Arltunga NT Gold Detecting information and questions

[Nikos]

Hi guys

My lovely wife is looking to take me detecting for Easter....God I love that woman!...now I live about 150 is south of Uluru in the APY lands and the closest area to detect for me is Arltunga Bout 120km East of alice..for me a 640km trip..if anyone knows of another spot to try my luck..I'm all ears..has anyone ever detected their in the past..if so how did u go? ..looking to fire up my whites TDI pro in anger!

 

[Simmo]

yep I've been there.
We got around 10 and a half Ounces in 4 days.
Many years ago though!
Its all on private land and permissions need to be got.
Where we found the gold was a large flat, below a big Quartz blow, that led to a creek, and some underground shafts/adits....

 

[Nikos]

10 oz! I'd be very happy with a gramm nugget! Theirs some area that's been set aside for fossicking..I'll try to find a map..

 

[madbarbi]

i know this is an older thread but wondering if anyone has been out the Arltunga lately and found anything in the fossicking areas.

Cheers.

 

[Mav]

Hi All,

I decided to go out to Arltunga last Tuesday to see how my Makro Racer 2 would go out there. It was a nice drive there and back, only saw one other 4x4 the whole day.

With all the rain we have had here in the Red Centre the grass was very thick and high which made detecting difficult at best, I never found any gold just lots of iron stones. I dug a lot of targets but it was invariably iron, I spent a few hours out there until the temp reached 44C in the shade and then decided to call it quits.

I will go out again in Winter when there are no flies and the temps will be nice and cool.

 

[scottlucky]

jeez mate you are in the middle of the middle of nowhere there!

does it have a history of gold finds there?

scotty

 

[Phoenix76]

Yeah Scotty, it is a historic mining centre at the eastern end of the McDonald Ranges. Don't know how much they found out there. I was out there in 1989, so a long time ago. They were certainly trying to preserve it all. Google it and see what the go is.

Cheers
Bill

 

[Phoenix76]

Just had a look at their site. https://nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/find-a-park-to-visit/arltunga-historical-reserve

There is a PDF download of a map of the area.

There is no fossicking within the reserve including detectors.

The map shows a declared fossicking area just nearby.

Cheers
Bill

 

[Rockhunter62]

Went to the Arltunga pub back in about xmas 1991. We were the only visitors there all day and were treated like family friends. They were great people and we would have liked to stay overnight but as it was we stopped for a drink at lunch time and left at dusk. They even made us a platter of sandwiches and bar snacks for nothing. A really good area and we learnt a lot about the history but alas, too many drinks made me forget most of it. Well worth the visit.

Cheers

Doug

 

[Mav]

jeez mate you are in the middle of the middle of nowhere there!

does it have a history of gold finds there?

scotty

Yes Scotty it is a gold mining area, don't know exactly how much they got out of the area but the fossicking area is not on the historical reserve. I reckon there is the possibility of finding small nuggets but it is tough going especially at the moment.

 

[boobook]

A very compelling book, "The Man from Arltunga" R G Kimber, is a most fascinating read.

I also believe that the now popular Aboriginal form of "dot" painting originated from the Arltunga primary school in the 1960's.

Edit/correction: Originated Papunya primary school.
Reason: Memory deterioration! 8.(
Mike

 

[Rockhunter62]

There was an area to the east of Arltunga that people were finding rubies, it turned out to be garnet. The rumour has it that there is a piece of garnet out there that is the size of a house. ]

Cheers

Doug

 

[Simmo]

'Tis a top place, I was out there with Doug Stone and Ian Aitken and we got 10 ounces in 4 days....
Love that place...
In fact, the nugget that sits on a chain around my neck right now, comes from Arltunga!!!

 

[Free2fossick]

'Tis a top place, I was out there with Doug Stone and Ian Aitken and we got 10 ounces in 4 days....
Love that place...
In fact, the nugget that sits on a chain around my neck right now, comes from Arltunga!!!

Hey mate, I know it's an old post and probably a long shot but do you know the directions on where you went fossicking out at altunga? Also do you know if there are any Alice Springs fossicking forums I can't seem to find any. Looking for a fossicking partner... Cheers john

 

[Simmo]

Hey mate, I know it's an old post and probably a long shot but do you know the directions on where you went fossicking out at altunga? Also do you know if there are any Alice Springs fossicking forums I can't seem to find any. Looking for a fossicking partner... Cheers john

Hey Bud, Welcome to PA.
I used to visit the Pub, then head on to the outstation for a visit, then head out to the area.
I had to have permission from the Station, and at the time the mining company was Poseiden Mining.
The area is a flat ground, coming from a quartz strewn hill toward a creek.
There are shafts there that you can go in but be wary of drives and adits.
Most of the gold was found on that big flat.
The first bit I ever found was just on the side of the creek with an SD2100 I think?
When I left, I would head out via Gemtree way.
Probably 30 years ago now or even more!!

 

[Free2fossick]

Thanks for the welcome, that sort of sounds like you may have been closer to winnikie rather than altunga but I may be wrong, did you have to go through the Gardens station? I have heard good things about winnikie a lot found there but very hard to get permission these days..

 

[Simmo]

Winnekie... hmm that rings a bell mate!!
I can see the whole bloody area in my minds eye, but don't remember how I got there!!!
I know that I used to turn left off the track heading toward GemTree.
Yeah permission was hard back then too.
I was a bit lucky because I worked at Ross River Homestead.
So the Station gave me permission and then the mining mob put it in writing shortly after?!
I do remember that Doug Stone gave a lovely nugget necklace to the Station owners wife as a thank you for letting them on there.

 

[LONEWOLF]

Some info on Altunga... in the link...

Every other State should follow the NT Government Policy on Fossicking(and prospecting)..... Up to date info and very handy GPS Co-ords on boundaries on Fossicking Areas, So No excuse to be elsewhere....... The way they Welcome Fossicking in the NT should be Template for ALL other States to follow I feel.... I have had several dealings with the Mines Department up there and they are VERY easy to deal with...
The way their Maps are set out, very well detailed and accurate, Now...

The Following info is also available on a handy USB. for FREE..... (note other states) ...
https://fossicking.nt.gov.au/
LW....