From cold and wet Oxfordshire to sunny Australia.

[monkeymum]

Hi there my husband and I are planning to move to Oz next year and take up detecting around the country. My husband dug for sapphires in Rubyvale many moons ago, so rocks and stones have been in our family for a long time. We are both horticulturists and hope to find an outback lifestyle somewhere. We spent 10 years in Yeppoon, lots of gold around us, but we were growing coffee at the time, so now for a change.We have lived all over the world and like the heat and sun, The Uk is not for us.
So we are researching what machines to get and where to start, How to start etc.I have a landrover and just trying to decide if I should bring it over or not.

 

[user 22230]

Ok from the UK. From your experiences sounds like you have a pretty good knowledge of the country then Detector choice probably depends what type of detecting you plan on doing and plenty of info on forum to make an educated choice. As for vehicle ? Shipping costs are currently thru the roof but then so are 4B prices currently in Australia. A Landcruiser you purchased 5 or more years ago you could now sell for probably 20 to 30k more than you paid for it in todays market. This price increase is across the board basically all and any 4B you now pay premium for. Cruisers new a wait list of 2 to 4 years. Landrover over here are extremely pricey on parts so could be why they are not about in abundance in rural areas. So in brief I guess it's cost to get vehicle here against cost of selling and replacing here that may be the deciding factor? Work wise if your happy to live rural should be no issue given your field of expertise, as the industry is literally screaming for people / workers. Happy swinging.
ps Note you say next year which means many things could change before then, along with dwindling private land one can gain access to also.

 

[Simmo]

Welcome to PA MM!

 

[Moneybox]

Toyota 4WDs are more popular in Australia than Landrovers. Even though modern Landrovers are quite reliable it's not so easy to buy parts and have repairs done. Most remote area workshops are familiar with Toyota vehicles.

If you are looking for gold then Minelab detectors are the best we have at present. Garrett are releasing a new gold detector that will be here shortly and might be a good machine but so far we've not seen any more than a few tests.

By the way, most of the east coast here is cold and wet too at the moment

 

[Mackka]

Not true Phil, Brissie is warm and sunny with 30C days expected for the next week. However, I think you are talking about South.

 

[monkeymum]

Ok from the UK. From your experiences sounds like you have a pretty good knowledge of the country then Detector choice probably depends what type of detecting you plan on doing and plenty of info on forum to make an educated choice. As for vehicle ? Shipping costs are currently thru the roof but then so are 4B prices currently in Australia. A Landcruiser you purchased 5 or more years ago you could now sell for probably 20 to 30k more than you paid for it in todays market. This price increase is across the board basically all and any 4B you now pay premium for. Cruisers new a wait list of 2 to 4 years. Landrover over here are extremely pricey on parts so could be why they are not about in abundance in rural areas. So in brief I guess it's cost to get vehicle here against cost of selling and replacing here that may be the deciding factor? Work wise if your happy to live rural should be no issue given your field of expertise, as the industry is literally screaming for people / workers. Happy swinging.
ps Note you say next year which means many things could change before then, along with dwindling private land one can gain access to also.

Thanks so much for the reply, Ill have to look at the costs of a vehicle, My wife and I have monkey bikes, new Honda 125cc, maybe we will have to travel light.Some guys went across Canada on them. Yes if we can find a base and some work, or maybe set up something, then explore from there.we will keep posting of our progress. we know things are going to change, I wish we could come earlier, just the rental property has to run out.
thanks again.

 

[monkeymum]

Toyota 4WDs are more popular in Australia than Landrovers. Even though modern Landrovers are quite reliable it's not so easy to buy parts and have repairs done. Most remote area workshops are familiar with Toyota vehicles.

If you are looking for gold then Minelab detectors are the best we have at present. Garrett are releasing a new gold detector that will be here shortly and might be a good machine but so far we've not seen any more than a few tests.

By the way, most of the east coast here is cold and wet too at the moment

Thanks for the reply,
yes it seems the Minelab range are the ducks nuts, I do have a Garret sea hunter which I used when I lived in the Seychelles, found tons of chains and rings, I worked out the tidal flows and wave actions at the main beaches , and where things would be deposited. always plenty there, Need to go back again it was 30 years ago .So I am good for rivers and waterfalls, maybe need to check for flat dogs though up North.
I might sell the landy here, I bought it for Panama, we have a jungle house there, but its to unstable economy wise, The Landy has only done 4000km, really good condition too, never been off road.
I would love a troopy, I had a Bundarra, which was great, sold that a few years ago.
Hard to imagine its cold and wet, maybe down south, Ill head north., Maybe out towards Quilpe.

