QUEENSLAND GEM FIELDS.. Rubyvale - Willows. 8. 8. 2014.

From Airlie Beach, we drove to Mackay and then spent the night at The Retreat Hotel. It was a free camp with hot showers, washing machines, and a friendly atmosphere. As the patrons hoped, we had dinner in the pub and bought a number of beers which we drank as we sat around huge wood fires on the covered verandah. There were a lot of fellow travellers taking advantage of the free camp and spending lots of dollars in the pub. What clever entrepreneurs we thought!

West of Nebo there was extensive coal mining and mountains of slag heaps, along with volcanic plugs dotted along the skyline. Good roads though, which deteriorated as we left the mining areas and travelled south west through Claremont to Rubyvale. There has been some water under the bridge since we stayed at the Rubyvale Caravan park and fossicked nearby, and we intended staying there again, but it was booked out. We decided to go to Willows which was recommended by someone we met at Pat's Gems, where we bought a bucket of wash. Lucky Nanette found a substantial sapphire which has been sent away to be assessed.

This little fellow stood on the bar and was so flexible his legs could be rearranged, and often were, by the miners who had lodgings in dongas out the back!!

RUBYVALE.

Learning the trade at Pat's Gems in Rubyvale.

WILLOWS.

We stayed in the Gem-Air Caravan park, small and friendly but so dry. They have not had rain for two years and have to buy their water from Sapphire. The rinse water from the washing machines is collected so fossickers have water for washing stones. There is no grass and only the toughest trees and bushed of jade have survived. The lady over the back fence of the van park feeds the kangaroos and birds every day and needless to say, is very popular with the wildlife!

Nothing in that lot!!

There are holes in the ground everywhere you look. The area is a designated fossicking area and all you need is an inexpensive fossickers licence, a few sieves, a pick, shovel and a bucket of water. Take lunch, splash on the sunscreen and hat and you can make your fortune in a day...... Or so we've heard!

ANAKIE

We spent a full day in ANAKIE for Gemfest which is on for three days. It is basically an expo for people involved in the gem trade, who have stalls selling and advertising all kinds of gems, and related products. The raffle prizes were extremely generous and numerous, many donated by local businesses.

All up we have spent three and a half days fossicking here at Willows with no success. That's why sapphires are so expensive......... They are VERY hard to find. We have met a wonderful group of people from all round the country. Most of them spend three months in this caravan park to escape the southern winter and some of them have been coming for twenty years!! They fossick in the morning and have a range of activities such as playing golf, patchwork, darts, cards, markets, Gemfest, happy hour every afternoon around the fire pit and lots more. They are a very friendly and welcoming community, happy to share their expertise and local knowledge.

It's a lot of fun and we have enjoyed it.

Next stop is Carnavon Gorge.