Hi All,
Just a quick introduction first, feel free to skip
I'm very new to this fascinating hobby as well as quite new to Australia. I am from Poland and always been interested in fossicking. But back to my country, we do not have so many gems & minerals as Aussies do (actually we have almost none), nor the law is particularly in your favour. Treasury owns every piece you find in the ground. You can get however a lot interesting findings, especially from WWII or even Roman times, sadly you can't keep it.
And that's what I love about your Country! A lot more freedom and possibilities. I have travelled a bit around, been to Ararat and Stawell areas, Bendigo, Ballarat and tried gold panning there in running and dry creeks. I haven't fund gold yet, but had a lot of fun. It's really cool to explore old timers maps and I loved Victoria's geovic portal, very helpful. I have been then to Coober Peddy, where I had a bit more luck with Opals, and next went to Mount Isa where found few malachites. As I am continuing my journey through Australia, I am getting more and more interested in fossicking. Your forum is a great source of knowledge!
I have stopped now near Proserpine, QLD and I have read about Dittmer Mine and I was wondering if there is any spot at this time of the year to try panning for gold. Which creeks/rivers I could try checking? I have only a day or 2 so would really appreciate some guidance. Especially if all this area is a private land and if so where to ask for access. Or perhaps there are better places for a novice like me to go?
For equipment, I have a 4wd, pan, shovel, bucket and a lot of energy!
Thanks a lot for any tips!
Lukas
