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Metal Detecting Trip of a Lifetime - Andrew and I planning the adventure

DrunkBrother		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 12:45:48 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 911 Location: Auckland Thanks: 21 times Was thanked: 206 time(s) in 161 post(s)		Good day all, Haven't posted anything interesting in a while apart from my water detecting. So this one might interest the whole of our community. Where to start... Andrew and i decided that we want to go to Western Australia for 3weeks or a month just for gold metal detecting, but not for "fun" .Our plan is: * Fully equipped trip into wildness * 8+hours a day of detecting * strict cost management as we want to see if we can earn more from gold prospecting than working. We are now saving all leave from work, over next year so we will have enough next year. Also we are gathering all valid information, tips, tricks. Studying current and old maps. reading all stories. etc. What we want to get/hear from Community: * Knowledge support- from those who already been to WA, and have vital info that they can share directly with us. * Gear- if Minelab doesnt Introduce somethink like GPX 7000 or what ever next year, we will be looking into renting/buying/swapping 2-3 GPX 5000 (so we have at least one full set up in case one of ours brakes) * any tips, tricks.. just anything that you can help us with. * meet ups, those who have gear and gold- we do not mind to fly down to south island for a gold detecting trip - if it is on someones clam- we give all what we find back and never disclose location - we need training. We defo want to do at least 40 hours of gold detecting with someone before we leave to WA. (as as beach detecting, till you learn the machine, and the initial details) So, here is our project for the next year. Help us out - and you will be a part of our adventure story :-) Regards, Max& Andrew
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andy		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 1:03:02 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 13/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 471 Location: ngongotaha rotorua Thanks: 70 times Was thanked: 88 time(s) in 72 post(s)		check out zaqqaz22,s videos on youtube he does very well for himself metal detecting for gold in central australia has some good tips and tricks on his vids that you could learn from one of his vids compares the gpx4500 and the gpx5000 and shows the differances in the sounds they make and depth tests and so on!very informative!
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lifejockey		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 1:43:30 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 3/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 68 Location: Thames Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 24 time(s) in 17 post(s)		I spent two months around "Paynes Find" in 1988 prospecting with an old Garrett, dryblower and dollypot. It's real hard work and stinking hot. Pay real close attention to your choice of vehicle and take spares and more spares if you go far from town/pub. You will spike tyres like there's no tomorrow in some areas. Of course you will have to take all your water and you will need lots and lots. Spare fuel and dual car battery setup. I had a Landrover series 3 and made my own roads but that was one tough machine. Make sure you setup a real comfortable camp as at the end of a day you will appreciate the effort. Watch out for racehorse goannas, huge snakes and dope growers.... they grow the stuff in window boxes up in the tree tops. If you spot any of them just move somewhere else..... please. Pub owners are helpful but like to have fun with newbies, so don't believe every story you get told, but you can get a shower etc for a couple of bucks. They like to keep a few nuggets in the till to show punters. The story is that Fred, Joe or Billy brings them in from around here to pay his tab. Maybe true maybe not :) Just a few observations but it's not going to be just about the detector. Mike
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andy		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 1:59:03 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 13/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 471 Location: ngongotaha rotorua Thanks: 70 times Was thanked: 88 time(s) in 72 post(s)		before you get your detector i would recomend geting a good quality hand held GPS with epirb!if ya get lost out there your basicly buggered!
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Metal Kiwi		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 2:51:15 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 19/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,210 Location: Auckland Thanks: 498 times Was thanked: 484 time(s) in 322 post(s)		Have you considered the organized Gold Detecting Tour groups. Everything supplied, they know where to go and even hire detectors I think. Some on the forum have been I believe and no doubt have good info for you. Got to admire your gold fever though Max. :-) MK Edited by user Friday, 19 April 2013 2:51:45 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified
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Shilo		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 2:58:41 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 29/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 573 Location: Kawhia Thanks: 17 times Was thanked: 285 time(s) in 185 post(s)		LifeJockey makes a good point about the vehicle. I figure that all the "easy to get to" places would have been well and truly covered by now so the further off track you can go the better your chances will be. But not only spare parts for the vehicle will be needed - you will also need to know how to repair. For example if punctures are common then you will need a back up to the spare wheels so do you know how to repair a puncture in the bush? Knowing Max, he will still be finding gold rings in the Aust outback! Another piece of equipment that hopefully won't be needed but will be good to have just in case..... http://www.pocketphone.com.au/SatellitePhones/SatelliteRental/tabid/87/Default.aspx Edited by user Friday, 19 April 2013 3:00:53 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified
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gogold		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 3:36:38 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 5/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 217 Location: gore Thanks: 4 times Was thanked: 56 time(s) in 45 post(s)		the country dirt roads over there are hard enough on vehicles!! if you go off road just looking at a mallee root will give you a flat :( most locals over there when heading bush take at least 2 spare tyres also a solar charger would be usefull as a flat battery out there would suck and those 12v fridges suck the life from batteries quick. we lived in the middle of nowhere down south in WA a random prospector turned up lost at the door 1 day, he had been all over the place on a 3month trip showed me some largesh nuggets from the mount magnet area , apparently access is pretty tight in most good areas in wa as the tour companies have good deals going with most land owners. good luck, you guys are mad i reckon that place is hot as hell and the bloody flys are relentless!!

