like to get away weekends... love the green down south...

Your pictures you posted were just so lovely... what about woodworking ones... what do you make...??? Sure you can post some woodworking pictures also...
Show us what you 've been making for the new house!

Called in at Carba-tec the other day...now undecided... not sure if I will go to this years Woodshow... not much in tools I need...I dont' think theres much new on market either ... without Ed now I seem to make do with what I have....
Only piece of machinery I'd like to buy is a copy-arm for the lathe...
Think some pieces would look nice with fancy turned legs at front...gives that country cottage look a older touch...
Thanks for the reply... having a break... have Hash-House Harriers tonight... (drinking groups with running problem)... nice crowd... no woodworking groups to join here in WA... so this will have to do...
Keep well... thanks for relp & post some more pictures...please...
(Just waiting for it to snow down south....then I'm off....)

Cheers
Kerry
PS... having trouble fitting anymore furniture in my house... its getting too crowded with pieces... will have to start putting stuff on the ceilings....lol

[rod1949]

Hey AndyMac and Capt-Starlight both of you should have a read in this link
http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/Topic/96533/Followon_from_an_old_thread_-_Clampton_WA.aspx?ky=&sn=&p=%2fForum%2fDefault.aspx%3fpn%3d1 (http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/Topic/96533/Followon_from_an_old_thread_-_Clampton_WA.aspx?ky=&sn=&p=%2fForum%2fDefault.aspx%3fpn%3d1)
as you may have a relation.