Gold Fossicking in FNQ

[Mudnut]

I spent the early part of the week out south of Georgetown with a borrowed metal detector looking for my fortune. Sadly came up empty handed, but had a great time just the same. I am considering purchasing my own detector, but don't want a cheapie. I also don't want to spend 5k or more on a Minelab 5000. Have started to search the net, and have found older ones, but don't know much about them, or what to look for. Any help would be appreciated. Will aim more towards gold detecting. I live up in FNQ, and the soils are very mineralized, so a better one is what I am leaning towards.

Thanks,

Ken

[steven64]

Sorry i can not help with the older detectors.
but a mate was up there recently with a Minelab 5000 and thought he had found the mother load. With the detector going off under a large old gum where the bank was washed away under the gum from the last wet season he told me he dug down about two foot, it was hard going with rocks and 35 degrees heat and after 2 hours he found the mother load !! a rusty old bolt.
With that he gave it away in that area. He was talking to other prospectors and they told him the local land owners deliberately scatter metal around the area up that way.
But good luck you never know if you don't have a go :)

[Mudnut]

Funny thing about the bolts, and small pieces of aluminium. I would dig up something in the middle of a field that has not had anything built on it, and nothing obvious passed through for what could be hundreds of years, and yet there they would be! Like I said earlier, it was enjoyable just out walking around in the bush with a purpose to possibly find some gold. The camping was magic also.

Ken

[isuzutoo-eh]

I prefer the term 'treasure hunting' then everything is a good find. I gave my dad a Minelab X-terra 705 for christmas but he hasn't been well enough to use it :(

[Graeme]

A few years ago I bought a cheapie partly because I had always wanted one to check-out areas on 2 hills in my place where there's significant radio inteference (gold has been mined nearby) and partly because my wife lost a gold ring, possibly when cleaning-up the garden around the house. The detector was initially useless but the cost of returning it was as much as it cost so opened it up and found a faulty connection. I didn't find the ring but found every lost roof nail and unused nails from when the house was built fifty years earlier. No luck yet finding gold in the hills either but it finds underground power and phone cables, metal water pipes and the mesh in the concrete slab.

[frantic]

Not sure about detectors but my father is also looking for one as he will retire soo
n. One thing to SERIOUSLY look at is where you register as a prospector and where you "find";) the gold as different states have different rules on fees and what percentage you MUST pay to the landowner/state.Not 100% sure but you may be better off regoed in Vic and "find" your gold there.

[lewy]

yep,horse shoes,rabbit traps,hob nails,don't wear steel cap boots.

[Utemad]

Not sure about detectors but my father is also looking for one as he will retire soo
n. One thing to SERIOUSLY look at is where you register as a prospector and where you "find";) the gold as different states have different rules on fees and what percentage you MUST pay to the landowner/state.Not 100% sure but you may be better off regoed in Vic and "find" your gold there.

In Qld you only require a licence which is about $50 a year for an individual.
You only pay royalties when you go over $100k a year.
There are limits on where you can go though.
http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/mining/guide-fossicking-legislation.htm

Also if all you are finding is old nails and coins then you don't need a licence :-)

[Mudnut]

yep,horse shoes,rabbit traps,hob nails,don't wear steel cap boots.

Funny you should mention about the steel capped boots. They are the only shoes I own, and didn't even think about them. Was not suitable thong country! :D Had to walk hunched forward to keep the detector away from my feet!! Either that, or I would walk around in circles depending on which foot was forward, trying to locate the target. Live and learn.

Again any information is appreciated

Ken

[scarry]

Funny you should mention about the steel capped boots. They are the only shoes I own, and didn't even think about them. Was not suitable thong country! :D Had to walk hunched forward to keep the detector away from my feet!! Either that, or I would walk around in circles depending on which foot was forward, trying to locate the target. Live and learn.

Again any information is appreciated

Ken

You can get boots with a plastic type of material in the cap instead of steel.
Mine are made by Oliver.Handy when working in places such as airports,don't have to take boots off going through x ray machines.:)

Good luck

[lewy]

Havn't had a detector for 15-20 years,it was a top of the range garret.detecting is pretty big here in the territory however the price of a new top of the line is upwards of $8000 way out of site for me.I did consider a cheaper detector but figured if the ground had been gone over with a better detector what was the point.