lifejockey		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 3:38:00 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 3/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 68 Location: Thames Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 24 time(s) in 17 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Shilo so do you know how to repair a puncture in the bush? Yeah... but... Most punctures we had are spikes through the sidewall... tough to repair. A testament to which is the huge number of discarded tyres lying around :) If you bugger up your last spare then filling the tyre with brush will get you out of trouble. You will need to do it over and over if it's a long trip back to town. Second hand tyres are the things to buy as spares. And walkie talkies are good if there are two of you.. with car charger... also a good am/ single sideband two way in the car is good to talk to the world at night while looking at amazing starscapes. Use AM to chat to the truckies as they scream past you on the dirt roads that go forever :) EPIRB is good for the desperate emergency. A good "tracking" handheld gps is useful but they weren't around then so we just kept our eyes on landmarks etc when we went far from camp... Use common-sense and you wont get lost. Magnetic compass is mostly useless in most places, the ground rusts, so the wrist watch method is useful to learn. Point the 12 at the sun and halfway between the hour hand and the 12 is north, or near enough. Gold tours are good but nothing beats the adventure of going just with a reliable mate. You also need to be fit and healthy and wear a broad brimmed hat and... etc etc A milk crate with the bottom cut out is a must... wire a toilet seat to it and it makes a comfy loo. Dig a deep hole with a shovel and pile the dirt to one side, place the crate over the hole. When finished, flush with a shovel load of dirt down the hole :) Mike
		Gold Bug Pro and Lots of Hope

andy		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 4:30:41 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 13/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 471 Location: ngongotaha rotorua Thanks: 70 times Was thanked: 88 time(s) in 72 post(s)		snake bite and identification kit is a must probably the 4 most common snakes youl encounter in w.a. gold feilds(and you will lol) will be the gwardar(westen brown)these ones are prob the worst they are extremely alert and easily aggitated!average 1.6 to 2 metres but getALOT bigger.The dugite these are a bit smaller and slim looking but just as nasty.The desert death adder higly venomous they are short and thick easily identified.last but not least the mulga(KING BROWN)these suckers are big they say they only average 1.8 metres but thats bull$#!@ iv seen them well over 4 metres and then some theyr a bit more timid but their but still aggresive and plain scary they are long and thick and i hate em lol iv seen them as long as the width of the highway!try not to run them over if possible as they get tangled in the axle of your car and stay there untill you stop and it makes the etremely aggitated and they will strike you!oh and one more is the tiger snake these hang around wetlands but are also common in the bush aswell they flatten out their necks like a cobra before striking these ones average 1.4 metres and youl know one when you see it their black or brown with striking yellow and orange bands.
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lifejockey		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 4:40:40 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 3/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 68 Location: Thames Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 24 time(s) in 17 post(s)		Still wanna go boys?? :) Mike
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DrunkBrother		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 4:49:32 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 911 Location: Auckland Thanks: 21 times Was thanked: 206 time(s) in 161 post(s)		Originally Posted by: lifejockey Still wanna go boys?? :) Mike We do :-) you can not scare me with a snake or heat -:0) WE simply do not want to be "Office Shrimps" and spent 5 out of 7 days of our life trying to earn money to be able to sleep and eat to go to the same place to try earn money ... you know... while we are still young we want to give it a go. So keep posting all ideas, I already found snake index : http://members.iinet.net.au/~bush/ID_index.htm agai, we are at early stage of planning. so anything will do.. Simple things as Idea with a loo- is great. Tires - didn't think that issue is to that xtreme water - how much ? 10L per person per day? Tents/camp site - how elevated should it be to prevent "crawlers" to get inside - any tips on this Once you post a tip - that is filed for me as an area to investigate.
