A Word or Two on Fossicking.

Before I met Michael, I had never been fossicking in my life. I'd never even heard of fossicking. Naturally, I had no understanding of  how pleasurable or addictive this particular activity could be. The idea of walking very slowly whilst searching the ground around me was an alien concept. Particularly as Michael and I look for rusty pieces of metal. Occasionally interesting rocks. Or ancient bottles. And different styles of crockery.

Michael first took me to the Goldfields in October 2009. This trip was a revelation for me. He had the talent of a master storyteller and he brought the places we visited to life. He educated me about the abandoned mining centres, the absence of trees (because all the wood was used for the boilers or the steam trains), the lack of ruins (all the usable materials were dismantled and taken elsewhere) and the treasure trove of rubbish left behind (because items were used until they either wore out or were no longer required. Then rubbish was burned, buried or just left. There was certainly no rubbish collection!).

He introduced me to the remains of blacksmiths' shops, house slabs, old mining shafts with their magnificent Oregon framework, the ruins of hotels, the astonishing spectacle of Niagara Dam and the surprisingly diverse bush. We visited places where nothing was visible above ground, but hid long forgotten items waiting for us to discover them.

I  have come to love the pristine Goldfields wilderness and its treasures. The birdlife, the animals, the beauty of the bronze bark gimlet eucalyptus, the outstanding landscape and the peace and stillness. And our arrival at a desired location always fills us with excitement and glee. Because we are not prospecting for gold, we rarely see other people at the most of the places we visit.

Fossicking is a skill I have had to learn. As I am a tad hyperactive, I have had to practise fossicking, otherwise I miss finding that special something. Fossicking is all about slow, methodical observation. Our eyes are fixed to the ground whilst we walk for a few steps, then stop and scan, searching for the unusual shape, outline, design or colour. This how Michael discovered his Federation medallion and the horseshoe with "Carnegie" stamped on it. These are his most treasured possessions. I have found less spectacular, but still equally loved objects that grace our garden, our kitchen and our verandah.

We don't just fossick in the Goldfields. The Beverley tip is old and has expanded over generations. The disused area of the tip holds tremendous appeal for us and we have been fossicking there on  a number of occasions. Even bush close to Beverley, where we have gathered firewood, has thrown up unexpected delights.

Last week, we were invited to Dorothy and Ted's house outside of Beverley. They had bought an old property a few years ago, which held a multitude of old tools, machinery and discarded bits and pieces. We had a wonderful morning looking, gathering, deciding and loading. This is what fossicking was all about. We filled the trailer before we left, with objects that were priceless in our eyes. How lucky we are to have friends like them, who understand our passion.

Kate fossicking at Marvel Loch.