Where Do You Go In Australia?

[mn90403]

It depends on what you are looking for!  This list of places to go in Australia was just too good not to share it.

 

Guide to Best Spots for Fossicking in Australia | Mirage News 

[Aureous]

There is so much wrong, excluded or delusional about that 'article'....not something that could be relied upon. It looks like some half wit spent a day selecting various inane, pointless and misleading web-page quotes and assembled them in a mish-mash article. Clearly no understanding of the subject matter. 

[davsgold]

yes its a very poor article, they didn't even know who found the "Hand of Faith"  well Kevin Hiller did along with his wife Bep

Hand of Faith

• Discoverers: Unknown
• Location: Kingower, Victoria
• Date: 1980
• Gross Weight: 875 ozt (27.2 kg; 60.0 lb)
• Net Weight: N/A
• Notes: Found using a metal detector.

[mn90403]

I know you Aussies well enough after just one trip that you aren't going to tell me the REAL places to find gold!  haha  This is the tourist guide that will keep people out of your patches.

[Gerry in Idaho]

Honestly, I don't think I'll go back.  For the cost to be there with transportation, gear, food etc for a month, I think the majority of American detectorists will be disappointed with the gold they return home with.

If you are going over there to hunt for gold nuggets only, I feel it's not worth the trip.  So much of the land there has been claimed and off limits.  The best land has been flogged to death and most of the gold being recovered is smaller bits.  If you have an inside source/person to get you on great land, even then, it's tough swinging.

Now, if you are going over there as a Bucket List and want to enjoy Australia for the many things it has to offer (culture, beaches, wildlife, big cities, history, visiting Perth Mint, and maybe finding a piece of Aussie gold or opal, then do it and don't look back.  It's a beautiful place with lovely people and interesting brothels.  The menus on the brothels are some of the most imaginable I've seen.

If I spent a month in the field here in the US swinging as hard as I did in Australia, I would most certainly end up with more gold. Yes our best land is flogged as well and so many claims, but since I live here in the US, it's easier to track down the claim owners and work a deal to get permission.  Also, I enjoy hunting bigger gold in dredge tailing piles and trash site.  Australia (Kalgoorlie area) did not have any dredge tailing piles that I found.

I still had a wonderful time, met some interesting people, stuffed some really weird roadkill down my gullet and visited some of the best brothels I have ever set eyes.

Yes I even found a little heavy metal, but I don't think i would go back just to detect for natural gold.  Now their beaches, I think I could enjoy a few gold rings.

 

Sorry I can't recommend where to go.

[Joe D.]

Gerry,

  Sounds to me like, for whatever reason🤔,your gold hunting was secondary; at best!? Not sure why I got that impression!!🙄😂👍👍

[Aureous]

2 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Australia (Kalgoorlie area) did not have any dredge tailing piles that I found.

Gerry, as a general 'rule of thumb', any dredging activity needs water..... Kalgoorlie is a semi-arid region where water is a very precious commodity as you may recall... But you're absolutely right, the transition to a new country, learning the ground, mining regulations, cost of getting there etc etc....not worth the effort to actually expect to make a profit coming from the USA. Its not like the 80's or 90's where you could reasonably expect to make serious $$. Those days are gone, sadly. But to experience it as a bucket list kinda thing, go for it! I want to come to Nth America one day and do the same.

[blackjack]

20 hours ago, davsgold said:

yes its a very poor article, they didn't even know who found the "Hand of Faith"  well Kevin Hiller did along with his wife Bep

Hand of Faith

• Discoverers: Unknown
• Location: Kingower, Victoria
• Date: 1980
• Gross Weight: 875 ozt (27.2 kg; 60.0 lb)
• Net Weight: N/A
• Notes: Found using a metal detector.

I did notice that as well. But to the critics, all I can say is, as a 'guide' it's a reasonable starting point. For someone from overseas what better place than Kalgoorlie in W.A. for gold, or Leonora. The golden triangle would be a 'fair' starting point in Victoria, the list did include Wedderburn and Castlemaine. Derby would be a great place to start looking for sapphires in Tasmania and there's definitely opals at Coober Pedy and Lightning Ridge. The Tanami Desert may be a stretch, but I have found gold on it's far western side S/W of Halls Creek.

[Gerry in Idaho]

On 9/4/2023 at 6:38 PM, Joe D. said:

Gerry,

  Sounds to me like, for whatever reason🤔,your gold hunting was secondary; at best!? Not sure why I got that impression!!🙄😂👍👍

Joe D.  I've been with the same lady for 35+ yrs and so those brothels were for entertainment purposes (tax write off).  Part of the visit was to take in the local culture and when I seen I could take a real tour, see real working girls (I think a couple were fake or inflated) 1 with an adams apple (she/he was interesting to say the least but fun to chat with).  What my prize possession beside my bigger gold specimen, was the "Menu".  Yes I had to purchase the menu for my proof of visitation.  What's crazy, is I can't seem to find it right now.  I guess it's probably good for the forum I not find it, I'd probably get banned for a week.  Some of the menu items had interesting name "Prospectors Poke, Miners Delight, Eureka".  Even if I was single, I would not spend the money on the "eureka", they are proud of their capabilities. 

[TE Gold]

Yep, definitely don't bother coming for our gold, it's all gone now, so sad.