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gavin		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 5:12:53 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		Good on yas for getting out there to have a real adventure! Staking tyres was definitely high on the list of concerns on the bush tracks and a lot of people did take 2 spares. GPS is a definite. It's amazing how the countryside all looks the same when you first get out there. You start to get used to it to a certain degree, but always good to have the GPS just in case you get confused! Good to know the signs to look out for in the bush to show where people have been working in the past. Found a few wee bits of gold in these areas. The 2 most obvious are "pushings" where the top few inches of ground are bulldozed away so the detector can punch a little deeper; and "dry blown heaps" - basically wee mounds of gravel where old timers have classified dirt down and thrown it in air to allow wind to catch lighter material and carry it away. I'll share GPS file of where we went, but it is a private claim the tour guide had permission for us to be on. Though we did have a Mad Max type encounter where some young lad was trying to intimidate us of "his patch" - he was there illegally and the police were called in by the tour group leader. Did spot a fair few people out there that probably didn't have permission to be there. I also vaguely remember that you can apply to mining authority to metal detect on ground that isn't actively being mined or something. You'll have to dig for more detail, but it sounds a low cost legal way to get on some restricted ground. You'll meet old timers out in the campsites in towns in the middle of nowhere near gold producing areas that tend to be real friendly and happy to chat, maybe give you some tips, or looking for people to prospect with. Seems a popular retirement pass-time. If you're down in Chch at some point you're more than welcome to pop in and pick my brains. Not sure how much useful info I could give. I'd be keen to have another wee adventure myself some point and probably go a bit more independent. Was a great experience! Regarding getting in some metal detecting practice... if timing's right I'd happily hit some spots with you. I have a map with lots of pins in it of areas of not had a chance to explore yet - don't expect big great things though! I'm usually happy if I cover my fuel costs ;)
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gavin		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 5:21:38 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		Oh, and in-car GPS's were very useful for following your "snail trail" back out of an area. Lots of turnings on the bush tracks are easy to miss / look the same so found it very useful for getting back to camp / back on to the highway.
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DrunkBrother		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 5:25:53 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 911 Location: Auckland Thanks: 21 times Was thanked: 206 time(s) in 161 post(s)		Thanks Gavin, Defo will take an opportunity to come down we already put a weekend trip to south island in our budget for training Purpose. Any Ideas on : * Generator(s) * Sollar Power? Get a good 4*4 wd and a trailer to put all stuff at the back ? Or get a good camper van? Cons and pros of both? (any thought at this stage and we will investigate further)
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Shilo		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 5:41:17 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 29/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 573 Location: Kawhia Thanks: 17 times Was thanked: 285 time(s) in 185 post(s)		If only going for a month then it would be best to hire a package deal rather then worry about individual items. As an example: http://www.rmstravelcars.com.au/car-rental.html#1
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oroplata		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 5:43:28 PM(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)		FYI, for the South Islanders... Quote: Air New Zealand from 04DEC13 to 26APR14 will introduce seasonal operation on Christchurch – Perth route, with twice weekly Boeing 767-300ER operation. Reservation for this route opened on 18APR13. NZ161 CHC1540 – 1800PER 763 36 NZ162 PER1910 – 0620+1CHC 763 36
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madsonicboating		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 7:34:41 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 21/03/2011(UTC) Posts: 674 Thanks: 187 times Was thanked: 157 time(s) in 127 post(s)		sounds awesome Max & co...lots good reading here and now has me dreaming about gold and trips...
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Al Bay		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 7:37:22 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 24/01/2013(UTC) Posts: 16 Location: Tauranga Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 2 post(s)		Max. Talked to someone at the Mount about 3 weeks ago that goes over to Western Aussie during the winter and have done for a few years going from site to site She aid last year it was worth them doing it but other years just covered costs(a prospector usually does not let on how well they do) You will need plenty of gear 4x4,van plus gear for a hostile environment,the person I talked to had by my reckoning $30,000 worth of gear before even thinking of detectors which consisted of 2 GPX 's I guess you have to start from somewhere and sure would be an adventure Have a talk with kiwijim as he is heading there to work over the winter,and yes I asked if he was going for Gold but he has not got back to me yet Edited by user Friday, 19 April 2013 7:37:58 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified
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garrymac		Posted : Friday, 19 April 2013 10:14:55 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 3/03/2011(UTC) Posts: 84 Location: dunedin Thanks: 26 times Was thanked: 26 time(s) in 19 post(s)		Hi Max, if I was heading back ,I would be flying to Darwin, grabing a 4x4 an spares an heading for halls creek then on to the west. Grab a copy of Hammys Gold have agood read. Always get plenty of water and fuel and heaps of good maps. It is also helpful if you know a local or two. Good luck and go well prepared

andy		Posted : Saturday, 20 April 2013 12:04:15 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 13/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 471 Location: ngongotaha rotorua Thanks: 70 times Was thanked: 88 time(s) in 72 post(s)		have you decided what area your going to be prospecting max?
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