 

[user 22230]

To give you an idea on current cruiser prices, picked up a Landcruiser V8 tray back 2018 with 70K on clock last week in Townsville for a station owner 98K. 2014 models with 160K on clock expect to pay in the 70K range. Monkey bikes apart from wheel size getting lost in the corrugations might be just travelling a bit to light unfortunately out in Cunnamulla country. Did a lot of ring barking and tordon spear work around that country. Decades ago of course when total destruction was allowed. Fuel range may also limit the monkey somewhat? With current climate and things down that way, looking at boats might be more appropriate but

Bit wet

 

[monkeymum]

To give you an idea on current cruiser prices, picked up a Landcruiser V8 tray back 2018 with 70K on clock last week in Townsville for a station owner 98K. 2014 models with 160K on clock expect to pay in the 70K range. Monkey bikes apart from wheel size getting lost in the corrugations might be just travelling a bit to light unfortunately out in Cunnamulla country. Did a lot of ring barking and tordon spear work around that country. Decades ago of course when total destruction was allowed. Fuel range may also limit the monkey somewhat? With current climate and things down that way, looking at boats might be more appropriate but

Bit wet
View attachment 5858

I did think that a Argo cat could be good .they are cheap here.
Yes the days of spraying agent orange are over.

I have been watching the flooding ,its pretty bad but also good.The country needs the water.

Prices are hihh cars in this place are so cheap.Ill be lucky to get 25k for my landy .its only done 4k km and its in mint condition.

 

[Moneybox]

I did think that a Argo cat could be good .they are cheap here.
Yes the days of spraying agent orange are over.

I have been watching the flooding ,its pretty bad but also good.The country needs the water.

Prices are hihh cars in this place are so cheap.Ill be lucky to get 25k for my landy .its only done 4k km and its in mint condition.

In that case I'd seriously consider bringing the LandRover.

 

[monkeymum]

In that case I'd seriously consider bringing the LandRover.

Just had a good look at autotrader, some high mileage and prices, Ill check out the quote I got to send it,This is it, It was driven on the base , never been off road, so its in good condition, just age related things. I had a 130 Landy set up for cross continent travel, sold it for 30k about 18 years ago.How things change.

 

[RM Outback]

Welcome to PA all the best with your future plans. Bringing the LandRover with the low mileage may work in your favour if you want to upgrade to a late model Toyota once your here. There's talk of the 2nd hand vehicle market holding current value. Can't see why not given the supply chain issue in the new vehicle market, I doubt the supply chain issues will be sorted any time soon.

If gold is your detector of choice check out Dihusky's machines in the For Sale threads you'll struggle to find a better deal anywhere.

 

[monkeymum]

Welcome to PA all the best with your future plans. Bringing the LandRover with the low mileage may work in your favour if you want to upgrade to a late model Toyota once your here. There's talk of the 2nd hand vehicle market holding current value. Can't see why not given the supply chain issue in the new vehicle market, I doubt the supply chain issues will be sorted any time soon.

If gold is your detector of choice check out Dihusky's machines in the For Sale threads you'll struggle to find a better deal anywhere.

thanks for your comment, yes I think bringing the landy is a good option, I hoped this would be my last one , I am 60 so as its my 14th Landy Ill need to low down a bit.
Ill check out the for sale threads, thanks once again.

 

[casper]

Toyota 4WDs are more popular in Australia than Landrovers. Even though modern Landrovers are quite reliable it's not so easy to buy parts and have repairs done. Most remote area workshops are familiar with Toyota vehicles.

If you are looking for gold then Minelab detectors are the best we have at present. Garrett are releasing a new gold detector that will be here shortly and might be a good machine but so far we've not seen any more than a few tests.

By the way, most of the east coast here is cold and wet too at the moment

Land Rover parts are not hard to source in Australia. Urgent LR parts travel just as swiftly as any urgent Toyota parts do to the far flung towns of Australia. Mechanic shops will generally not turn down your business and it is not uncommon that they will have a Land Rover fan on staff.
Casper
member #131 LROCV

 

[user 22230]

Above is correct in part, but you have a lot more chance in Oz of a work shop having the part actually in stock for a Toyota than a Landrover. Also Toyota vehicles have far more options of non OME parts once again than Landrover simply due to the much larger market being there making them viable to produce. This aside given the OP already owns a Landrover for me it would come down to doing the cost to import it? Custom clearance costs and import tax if applicable, shipping costs etc etc First thing I would do is check to confirm the vehicle conforms to Australian ADR's as could hurt to get it here and find your up for thousands to bring it up to Australian specs.

 

[Glumbug]

thanks for your comment, yes I think bringing the landy is a good option, I hoped this would be my last one , I am 60 so as its my 14th Landy Ill need to low down a bit.
Ill check out the for sale threads, thanks once again.

I'd advise you to be very careful importing a vehicle to Oz as it can be a bit of a minefield. It shouldn't be, of course, as we no longer manufacture cars here so don't have an industry to protect. I do believe there is change in the air, but as with all things goverment, it won't happen fast. I send a few older cars to a classic dealer in Blighty now and then, including, ironically, a 78 Toyota FJ40 landcruiser, which are quite sought after there, and find it far easier to send from Oz than vice versa. They even do a roll on roll off (roro) service now.