Headed For The Land Down Under

[fredmason]

Nice Pic's!

FOCUS!!!

fred

[Northeast]

33 minutes ago, fredmason said:

FOCUS!!!

I didn’t think there were any photos that were too blurry... ?

[WesD]

Hey Mitchel, Hope you get one! Otherwise enjoy being out in Gods country! Wish I could have made it out there too. I went to Oz when I was 18,  but all I wanted to do was go to the beach back then.

[fredmason]

GET UP Mitchel...it is after 7 a.m. there!!!!

I suggest you buy a rake and clear some brush and branches...maybe that will give you FOCUS!!!

[mn90403]

I've been up Fred talking to my family for 2 hours.  I went through my plans last night.  I looked again at the settings I'm using which are mostly low sensitivity, difficult ground because it is still wet and growls.  

I reduced some of my advices on where to go to specific places on the map and I'm starting a new day.  

Thanks for the bump.  Yesterday when I got up and out there was ice on the windshield.  Same today but it melts off quickly.

[Flowdog]

Mitchel,

I feel like I got to know you through this thread. I admire your adventuress spirit. A modern day gold prospector willing to push the limits of distance, time, and patience. Hang tough and go easy out there. You're close. 

Curtis

[mn90403]

Location, location, location ... I moved today and the first place I stopped looked like all the others.  There was some difference as the slopes down to the deep dig holes were wider and longer.  I had my hopes up that this would be different but I came away with nothing again.  I had another spot a couple of miles up the road to try before dark.  

I got there and I could see a difference.  Quartz was strewn about and the oldtimer holes were not so deep.  The soil was very red and I got excited for a change.  My first few swings revealed a nice soil and without much trash.  I decided to scout the area because I'd be back tomorrow.  About 20 minutes into it I had gotten some trash, I was 'near' the road and I was digging this target.  It warbled a bit but so had many others all day.  I picked down a bit and there was quartz.  I got that out of the way and there was still a signal.  Could this be it?

YES!

It is a little one but my first one!  I estimate about .8g but it changes what I write tonight.  It doesn't remove all of the frustration from the last week and this might be the only nugget on that patch but I've got one.  I'll be back tomorrow and work that area again.  I'm not the first one there I assure you.  A forum member Pat who makes the SP01 that I am using pointed me in this direction over two months ago.  I plotted in the spots last night and got out of Wedderburn.

On my way out this morning I talked to the motel owner a bit.  He told me a couple of detectorists were in the hotel last night and they had found 3 little pieces in 2 days.  Such is the way of gold.  He also told me that at about the same time the 20 oz nugget was found in Bendigo someone in Wedderburn had kicked up (no metal detector) a 7.5 oz nugget!  Maybe there is still overlooked gold in these obvious locations.

I've got a long day to tell about but I'm going to cut it short and post a few pictures.

I did see my first hand stacks here.  I wondered how they were using them and then I saw a trench on the upper side.  They were using it to channel water to the top of another gully.  I had read something about lack of water had caused all of the miners to leave sometime in the 1850s or so and when the rains/water came back so did the miners.  This trickle trench would have been used to feed a pond at the top of a larger gully.

The order these pictures upload are just random.  I've forgotten how to control the order but it doesn't care about the time the picture is taken.  I have something to say about all the pictures except the scull.  The teeth give it away.

[Northeast]

YeeHaa, gold is in the scoop!  

Nice pic of the ‘roo too.  

You’ll sleep a little bit sounder tonight ?

[Guest AussieDigs]

Is that all! ?