Lakes, mines and trucks

We spent a bit of time looking around Lakes Austin and Nannine, found either side of Cue. Behind the ridge above Lake Austin is a tumble of mine workings. There are diggings, shafts, heaps of rubble and an assortment of rusted bits and pieces. From the road you would never guess. I knew there ruins of old timers' stone buildings there and we found them nestled in the rocky ridges.

Old stone ruins and my travelling companions

 The rocks are a deep black red banded ironstone. Very beautiful. The lake is of course dry but has a lovely range of colours from the red dirt and samphires.

Rusting and rocky relics overlooking Lake Austin

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View to Lake Austin through quartz studded walls

Lake Nannine likewise has a rocky ridge from which you can overlook the lake but the rocks look like limestone.Creamy white with soft fluffy pale sand between, a salty crunchy layer on the surface. The landscape is natural - obviously the geology here keeps the lakeside safe from mines.

Samphire

Dewy petals 

 Beautiful samphires grow on the flat lake margins. Tiny fragile white shells are 'washed up' in layers on the 'shore'. Equally fragile flowers can be found were in the margins. The eucalypts have richly coloured young stems of red and gold. We watched black faced cuckoo shrikes swooping after flying insects in the afternoon light.

Eucalyptus stems

View across Lake Nannine

We camped here overnight amongst the black stockinged eucalypts. Their young stems were richly coloured in reds and golds. In the middle of the night a red half moon hung over the horizon before sinking out of sight.  Overnight the number of trucks passing reduced to a trickle, starting up again at first light. They are first visible as tiny points of light on the far side of the lake heading down from Meekatharra.

On the road again at first light, Lake Nannine