Heathcote Graytown National Park (Victoria) information and questions

[Daniel77]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum and new to prospecting, I will be going out for the first time early next week to the Heathcote Graytown National Park.

I have a GPX5000 with an 15" commander mono coil, I'm not expecting to find any gold on my first time out, just try to get used to the swing of the detector, the sounds and the settings.

Is Heathcote a good place to start out? Anything I should be aware of while going out for my first time?

Thanks.
Daniel.

 

[Mackka]

Hi mate, not sure but i don't think you can fossick in any National Park. Cheers
Mackka

 

[OzzieAu]

Gday Daniel,
Anywhere in the Golden Triangle of Vic. is a good place to start.
The best thing to take with you other than your detector, and you have a beauty btw, is a Positive attitude ower:
Good beginners luck to you.....

 

[Jaros]

Daniel if you go to a National Park all your gear can be confiscated-not sure about the vehicle--expensive lesson. Time for some study re allowed fossicking areas.
Merry Christmas

 

[HarryHoudini]

National parks are a no go zone.
Google search prospecting victoria to get a map from vic gov.

 

[HarryHoudini]

https://earthresources.vic.gov.au/licensing-approvals/fossicking/where-you-can-prospect-and-fossick

 

[Daniel77]

HoudiniHarry Heathcote-Graytown National Park is listed right there on the site you listed under the heading "Which parks can I prospect in?"

 

[HippyProspecting]

Good luck on your first trip out.

You are allowed to prospect in parts of Heathcote Graytown National Park.

It's on the list of allowed places posted by HH

:goldnugget:

 

[Jaros]

The following parks have designated areas where you are allowed to prospect:
The one you stated as stated has an area to fossick but not just anywhere in the park to prospect

 

[Daniel77]

Thanks Jaros, I have downloaded the map of permissible prospecting locations for the park. :Y:

And thank you all for the well wishes, see you all out there. :Y:

 

[HippyProspecting]

Copy and past from parks vic site

Parks Victoria is undertaking the management of feral goats within the Heathcote Graytown National, Spring Creek Nature Conservation Reserve and Crosbie Nature Conservation Reserve during the 1st October to 31st December 2021 . Feral goats cause significant environmental damage to biodiversity values of our conservation areas, as well as damaging private fences and stock feed.
Please ensure during this period if you are visiting the area to keep too formed walking trails and vehicle tracks.

 

[Daniel77]

Ah well, looks like ill have to try somewhere else until they finish their goat business.

Thanks mate. :Y:

 

[RM Outback]

Daniel if you go to a National Park all your gear can be confiscated-not sure about the vehicle--expensive lesson. Time for some study re allowed fossicking areas.
Merry Christmas

Hang on a minute you blokes and pay attention.

Heathcote Graytown National Park is one of the National Parks we can access.

Daniel you've chosen a great place to start :Y: as OzzieAu stated go and enjoy your time with a positive attitude erfect: Stick to the mullock heaps, there's plenty to choose from.

Best of luck mate :beer: Merry Christmas too.

 

[Jaros]

After all of this hubub I suggest you ring the appropriate authority to make it totally clear for you. I quoted a part that is on the website,

 

[Teemore]

Daniel77 ..... most importantly ... do your own research, many well meaning forum members "may" be interstate, and totally unfamiliar with some Victorian Regulations (although they may be valid in their state).

According to my "research" there are 2 small areas where prospecting in NOT allowed in that NP (see map, prohibited in non green area). The rest is OK. At best Parks Vic maps are probably only useful toilet paper. Pretty sure, they can be picked up at tourist info offices in the nearest town.
Not sure about the goat cull but from memory ends soon anyway.

Plenty of alternatives either back in Heathcote or a bit further up the road at Whroo/Rushworth.

Sometimes it's also best NOT to ring, if you actually get on to someone they're likely to not have a clue and give the easy answer "no Prospecting", because of their "lax" mapping "ignorance" may be defence if you stray into the wrong area.

