New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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Queensland detecting trip

Crusader		Posted : Wednesday, 5 September 2012 10:42:12 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Dam, posted this same message under the detecting for relics etc but meant to place it here under gold detecting... so here it is again - sorry for the double up! Hi guys. I'm flying in and out of Oz for work at the moment to central Queensland, just up the road from Clermont. This swing coming up I'm planning to take my detector (xterra 705) back with me, throw a sickie and spend a day wandering around one of the General Prospecting Areas near Clermont - hopefully without stepping on a snake! (bought some gators today to help with that) Was just wondering if anyone here has had a crack over there and knows if any particular GPA is better than the rest, considering I'm only going to have time for one shot and not have time to explore them all? From what I've found online it appears they are well done over by the latest GPX's so if anyone has any tips it'd be appreciated. I'll let you know how I get on.

NUGGY		Posted : Thursday, 6 September 2012 12:16:07 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 20/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 267 Location: greymouth Thanks: 85 times Was thanked: 76 time(s) in 58 post(s)		Walk where it's not comfortable to walk, sloping gully sides etc. Near old workings, with bottom showing close by. Look for recent water scouring as they had good floods not long ago. Go as slow as you can, keep coil on the ground, and ground balance a lot, it's tougher with a vlf. Then it will only be if you are very lucky, but it can be done. I would go to Claremont Detectors and rent a 5000 if you can, they will point you in right direction too. Spend time between now and then reading online manual and watching you tube videos on using them. Have had a couple of Aussie trips, not Queensland though, and it's far from easy to get anything in a hurry, but if you can put in the time and get someone to show you a few pointers you can pick up a few bits. Keep your eyes peeled for sapphires there are supposed to be some good ones around there. Best I can offer. Good luck, wish I was heading over too. Nuggy

Crusader		Posted : Thursday, 6 September 2012 10:24:42 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Thanks Nuggy. Some good points there. Thought about hiring one of the GPX's but with only one day at my disposal I thought I'd try and optimise my time with my unit which I'm getting to know. I notice on a couple of sites that grass is a hinderence to detectors so I imagine a lot of people with big GPX coils would avoid those areas so that might be a good place to start. Will definitely keep an eye out for any sapphires, they'd help fund my gold fever as much as a nugget would!

oroplata		Posted : Friday, 7 September 2012 1:21:15 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Crusader I notice on a couple of sites that grass is a hinderence to detectors But that's when it's wet only?
		WWW

Crusader		Posted : Friday, 7 September 2012 11:24:35 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		The grass gets really clumpy round there and is much taller/larger than normal grass which makes it hard to get a large DD coil close to the ground.

Crusader		Posted : Sunday, 16 September 2012 1:15:48 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Well I spent the day swinging the xterra around at the McMasters area near Clermont - with no luck unfortunately. The helpful bloke at Clermont Detectors told me I would struggle though as the ground is very mineralised and the gold quite deep. He showed me some nice pieces the he got last week in the same area with a GPX5000. The xterra was overloaded in some places due to some big deposits of iron ore. Here are a couple of pics of the grass that you have to contend with also which makes it difficult to keep the coil close to the surface. I think I will go back for another crack but will hire a GPX and see how that turns out. Crusader attached the following image(s):

Crusader		Posted : Sunday, 16 September 2012 1:23:46 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Oh, and though I saw many different types of critters I never saw a snake which was great! It felt very snakey though and I think next time it might be prudent to take some company with me as it was fairly isolated if anything had gone wrong.

NUGGY		Posted : Sunday, 16 September 2012 11:13:34 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 20/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 267 Location: greymouth Thanks: 85 times Was thanked: 76 time(s) in 58 post(s)		Sounds like you had a great experience though. There is a lot of wildlife in places over there. I was a bit worried about one big eastern grey roo - it was quite intimidating close up, and they say the reds out west are even bigger. I only saw one snake and it was swimming across a creek - going away from me luckily. One gully I went up, then told a local bloke about it and he said - " Oh I never go up there, that's where I saw a really big and aggressive brown snake." It's better to go with someone for sure, and take a gps too. It's so easy to get disorientated in places over there - it all looks much the same. Good to give it a go though. Thanks for the photos, brings back memories. NUGGY Edited by user Sunday, 16 September 2012 11:14:31 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

Crusader		Posted : Monday, 17 September 2012 10:43:22 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Thanks Nuggy. Those Browns are pretty nasty - we have plenty here moving around on site at the moment now its warming up. There has also been sighttings over the last few days of a taipan around the dongas in our camp. I have a snake awareness course on Wednesday which should be interesting as they are bringing along a few live ones. This kiwi won't be getting too close to them though. There was a couple of times when I got fairly disorientated - those eucalyptus trees get pretty thick and all look the same aye. Whereabouts were your trips in Oz and did you have any luck?

NUGGY		Posted : Monday, 17 September 2012 11:05:57 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 20/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 267 Location: greymouth Thanks: 85 times Was thanked: 76 time(s) in 58 post(s)		Hi Crusader, yep get a gps before next trip, if you haven't got one, they are cheap enough now (always have a spare set of batteries for it too). I had several trips to a few places in Victoria, where I had almost no luck at all, just one bit that was probably 4 or 5 grams, plus the flakes I panned. I was living in Melbourne then - 1970's, and last trip was to Sofala/Hill End area in the Blue Mountains - ten years back. I got a few bits, just small stuff, biggest was just under 2 grams. I had only a vlf detector which did not cope well with the conditions. Had a great time though. Nuggy

Crusader		Posted : Monday, 17 September 2012 12:55:29 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Can only imagine how much you would love to go back to those areas with one of these GPX's. I'm sure you would have no trouble bettering your score from your last trip! I'm yet to snare anything with my detector, but am convinced it will come with continued efforts! On another subject, I note that you are from Greymouth (my place of birth) - was just wondering if you know of anyone over that way that is happy to "lease" their claim for a day (happy to part with beers or coin)? We are heading over this weekend to take the kids to Shanty Town and I have a high banker that I would like to run for an afternoon but am acutely aware that you can't use it on the public areas. If you, or anyone else reading this, knows of a place I can use it please let me know. Feel free to PM on the matter. My wee highbanker (which I built/used whilst living in Australia) just uses a 1" pump to run the sluice and its fed by elbow grease and sweat. Frustrates me that I can't use it in the streams/rivers yet I could turn up with a jet boat and spray as much water about as I like! ha

NUGGY		Posted : Monday, 17 September 2012 4:37:39 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 20/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 267 Location: greymouth Thanks: 85 times Was thanked: 76 time(s) in 58 post(s)		KiwiKeith on here might be approachable on those sort of terms, re renting his claim for a weekend. Try PMing him. Yes, would love to go back with a big Minelab sometime for sure, not on the agenda anytime soon though ( No GPX and no airfare money lol). Good luck Nuggy Edited by user Monday, 17 September 2012 4:40:38 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

Crusader		Posted : Monday, 17 September 2012 5:32:01 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Ha - I hear you. I'm trying to convince my wife that I need to HIRE a GPX to have another crack at Clermont - her thoughts are that I spent enough on the xterra that it should be finding gold with it anywhere! She's the one that wouldn't let me get a GPX in the first place and grumbles when I need to hire equipment to handle the conditions. We'll see what happens.. Cheers - will flick him a message and maybe place another post on the topic and see if anyone knows of anything.