Prospecting New Areas On Magnetic Island

[Erik Oostra]

12 minutes ago, geof_junk said:

don't fry your egg mate

I should be alright.. I went to school with one of the rangers and my son went to school with another one.. we're all good mates.. they're not even turning a blind eye, rather they're waiting for me to hurry up and find some gold.. 

[AussieMatt]

By posting that you've not only open yourself up to all sorts of persecution (if not prosecution) but you've also placed your 2 x "mates" under the pressure of possibly being disciplined or even fired from their job.

I don't think any greenies reading that on a public forum would just turn a blind eye to 2 x NP Rangers not performing their duty? They don't make the laws but are paid to enforce them.

[goldwright]

Yeah its in your best interests to stop posting about it if you are going to continue doing it, as the majority of the Island is National park and off limits to all fossicking.  We as prospectors find it hard enough without people openly breaking the rules.  

[geof_junk]

It will not be long before you can not even walk into a National Park to see the trees and that will include Greenies too etc.

Some have history. My Great Aunty back in the 1901 onwards use to collect the mail for the family group at Sheffield Tas for the village in the sticks.

[Erik Oostra]

15 hours ago, AussieMatt said:

I don't think any greenies reading that on a public forum would just turn a blind eye to 2 x NP Rangers not performing their duty?

 

5 hours ago, goldwright said:

We as prospectors find it hard enough without people openly breaking the rules

Thanks a lot fellas for pointing this out.. I'll look more closely into this straight away! I guess I've been living in a bit of a bubble on the island where the rangers (and greenies) are more human than on the mainland.. As I said, they know what I'm all about and no one has ever raised the issue or laid down the law.. This is not to say that I 'poach' in other national parks in the state.. I'm usually a good boy 😁..  

I'll be talking to the ranger boss on Monday to see if a compromise can be reached.. If not, too bad.. I guess I'll have to skirt around the outside instead.. 

[Steve Herschbach]

Thank you Erik, an admirable response and the right thing to do. 

[Gold Catcher]

4 minutes ago, Erik Oostra said:

I'll be talking to the ranger boss on Monday to see if a compromise can be reached.. If not, too bad.. I guess I'll have to skirt around the outside instead..

Great plan, Erik. This is the best way to go. I had the same approach when moving up to Northern California and (perhaps naively) talked to the rangers in the state recreation areas. Very nice and polite guys, but as you can image there was 0 tolerance.

[Erik Oostra]

I just received a visit to my house from 2 officers from the Department of Land and Environment.. they were investigating reports of me having a looksee at some of the old gold diggings.. they used my posts on this forum to prove that i'd been up there and wanted to know the names of rangers who had turned a blind eye.. i refused to tell them and took the blame on myself.. it's not so much that the rangers turned a blind eye, it's more a case of them having a laugh at my inability to find any gold.. the officers told me they were on the island today to continue their investigation so no doubt they'll be talking to the rangers as well.. it seems my little looksee has opened a huge can of worms! i just hope they won't press any charges and it doesn't end up in court..

I do wonder who on this forum decided to take it upon themselves to lag me in and to take the matter further.. they could at least have contacted me first to find out the real story.. like i said in my previous post i don't normally detect in national parks except on this occasion where a large quartz reef caught my interest.. i certainly did not destroy, take anything or disturb the site in any way.. i love the bush too much for that sort of caper.. the rangers also know this.. So i guess this has turned out into a bit of a warning to all.. don't detect in national parks! and be warry of those anonymous people who go out of their way to make sure offenders are punished!       

 

[geof_junk]

Thanks for warning others. 

[geek4gold]

7 hours ago, Erik Oostra said:

I do wonder who on this forum decided to take it upon themselves to lag me in and to take the matter further.. 

It would have to be one of your green eyed Aussie brothers none the less. From what I can gather tall poppy syndrome is very alive & well active in your country.

Your biggest mistake was publicly telling what you were doing in a National Park. You should have just kept it to yourself & kept a low profile, flying under the radar.

G4G