Day 8

Lake Ballard - Menzies - Gwalia - Sandstone

"But if I work all day on the blue sky mine, there'll be pay in my pocket tonight....."

Woke to lots of colour over the salt lake and watched the sun come up to start the new day. After Breakkie we trekked out onto the salt to check out the sculptures in a different light. We climbed the island closest to the lake entrance to get the 360 perspective and got some great pics of the vast whiteness that surrounds the island . Trekking on the lake was interesting - shoes get clogged with crusted salt and dirt and makes walking hard work. Quite wet too underneath!! Kids still managed cartwheels and to get dirty! We probably saw about 10 sculptures in all. You could spend the whole day getting to all 51 but it would be a big effort.

We drove back the 51 ks on the rusty red top dirt back to Menzies and walked the length of the town, checking out the historical places that a bustling turn of last century town had to offer - 13 pubs at one point - only 1 left now though. The servo is a self service credit card only affair that is plastered in number plates and old tin signs.

Walking around the town - (you can walk the town in about 2 minutes) we came across a big mining dump truck parked next to the disused railway station. The tray was completely raised to the sky. We all had a great time climbing all over it and into the cabin. During the photoshoot Miss Cayla, who was busy steering the truck and chatting on the CB, managed to find the push button start.... lets just say that it obviously wasn't parked there for display purposes! Plenty of charge in the battery - lucky she didn't find the gears!! Must take after her Uncle Grant!!

From Menzies we hit the road and drove through goldmine after goldmine country - roadtrain after roadtrain, 3 and 4 trailers long. Nothing but mining out here - towns with lots of pubs and "skimpy's" every night!! We stopped at Gwalia for a look at the St Barbara operation and had a look around the old town.

Gwalia is lovingly being preserved as an historical town complete with authentic miners huts- just as they were and untouched since the early 1900's. There is nothing else there other than a museum atop the Barbara operation. We had lunch at Leonora - 5 mins from Gwalia - a 3 pub mining town and then headed for Sandstone and our stop for the night.

Sandstone is yet another mining town and full of mining history. We had dinner at the National Hotel (1907) complete with the now customary foreign barmaid (German this time) who backpack their way around the country. The pub is a beautiful old style pub that has pressed tin ceilings and antique furniture that would cost a small fortune in a Sydney Antique store - all part of the everyday here. Beer garden didn't disappoint with empty kegs as seats and wooden doors as tables !

Saw 3 Wedgetail Eagles today - much to Cayden's happiness!