We have just departed Sandstone yesterday after twelve days. Initially, the weather was not inspiring with rain, wind and a chill factor that cut through all our layers of clothing. We were not alone in our dismay. Sandstone's residents were also complaining about the unseasonable rain and the cold.
Will's dome leaked during an overnight downpour all over my side of our bed. And as our dinky little van's seals are twenty eight years old, fingers of cold air slipped inside under the cover of darkness, testing the mettle of our mighty little fan heater. As a result, we all remained relatively snug, in spite of the inclement external elements.
Finally, the weather gods took pity on us all and a gentle and gradual warming trend began. The wind dropped, the clouds cleared, the sun began to shine, and the vivid blue Murchison sky came out to play. Over the course of a few days, we divested ourselves of much clothing. Hats were retrieved to plonk on our heads when we were outside, tee shirts were sufficient in the glorious sunlight and we both experienced the rather surprising sensation of sweating with exertion. The last few evenings were so pleasant that we ate dinner outside. Needless to say, the nightly star show was stunningly beautiful with the lack of any light pollution.
We slipped back onto site 24 at the Alice Atkinson Caravan Park. Managers Gary and Leanne remembered us from our last stay. The clean ablution blocks was wondrous with plentiful hot water for showering away dirt, cold and our aches and pains. The caravan park itself was almost constantly full with a mixture of overnighters or extended stayers like us. We saw vans, campers and RVs of every size and configuration, from the Cairns bloke riding a bicycle across Australia (!) with his one man tent to enormous triple axled caravans requiring suitably huge towing vehicles.
We embraced the Sandstone Convenience Store, run by Siobhan and Jamie - for the best pots of tea (with tea leaves, rather than bags), excellent coffee, toasties, groceries, amazing muffins and a pleasant setting, offering both indoor and covered outdoor seating.
The Post Office Cafe had changed staff since we were last in Sandstone and was somewhat hampered by Shire directives - not paying them if they were actually open a nanosecond after 2pm. Hence, on two separate visits, the staff began their cleaning regime around us from 1.20 pm. No crockery or china cups were offered either. Instead we had to make do with with cardboard containers and cups and bamboo cutlery. In addition, the Cafe had no Plan B when they ran out of scone mix. Obviously, they didn't have the recipe or scope to make scones from scratch. Not entirely satisfactory...perhaps the Shire needs a rethink on adjusting the opening hours to give the staff adequate time without disturbing patrons still there. And making sure they don't run out of supplies.
The Outback Accommodation provided us with bagged ice on a regular basis as well as being a fund of information. Many thanks to Dottie and Harry for all their hospitality. They offer bed and breakfast with a communal kitchen. The double/queen rooms have their own en-suites and the two rooms that share a bathroom may well become a family wing. The central courtyard had a wonderful and peaceful little garden providing a welcome haven for guests.
The Breakaways, an AirBNB cottage was in a convenient location. Fully renovated with two bedrooms, a patio, a full kitchen, dining and living rooms, bathroom (with bath and shower) laundry, reverse cycle airconditioning and dog and kid friendly. A short walk from all Sandstone's facilities and town attractions.
Sandstone has much to offer visitors. The Museum and Tourism Centre is open six days a week. The Wool and Mining Interpretative Park is inviting and very interesting. There were displays of machinery used in both the mining and pastoral industries, that allowed visitors to get up close and personal. The old Police Station and Lock-Up is shaded by a big and beautiful eucalyptus tree. A restored miner's cottage and garden offered a glimpse of the past. A wonderful fenced grassed area behind the Sandstone School (now closed) has been been a safe place to exercise the dogs. And the National Hotel is apparently under offer and we look forward to having a local watering hole in Sandstone next time we return to the Murchison.
What was unexpected has been our joint reactions to this getaway. We had placed so much anticipation on becoming rested and revitalised. I think we were both so spent physically and mentally that the longed-for panacea has been elusive and rocky. Michael's anxiety and occasional low mood have been his constant companions, with him admitting to confused emotions as he turned seventy. For me, I have felt like Alice down the rabbit hole, struggling to understand and meet Michael's needs or becoming frustrated by them. Hence, I have spent rather a lot of time being teary, which I loathe, having always viewed crying as my ultimate weakness. Maybe all these reactions are an inevitable part of ageing. God, I just hope we emerge intact on the other side.
In spite of all this upheaval, Sandstone still provided us with pockets of joy and delight and stillness. The fossicking was even better than we remembered. Like meditation, we each found ourselves at one with the landscape, the birdlife and the sneaky surprise of wildflowers in the most enterprising locations. Then the artifacts themselves offered us the echoes of Sandstone's past. How they worked, how they lived, how they ate and drank, how they slept. The transport they used - from the horse to the bicycle to the early cars. Their dwellings and yards, remains of bricks, slabs and wire. Their utensils and tools. And the extraordinary detritus that the blacksmiths left there for us to find. This was Enterprise 101 - creating, repairing, repurposing, recycling. Nothing was discarded until the bitter end.
Ever so slowly, fossicking provided us with a reason for being - Michael's artistic soul was reawakened and ideas began to flood his brain for new sculptures. I found determination and pleasure in recognising those pieces that would work with his goals. And occasionally, items that called to me as highly unusual or stirring my inner sentimentality. Finally, towards the end of our time in Sandstone, the grinding exhaustion begun to ebb out of our bodies.
I don't believe we are out of the woods quite yet. This has been a wake-up call to us both; we can't allow ourselves to become so run down ever again. We must find a better life balance. We must continue to learn how to communicate better with each other. We must operate the East End Gallery smarter with more emphasis on small saleable items. We need to be able to head north for winter warmth to our beloved Pilbara whilst not bypassing the magic of the Murchison.
We are safe and snug inside Will in Perenjori as I write this post. The weather is a bit wild and woolly so we are not planning much during the day. Michael and the dogs are snoozing. We are headed to the pub for dinner and the Dockers game this evening. Not bad at all...
On site 24 at Alice Atkinson Caravan Park...
Fixing the leaks in Will's dome with superglue!
The Sandstone Convenience Store with some old-timer outside...
Inside the Post Office Cafe were interesting displays -
Sandalwood history in the Museum...
Other memorabilia...
And watch your backs, girls!
Black Range Chapel...
The restored Miner's Cottage and surrounds -
Around the Mining and Wool Interpretive Park...
The Breakaways AirBNB...
The Primary School - also an accommodation option plus a great exercise area for Stella and Lexi!
The fabulous water tank murals - photographed from the caravan park...
And now, what you have all been waiting for - Fossicking Photographs...
With Felicity and Jason...Felicity donated her hook to Michael!
Just a few bits and pieces!
I spy with my little eye...
