Ok, in the first post I mentioned how I kept a journal on the trip with daily notes. I had intended for it to provide lots of tiny details about gold finds, etc for this thread. After starting the thread I realized I had no idea where the journal was and so started two weeks of looking through boxes shipped from Alaska to Reno and never opened. I found lots of stuff and have done some much needed cleanup work leftover from our move to Reno, but the notebook never did come to light. I am afraid that because it just looked like a nondescript notepad (picked up at last second in store in Oz) that it may have got thrown out when we were packing up to move from Alaska. Or I still have not found it. Whatever, the show must go on! I will do the best I can from memory.
There were a couple things everyone that goes to Australia looking to bring home gold needs to know. First, depending on where you go detecting you may need a permit or license. In Western Australia you need to obtain a Miner's Right. From the information page at http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/Minerals/Miners-Rights-2427.aspx
"A Miner’s Right must be obtained prior to commencing prospecting activities. This allows the holder of the Miner’s Right to pass and re-pass over land, in order to gain access to Crown land for prospecting purposes. A Miner’s Right can be obtained for a fee of $25 at the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP), Mineral House, 100 Plain Street, East Perth, or at any Mining Registrar’s office, upon presentation of proof of identity. An application form is available within the attached Miner’s Right pamphlet."
These were obtained in advance for Chris and I. From http://www.australiasgoldenoutback.com/things-to-do-australian-outback/Outback_experiences/Gold_prospecting_and_fossicking
"This gives you authorisation to prospect on:
Unoccupied crown land that is not covered by a granted mining tenement.
A pastoral lease that is not covered by a granted mining tenement – provided prior notice is given to the pastoralist.
A mining tenement - providing you have permission from the tenement holder.
A granted exploration licence, after having been granted a three-month section 20A permit.
It is important to note that gold prospecting and fossicking cannot be carried out in national parks, nature reserves, on Aboriginal land and heritage sites, within townsites or other classified areas such as cemeteries. You must seek permission from the landowner to enter private property, such as farmland."
OK, you find some gold, now what about taking it home? I have never heard of anyone having trouble taking gold nuggets from Australia to the U.S. unless they are extremely valuable or historic in nature. Unless you are talking pounds of gold you just put it in your carry on and take home. Still, I tried to find some legal guidance and there is not much out there. This is from https://www.border.gov.au/Exportinggoods/Documents/111026volume12version5.2.pdf (pages 143 -145)
Class B Objects – Export Permit Required
Class B objects, include:
• Natural Science Objects of Australian origin as prescribed in Part 3 of the control
list:
- any palaeontological object;
- any mineral object (not otherwise referred to in this item) with a current
Australian market value of not less than AUD$10,000; - any gold nugget with a current Australian market value of not less than
AUD$250,000;
- any diamond or sapphire with a current Australian market value of not less
than AUD$250,000;
- any opal with a current Australian market value of not less than AUD$100,000;
- any other gemstone with a current Australian market value of not less than
AUD$25,000;
- any meteorite; and
- any type specimen of present-day flora or fauna, a palaeontological object or a
mineral if:
- it is not lodged in an Australian collecting institution; or
- a permit or an authority issued under the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is not in force.
Unless you have an extremely valuable find there appears to be nothing to worry about, but if anyone can add any clarification or details I would appreciate it. In any case, rules do change and anyone traveling to Australia will want to seek out the latest information.