Julian & Ali Travels


Cornwall Mine		February 19

		An adventure .... The aim is to walk up the main road from campground, turn left into Climies Track, then left again, 2nd right, to the marker at Cornwall Mine. Then either down to the sea and walk back along the coast, or retreat the way I came. A solo effort while Ali's foot repairs itself. Estimate about 6km to the mine, and 4km along the coast.

		I waited for the rain to stop, the radar said it would. Maybe showers later, so well prepared with warm and waterproof clothing. About 3km to the start of Climies Track. An easy walk up a steady 10% grade. The track is reputedly hard core 4wd. So far a thin covering of sand over granite. It gets harder, with mud in the dips, and deep grooves in the rock. Walking is much easier.

		The "tourmaline" nodules in granite are everywhere. Recognisable from the geology sign in the village. Far from gem quality, but definitely crystalline. There's a mix of red and white granite. Fairly coarse.

		The top soil has disappeared.

		I turn left, towards Cornwall Mine. Climies Track continues to the right, to Granville Harbour, another 10km, making it 15km in all.

		A bit larger crystals. But still not gems. This reminds me of small garnets I observed in Nepal.

		If I'd turned left earlier, then left again, I would have found the turnaround next to a granite outcrop. Identifiable in a satellite view. I have no further info on what's there. I suspect the next track north leads to another mine, but I can't find much info and decided not to look. I did ponder it as a shorter walk, a shorter loop, but didn't know if there was a way down to the sea.

		Lots of flowers.

		Lots of granite outcrops. The weather has held. Overcast. But a pleasant temperature for walking. I have a woolly hat.

		Beginning of the descent to Cornwall Mine. In some places its spelled Cornwell.

		I walk a few steps north off the track. If I manage to climb down the cliffs to the sea I'll need to cross this creek. Looks ok!

		From the vehicle turnaround there's a short, a bit overgrown and tight but still very obvious, track. I follow it to the creek. Should I cross, or follow?

		I cross it, and up a few paces I'm at the entrance to a short tunnel. Looks like it was built to divert the creek. Though whether it was to provide water for mining or to allow more comfortable mining in the creek I will perhaps never know. There are apparently other dead end tunnels near, which I didn't find.

		Someone found a nice place to camp at the other end. Its wide enough for hauling stuff through it, and tall enough for me to stand in. The mind of the miner is, in this instance, beyond me. This must have been a significant investment for unknown return. From the mindat website "An abandoned old tin mine in Devonian Heemskirk granite, situated atop a sea cliff, on Wheel Bay, about 5km N of Remine. It contains some small workings in granite containing veins and pods of quartz and tourmaline, plus minor cassiterite and sulphides. Workings on a quartz tourmaline vein up to 0.7m wide include a shaft and an adit" Remine is the original name for Trial Harbour.

		I sidled north of the tunnel exit, but was captured by the view, the geology took second place. I find neither the shaft nor the adit. Nor the quartz vein. My hats off to the original prospectors who found it. Perhaps I should have looked in or to the other side of the creek - too late now! It usually takes me more than one attempt to make sense of this sort of location.

		A chute/spillway at the far end of the tunnel. I follow it to the sea.

		Not yet overgrown.

		But of course the last few meters to the shore are more than a tad difficult. The faded pink ribbon the only marker I've seen or will see. There is no marked track along the coast.

		I turn south. So far I've walked 6km fairly easily. The next 3km is at times a struggle. Rocks impassable, vegetation impenetrable. There isn't an easy space between the rock and the hard place. I take turns at uneven rocks and being scratched. A few times I attempt to imitate a wombat, there are a few spots with lots of burrows and poo, by crawling through the plant life.

		I at times wonder if I've bitten off too much. Perhaps I needed Ali to tell me "this is silly". But I'm committed. The prospect of trying to find the track back up the hill daunting, even with the gps tracker. The compensation is the stunning wind and sea eroded granite formations. I'm sure there's a way through. A short shower creates another obstacle - I'm pleased my boots don't slip.

		I expected a little difficulty after yesterday's exploratary walk north from the campsite. But I can tolerate difficult in these surroundings.

		There is a way through. That I'm writing this is surely sufficient evidence. I grew tired, and had to concentrate on not making mistakes. Take care with each step. Eventually I reach where we turned back yesterday. About here the pics stop as I concentrate on walking the last km. I'd radioed ahead, so Ali was expecting me, and had lunch ready. Feeling my age, aching all over, but happy. Somewhere I stumbled, must have caught my knee on something, its seizing up and a bit sore. Tomorrow a rest day ..... with perhaps a short walk!

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