Location should be of secondary importance while getting the hang of the GPX, find some bush, have some target pieces and have a fiddle with different settings ..... hit the important goldfields once you're confident with you settings for different areas, regardless of what some will tell you there is NO BEST SETTING, Factory presets are a good start but each location will require "tweaking" to get the GPX tp perform at its best.

Good Luck, enjoy yourself out there.
Cheers T.

 

[Daniel77]

Hi Teemore, I was just comparing the maps you posted to the maps from parks vic and they are pretty much identical, I'll be taking print outs of the maps whenever I go prospecting and as long as I stay in the areas of the map where prospecting is allowed (barring other restrictions, goat culling, etc.) I should be okay.

It's not my fault if the government does not update it's website as I can only go by the information available at the time.

Thanks for all the posts and have Merry Christmas all of you.

 

[user 22230]

Hi Teemore, I was just comparing the maps you posted to the maps from parks vic and they are pretty much identical, I'll be taking print outs of the maps whenever I go prospecting and as long as I stay in the areas of the map where prospecting is allowed (barring other restrictions, goat culling, etc.) I should be okay.

It's not my fault if the government does not update it's website as I can only go by the information available at the time.

Thanks for all the posts and have Merry Christmas all of you.

Only prob with that Daniel is as they pack your gear in their car they will probably utter these words to you . "Ignorance is no excuse"
Bloke you go and give it a good shake, and hope you score on your first go at it :Y: :Y: erfect:

 

[axtyr]

Daniel77.

I know of an incident in Victoria where a shooter went to the Parks office to find out where he could legally go hunting. They told him the wrong area and he was prosecuted.

Those government maps also have a disclaimer that they may not be completely correct and that you should take all precautions to ensure you are prospecting in the right area. I suggest if you are going to Graytown that you choose an area in the MIDDLE of the allowed prospecting area and stay as close to it as possible so you don't stray outside. If you have a GPS go to Google Earth and find the co-ordinates and punch them in and head there. Otherwise go to a different area where you won't have a problem.

Good luck. Regards Axtyr.

 

[bob]

Daniel 177
Heathcote is a good place to start. There is a lot of accessible state forest and reserves on the west side of town. You can also go detecting and fossicking in the Heathcote-Graytown National park. Back in 2013 I rang the Bendigo Office and spoke to the man in charge of the park and he confirmed that there were two areas closed to prospecting. The Mount Black quarry and a reference area. They are the spots shown on the map. The rest of the park is open to fossicking. If you go to Graytown take the dirt track to Rushworth. About a kilometre along the track turn right onto Bailieston road. A few kilometres along the track you will come to Surface Hill track coming in from the right. Stay on Bailieston Road. About 200 metres from the intersection with Surface Hill track you will start to see the 'Old Timer's' diggings. The ground is challenging because it is variable, so it is a good place to learn. There are areas where there are plenty of hot rocks. I detected this area a lot when I started and once I began to master my detector I managed to find a bit of gold. It is true that there is some culling going on regarding feral goats. I have seen the feral goats many times mainly in a small band running east west of Clarke's Dam across to the Graytown-Rushworth road. I think the goats frequent this area because there is some permanent water from the 'Old timer's dams and Spring Creek. I have met the forestry workers many times and there have been no dramas. Clarke's Dam is further along Bailieston Road to the north, so you may want to avoid that immediate area until the cull is finished but the diggings just on from Surface Hill track should be fine. Hope you have a good day out.

Cheers Bob

 

[ProspectorPete]

As others have said, you are allowed to detect in the National Park in those areas on the map, the area is very big so don't be too fussed about the boundaries of the NO GO areas.
The area Bob has recommended would be your best bet for getting to know your detector, start in factory settings in Enhanced and once you are very comfortable in that setting at try small changes from there.
Enjoy the outing and I hope you find some targets :Y: