Off to Halls Creek 24/8/15

 Awake with the birds again , we held off as long as we could , but got up at 6:50 and had a very relaxed breakfast and then cruised through packing up . Loading the kayak , pumping up tyres & emptying tanks before we leave .
 9am and its 29 degrees , another hot one coming . We fiddle with the electric brake for a while as it doesn't appear to be working properly . Off we go heading southwest , the landscape isn't as good as it has been for the last week or so , or maybe we are still in visual overload from yesterday .
 We seemed to be climbing a lot today , snaking through valleys , following creek beds , but generally climbing - the highest was approx 450m / asl .
 We arrived at Halls Creek at 11:30 and set up camp before having lunch . Time for a drive - off to China Wall - this is a seam of quartz rock that juts out of the surrounding landscape , and looks like it's been stacked up by hand .

 The landscape in this area is rugged to say the very least , not lending itself to bushwalking - it's also too damn hot - we were pushing 33 degrees , back to the ute & air conditioning before we melt !!
 Next stop is Caroline Pools , another few klms down the road . Arriving to a wide expanse of sand & rock , we had expected to see some water - it had gone on holidays - there was a pool of green water that looked pretty , but was pretty stagnant as well , needless to say we didn't go for a dip !!!

                                                                                      
 Back out to the road and we decided against going to Palm Springs and Sawpit Gorge - the latter was still another 35klms out on corrugated gravel road , we did enough of that yesterday !!
 Instead , we headed out another couple of klms to Old Halls Creek , to check out the ruins that had crumbled of the years since the gold rush here . The only building that remains is the Post Office , and then it's only some walls & fireplaces . The walls were made using termite mound mud and spinifex grass for some reinforcement . The fireplaces were elaborate with the use of local rock .

                                                                                                                           
 It's now protected by a large shed . Driving amongst the other ruins , we couldn't make much out of it!!!    
 It's now nudging 34 degrees , so we head back for some supplies - $ 7.50 for a loaf of bread - before refuelling the ute , and going for a swim to cool off .
 Yep , you guessed it , time for a beer , cheese & bickies .
Map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kdDT9TaGrkrM&usp=sharing