Gotta love Ewingar Rocks

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A few specimens collected recently from "crystal creek", Ewingar State forest
 

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Sorry to be a wet blanket but Ewingar SF is still officially closed (according to the forestry website). So is nearby Girard SF.
I'm not saying not to go there, but maybe be careful posting online that you've been. I'd hate for the forestry dept to notice and put up gates or actually physically block access.
Nice rocks too btw. Any gold?
 
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Yes its closed Officially........ But try telling some.... Cameras are in place and Number plates are Noted.... Fossickers and Prospectors just don't care about rules anymore and Ewingar and other great areas in NSW are on the cards to be closed to these activities cause of a few...
Anyhow, Ewingar will soon be handed over to NPWS once State Forest has finished...

And Yes 'they' are watching all platforms of Social Media.... Thats how Tingha got closed cause people were posting on social media their finds which were found in a Conservation area... But with the help of Glen Innes Gem club and SF and NPWS, they have re-opened certain areas that allow fossicking again... But its heavily monitored ...... New Maps to this area will be available soon and I will post it up when and where..

LW.....
 
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I was being polite haha.
There are a few recent youtube vids as well. Not good.
But fingers crossed it does open up for a while before it gets handed over, haven't been since before the fires.
 
A few specimens collected recently from "crystal creek", Ewingar State forest
Just to clarify on the original post.
LuckyRockHound has confirmed that access to Ewingar was just prior to the recent flooding & had spoken with NSW State Forests when going there.

It is important to check with NSW State Forests for closures & other forest notices as well as use Minview to map out any "Fossicking Not Permitted" areas prior to your visit.
Thanks for the clarification LuckyRockHound.

https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/about/contact-us
https://minview.geoscience.nsw.gov.au/#/?lon=148.5&lat=-32.5&z=7&bm=bm3&l=re4:y:100,ad61:y:100
 
Just to make everyone aware, Ewingar has been reopened as of September 2022 following repairs to the SF after the flooding and fires.
Hopefully it stays open for a while, and people respect and follow the rules for all fossicking and non-fossicking zones.
I'll be out there in a few weeks again, finally.
 
Does anyone here who has been out to Ewingar know of any good camping spots nearer to the Creek? I've not been out there for a few years and I'm not sure of the quality of the road (although I heard it has been graded), or if there have been any new spots opened up near Rory's Road or down near the main creek after the fires occurred.

I'd like to be closer to the creek, or Rory's road, and don't know what this spot (in the attached screenshot) is and whether it can be camped at.

If anyone has any photos or information , it'd be much appreciated as I'd rather be closer to the creek than 3Kms away at the top bush camp.
 

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There are a couple of spots where people have been camping besides the 'Loggers cabins'... But i think they have been blocked now...

Things will change soon when SF passes it onto National Parks... When that will happen I have no idea, but it will happen...

LW....
 
Thanks LoneWolf. I thought as much, the good ol' days are coming to a close.
I guess I'll see what I can find, may as well go out there before it gets closed completely or converted to NP. At least if it's converted to NP they'll likely setup multiple nice Camping grounds within the park, and hopefully they will actually perform some conservation work on the place.
 
Would be nice if it became the 3rd National Park in NSW where Fossicking is still Allowed... Now that would be perfect...

Your Idea plus still allowed to fossick.... Yeah....... 👍👍

There are some New Areas that they have Declared a 'Sensitive Area' .... So no Fossicking in them...

If people can show SF how they treat the area, then this could become a great idea...

BUT last time I was out there last year , We spotted, in a well hidden area 2 Fellas Using a small Dredge... But we couldnt find their cars to get a rego number...:mad:

LW....
 
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If, once it becomes National Park and they decide to make some camping spots and dedicated fossicking areas (think the main bridge on Ewingar Creek) then I'd be more than happy with that compromise.

You are exactly right about needing to prove to SF or even NPWS that not all of us are like those two guys you are referencing, I just hate that a few people are going to be the reason we lose all our access and rights to these areas.

