Blood And Beauty In Outback Shades DAY EIGHT
Below you will find a detailed description of the route as seen through the eyes of its creator to give you firsthand knowledge of the type of experiences available along this route The Below map is for reference guide only with interactive info on locations along the route.
A fully interactive and directional guide map is available with the Road Trips printable detailed itinerary for $5 using the below button
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Lloyd Jones Weir camping area to Sapphire (793km 3.5hr)
One our departure we were subjected to a strange farewell as the Cockatoos lined the exit, with their backs to us?….not sure if I should take a deeper meaning to this but was an awesome sight none the less. The landscape was dry and relatively bare, except for the scattered bottle trees that stand tall and proud, as though they are sucking the life water from the surrounding countryside.
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Locating the Big Bessie Fossicking area was somewhat of a challenge, the online directions were somewhat vague. After some wrong turns and challenging caravan turns in the scrub, we did eventually find our way…I think….we basically just stopped where it looked as though someone had camped before.
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Our motto, “we will know what we are looking for when we see it” was a little inefficient…as we found nothing. But sitting in a dusty hole under the shelter of an umbrella was at least entertaining for some.
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TRIP DETAILS:
Turn off the Capricorn Highway at Anakie, and take the sealed road for 10km to Sapphire.
From there take the unsealed road to the west for 2km (L turn after the Blue Gem Caravan Park)to the signposted entrance.
Minor tracks lead north to the Big Bessie diggings
→Fossicking Licence and camp permit from – Blue Gem Caravan Park, (925 Anakie-Sapphire Rd) Sapphire, 49854162
⌂ – Big Bessie
Next: CARNARVAN GORGE