We woke at 6:30 and it was 1° on my outside sensor, the cold nights have come with a venegance. My sleeping bag came in very handy.
Left camp about 8am and met with Keith our guide and 3 other couples, two included with children, who were mid teens. The fossicking site was about 20kms west of Sapphire and about 1km off the highway, it was real mountain goat territory, the mighty Navara had never been on such rough terrain. I used 4WD low range to get out, when we left. While we were there, it was bloody hard digging, I used a pick and shovel, while Marg sorted each bucket. We stayed for approx 3 hours, and in that time, we found 3 sapphires, 2 little gem quality and one larger, but not gem quality.
We spent the afternoon, talking to various fossickers staying in our park. Bob and Chris, our new neighbours, went to Armfest and bought a bucket of wash and found many small sapphires, so Marg and I are off there tomorrow. It beats all the back breaking effort of digging.

Today, the temperature got to 22.0° in Emerald.

Our current itinerary:

1. Sapphire - 4 nights - more fossicking.
2. Bundaberg - 2 nights - Marg has finished all her Bundy Liqueur.
3. Don't know yet - 7 nights.
4. Dicky Beach - 11 nights
5. Southport - 42 nights.

Tomorrow, we are going to Armfest and buy a bucket of wash (wash is the gravel with sapphires hopefully).

We woke at 6:30 and it was -1.1° on my outside sensor, the cold nights are here. I was as warm as a bug in a rug, in my sleeping bag.
Left camp about 8:25am and drive the kilometer or so to Armfest, met Carol and BJ (Carol's son), paid $20 and receive a bucket of wash. The wash contains the dirt and sapphires, hopefully, obtained from their commercial mine. You have 2 sieves and put about 3 handfuls of wash in the top bigger hole sieve which then falls into the lower smaller hole sieve. You rinse the sieves in water to clean the dirt and mud off the stones and pebbles, then you empty the sieves onto a table and look for sapphires. We stayed for 4 hours and processed 2 buckets, our net result was at least 40 sapphires smallish, big enough for earrings and our 41.75 carat sapphire will probably be polished and turned into a pendant. It was not good enough quality to be cut.
We had an absolute ball. One lady found a 8.55 carat double star sapphire, which when cut could be worth $1,000 a carat. This a lot less stressful then attacking the ground with a pick. We will probably go back to Armfest next week for another bucket or two. Marg has spent some hours sorting up her sapphires.

Highest temperature was 23.6° in Emerald, another beautiful day after a cold night.

Our current itinerary:

1. Sapphire - 3 nights - more fossicking.
2. Bundaberg - 2 nights - Marg has finished all her Bundy Liqueur.
3. Don't know yet - 7 nights.
4. Dicky Beach - 11 nights
5. Southport - 42 nights.

Tomorrow is market day in Sapphire.

The Blue Gem CP would have to be the friendlist CP that we have stayed in, everyone stops and chats. It is probably because everyone here, are looking for sapphires and have another common interest apart from caravanning.
At 7:00am this morning, my outside sensor showed MINUS 2.1°, but I was warm in my sleeping bag.
We wandered over to the Markets about 9am, we saw and spoke to Carol from Armfest, she pointed us to 2 people regarding our 42carat Sapphire Bomb. A Bomb is a sapphire which is valueless because you cannot see through it. We are having our Bomb polished and made into a pendant. The market specailises in sapphires, cutting, selling, you name it and it was there, we also bought a set of scales which measure carats. Marg has had a bit of fun weighing all our stones. Here is a quick summary -Sapphires 102 carats (largest 41.75 carat), topaz 107.7 carats (largest 43.6 carats), zircon 40 carats, and garnets approx 100 carats, so Marg is pretty happy with her gems.

This afternoon, I am watching the V8s from Townsville. The weather in Townsville looks identical to the weather in Sapphire, it is beautiful, probably mid 20s.

Today's top temperature was 24.5° in Emerald, another beautiful day after a cold night.

Our current itinerary:

1. Sapphire - 2 nights - more fossicking.
2. Bundaberg - 2 nights - Marg has finished all her Bundy Liqueur.
3. Don't know yet - 7 nights.
4. Dicky Beach - 11 nights
5. Southport - 42 nights.

Tomorrow is back to Armfest for a couple more buckets.

At 7:00am this morning, my outside sensor showed MINUS 0.8°, but I was warm in my sleeping bag, Marg also had her sleeping bag..
We arrived at Armfest about 8:35am, but the sign on their gate said open 9am, so we drove around Sapphire, believe me, there is bugger all to see in Sapphire, apart from holes everywhere, similiar to Coober Pedy.
Back at Armfest at 8:55am, firsy customer today, by 9:30am, Bob and Kris our neighbours were here, as well as, our other neighbours beside us. We purchased 2 buckets of wash and ended up with 2 Sapphire bombs (26 and 10 carats) and heaps probably 30 small sapphires. These small sapphires are suitable for earrings or surround stones for rings. As we were leaving, we purchased 3 bags of wash, which Marg will look through over the coming weeks.

If anyone goes to Sapphire or Rubyvale, then I recommend Armfest, as a place to go, to look for sapphires. Carol and her son BJ, are so friendly and willingly help the novices like us or anyone who asks. It was great fun.

During the afternoon, we slowly started packing up, in readiness for our drive to Springsure via Emerald tomorrow.
Tonight, we are off to bingo over the road, I have never been to bingo, I must be getting old. hehehehe..

Today's top temperature was 26.6° in Emerald, another beautiful day after a cold night.

Update: Bingo was great Marg and I won 3 games, but down $5 for the night.

Our current itinerary:

1. Sapphire - last night.
2. Bundaberg - 2 nights - Marg has finished all her Bundy Liqueur.
3. Don't know yet - 7 nights.
4. Dicky Beach - 11 nights
5. Southport - 42 nights.

Tomorrow, we are off to Springsure, via Emerald where we will do some food shopping.

It was mild over night, if anything, I was too warm in my sleeping bag, but couldn't be stuffed to change it.
We packed up and left Sapphire around 9am, on the way out of town, we emptied the 'shitter', by the way, Sapphire is a CMCA friendly town. Turned east on the Capricorn Hwy and proceeded at 'Keith's speed' (about 80kph) towards Emerald. Thanks Bob for your directions to Coles Supermarket in Emerald, very easy. Coles has parking over the road for caravans, so we parked and shopped and by the time, that we left, there were at least 7 vans and motorhomes parked with us. Drove East out of Emerald to the Springsure Rd (Dawson Hwy), then had a 8.5 meter wide load approach us, so we had to stop on the side of the road and wait for it to pass. It was another Tonka Dump truck tray. We arrived at the Springsure Roadhouse and Caravan Park about midday. Lucky that we booked, because it was full and turning away caravanners. The park reminds me of Leighton's at Peak Hill, cosy and nice. The afternoon was spent with Marg playing with her rocks and I am updating this website.

Today's top temperature was 24.0° in Emerald, another beautiful day after a cold night.

Our current itinerary:

1. Springsure - 2 nights - fossicking for Labradorite (Lazza Rock).
2. Bundaberg - 2 nights - Marg has finished all her Bundy Liqueur.
3. Don't know yet - 7 nights.
4. Dicky Beach - 11 nights
5. Southport - 42 nights.

Tomorrow, we are off to fossick for Labradorite.