Anyways, I'll be out there in the next few weeks or so, so if anyone else comes across this and has any photos or recommendations for camping locations within the SF, feel free to drop them in.

Cheers all
 
View attachment 3862But some are lucky to find some big ones. Found in Ewingar several years ago.....:eek: The crystal King.... Patrick Gunderson https://www.instagram.com/crystals_of_australia/?hl=en

LW....
We also get them that size (and larger) in the Strathbogie Ranges. Black to completely colourless. For example "The Crystal King Mine was famous for its optical quality quartz and in 1971 the largest hand-faceted stone in the world at the time was sourced from the mines. The "Crystal King" was a flawless, colourless and clear quartz measuring 19 x 11 x 6 cm and has 196 facets and weighed 8510 carats".

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There are a couple of spots where people have been camping besides the 'Loggers cabins'... But i think they have been blocked now...

Things will change soon when SF passes it onto National Parks... When that will happen I have no idea, but it will happen...

LW....
We were driving through there two weeks ago…the Top Loggers camp is OPEN..as there were 8 campers set up..as for the drop toilets..as one female in our group said”I’d rather get a urinary infection than go to those toilets”..says something about the condition of the ammenities.
 
We also get them that size (and larger) in the Strathbogie Ranges. Black to completely colourless. For example "The Crystal King Mine was famous for its optical quality quartz and in 1971 the largest hand-faceted stone in the world at the time was sourced from the mines. The "Crystal King" was a flawless, colourless and clear quartz measuring 19 x 11 x 6 cm and has 196 facets and weighed 8510 carats".

View attachment 7801

That's very interesting Goldie. Have a mate owns a farm with a lot of land in the Strathbogies. Gives me a good excuse to visit👍
 
We were driving through there two weeks ago…the Top Loggers camp is OPEN..as there were 8 campers set up..as for the drop toilets..as one female in our group said”I’d rather get a urinary infection than go to those toilets”..says something about the condition of the ammenities.
Amenities, you saw amenities.... 🤣 🤣... Best to take your own.... You should have see the camp when they were logging.. Luxury Dongas on Wheels and Even Catering for them... Then they just hook up and move on.....
......... yes there used to be an old fella who lived in the old house and was a retired Boss of the area...... We witnessed some strange Midnight Naked Rants from him several times.. Even Police have been called.... State Forrest pays for his Nursing Home now...:)

@goldierocks, Yes I do like the large Clear ones but haven't found one of any use except for Display up Ewungar Way.. .. Gotta get to a famous mine up that way that had Optic Quartz . .
I have some small Amethyst from Ewingar as Well.... About 25yrs ago a very large poor quality Amethyst Crystal was found by the late Patrick O'Brien.(R.I.P. Mate).. He took pics of it and left it there... He wrote articles for Gold, Gem and treasure mag every issue and featured that Crystal... With-in 2 days of that issue hitting the shelves ...the Crystal Disappeared.. But it was at least 4' long but very poor quality...

LW.....
 
That's very interesting Goldie. Have a mate owns a farm with a lot of land in the Strathbogies. Gives me a good excuse to visit👍
They entirely turn up in soil on ground on granite (only) which is much of the Strathbogies. Farmers turn them up plowing - I have seen some nicely terminated black crystals 30 cm in diameter and much longer (up to a metre long).

Up to 30 cm long from the Black Range (the one near Healesville) - I collected tourmalines to football size in that area as a teenager. Some large crystals were mined for frequency modulation during WW2 in granite west of Inglewood (e.g. White Swan at Mt Kooyoora, now a restricted park. However prospecting is permitted in a 200m x 200 m area around the White Swan mine.

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Crystals to 15 kg were recorded from north of the Woolshed (Beechworth).

Mooralla west of the Grampians is another good locality:

https://crocoite.com/index.php/2018/03/mooralla-victoria/


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