Prospecting / Gold detecting tours & training NSW

[nucopia]

Probably wont be any running water in the Turon river right now , so you probably would not be able to use the river sluice.
Best option is to look for material you can screen and then pan out in any pools of water near by.

If you were going to Ophire a small sluice would come in handy but again you can probably go with out and just screen and pan at Ophir right now and still have a good chance of finding colour .

 

[nemesis888]

yeah i think Ophir will be my starting point then.

Should i be be venturing far up or down the river?

ill be taking the family, so i want to make the first few trips nice and easy for them

btw - thanks for all the help and suggestions!

 

[AussieChris]

I can put you on colour, more than happy to have the company :goldpan: a little from through the week.

 

[nucopia]

yeah i think Ophir will be my starting point then.

Should i be be venturing far up or down the river?

ill be taking the family, so i want to make the first few trips nice and easy for them

btw - thanks for all the help and suggestions!

Ophir would be perfect if you are taking the family .
You can camp at the creek crossing gas BBQ benches & toilets.
When you are standing in the camp ground facing the creek you can walk across the weir and take a right turn and any where along the creek in that directions is good to pan. Or you can stay on the camp side and take a left turn and there is a creek with water that feeds in to the pond . If you follow that creek up a ways and there is plenty of water and places to pan there as well
Word of warrning ..on the right side of the weir is a place to swim but its not for small children and almost any where along the creek in shallow waters there are leaches , so always check your children if they venture into the water .
Even when panning, the will latch on to your hand if you let your hand stay still to long in the water ..
Take gumboots to wear in the shallow water and maybe some garden gloves ..

 

[nucopia]

nemesis888
How was your trip to Ophir ?

 

[MrPyro89]

Welcome to Bathurst, I am from bathurst myself, I have only been up to coles bridge myself, I do highly recommend if you get the chance to go out prospecting with Aussie Chris to do it! Top bloke to get out prospecting with.

 

[AussieChris]

Haha thanks mate :Y:

 

[Sandbagger]

Welcome mate!

Baz.

 

[Ivo]

I'm in Bathurst as well (weekends) if anyone up for a catch up over the crissy break I'm in cheers ivo :Y:

 

[beaul]

Can anyone suggest a gold fossicking tour? I am a newbie and would like some help. Preferably NSW.

 

[RM Outback]

Check out this thread :Y:

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22783

 

[Bullwinkle]

Can anyone suggest a gold fossiking tour. I am a newbie and would like some help. preferably nsw

Hey Beaul,

Make sure you ask what sort of support they provide inexperienced prospectors. Also if they detect while on tour.

As a newbie you are paying for a tour to learn as much as you can. In my opinion if the tour leader is spending all their time detecting all that you're really is subsidizing their business or trip.

Best regards

Bullwinkle

 

[Northannstal]

thank you RM Outback

 

[madtuna]

Can anyone suggest a gold fossiking tour. I am a newbie and would like some help. preferably nsw

Hey Beaul,

Make sure you ask what sort of support they provide inexperienced prospectors. Also if they detect while on tour.

As a newbie you are paying for a tour to learn as much as you can. In my opinion if the tour leader is spending all their time detecting all that you're really is subsidizing their business or trip.

Best regards

Bullwinkle

Not always.
Good tour operators (teachers) often detect to locate a target (without digging it) then bring in the novice and use it as a teaching aid.

What to listen for, how to pinpoint, how to dig and recover etc.
Novice does the work and keeps the gold and has newfound understanding, confidence and enthusiasm.

Edit: also depends on what type of tour, just a tag-along or tag-along with tuition etc. You want and need to ask for a tour that has tuition included.

With just a tag-along tour you are paying for the guides knowledge and experience in locating good ground where he himself would detect. Possibly also you're after the safety and company especially if it's your first time to WA.
Most likely you'll get help with things like 40E applications, tengraph, GPS etc.
I'd be surprised and worried if my guides didn't detect and weren't locating good ground.

 

[Bullwinkle]

Can anyone suggest a gold fossiking tour. I am a newbie and would like some help. preferably nsw

Hey Beaul,

Make sure you ask what sort of support they provide inexperienced prospectors. Also if they detect while on tour.

As a newbie you are paying for a tour to learn as much as you can. In my opinion if the tour leader is spending all their time detecting all that you're really is subsidizing their business or trip.

Best regards

Bullwinkle

Not always.
Good tour operators (teachers) often detect to locate a target (without digging it) then bring in the novice and use it as a teaching aid.

What to listen for, how to pinpoint, how to dig and recover etc.
Novice does the work and keeps the gold and has newfound understanding, confidence and enthusiasm.

Edit: also depends on what type of tour, just a tag-along or tag-along with tuition etc. You want and need to ask for a tour that has tuition included.

With just a tag-along tour you are paying for the guides knowledge and experience in locating good ground where he himself would detect. Possibly also you're after the safety and company especially if it's your first time to WA.
Most likely you'll get help with things like 40E applications, tengraph, GPS etc.
I'd be surprised and worried if my guides didn't detect and weren't locating good ground.

Thanks Madtuna, I totally agree with all of your points.

My comments were based upon Beaul being a complete novice & the need to ask the right questions before committing to a particular tour.

I particularly like your first point. I had a mate locate a target for me when I first started. It was like he baited the hook, hooked the fish then handed the rod over to me to wind the fish in & I got to keep the fish. Up until that point I'd been at it for awhile & hadn't found a thing. After that I never looked back & was up & away. Something that I'm very grateful for.

The tour operator should most definitely know the ground through reconnaissance personal & detecting experience & if things get a bit lean on the tour to help locate additional suitable ground.

Expectations about what a particular operator can and provide should also be clear before committing.

I've personally been on tour where a number of novices were virtually left to their own devices from day 1 some with brand new detectors and others who had hired them for the occasion. They were left very disappointed as they spent the week wandering aimlessly around the scrub and mostly what they did learn came from other participants who took them under their wing.

I even saw a situation where the tour guide chained an area and found extra bits immediately after a newbie had just found a half decent nugget . In my opinion, the operator should have explained to the novice how to work a patch.

The most important thing is before committing to a tour is to have a chat to the operator about your experience and expectations and whether their particular tour suits you.

Also don't use Aussie Gold Hunters as your benchmark before heading out on a tour.

Best Regards

Bullwinkle

 

[mudgee hunter]

Are you referring to detecting, or panning etc.

 

[madtuna]

Snipped form Bullwinkle's post....
"The most important thing is before committing to a tour is to have a chat to the operator about your experience and expectations and whether their particular tour suits you."

Spot on. Always enquire about the number of guests on the tour you're interested in, how many guides, the guides experience and even things like van types and sizes.
Remember a tag along tours ability to go places is limited by the capabilities of the biggest and ugliest van in the group.

"Also don't use Aussie Gold Hunters as your benchmark before heading out on a tour."


Too true. Especially ones where gold is supplied and planted to be dug up on camera, ones who encourage and sell camo gear.
Remember that tour groups who take you to their private leases take every tour and guest to those same private leases...year in year out.

 

[marco_bo]

Hi,
nuggetsfromdownunder.com is not valid, could it be that due to inactivity its`s been removed?
Thanks

 

[mbasko]

They look to be using Facebook now:
https://www.facebook.com/nswgoldtours/

 

[marco_bo]

Great , thanks mbasko