Hi from Westmead

[doug]

Just want to introduce myself and start of with a quick question.
Do people make money from this or is it the anticipation that keeps you motivated?
I'm curious 'cos I've just retired and thought this would be a beautiful way to explore Australia and if it were self supporting - even better!

Cheers.......Doug

 

[HeadsUp]

Just want to introduce myself and start of with a quick question.
Do people make money from this or is it the anticipation that keeps you motivated?
I'm curious 'cos I've just retired and thought this would be a beautiful way to explore Australia and if it were self supporting - even better!

Cheers.......Doug

some people make a living from it but that number could be less than 10 % of us

other people find enough in their efforts to pay for fuel and food and maybe pay off the equipment costs

anticipation is a factor . yes some of us are driven by the glittering allure of pure unbridled optimism

bottom line however is that its always good exercise , sunshine , blue sky and fresh air

 

[doug]

Thanks HeadsUp - I assumed most of the fun would be in the exploration with a bonus if you found anything......

 

[Still Looking]

I look at it as a exciting way of getting some exercise.
not sure about making a living from it though..

 

[WalnLiz]

Welcome to the forum Doug, and hope you find the forum a great asset to your new found hobby. Your question can be best answered by saying... "don't give up your daytime job if you've got bills and a mortgage to pay off "...

However, once proficient at the prospecting game, you can quite reasonably expect to pay for your retirement adventures into the outback in the form of fuel and food expenses. To expect much more you go back the full circle and it again becomes that 4 letter word.."WORK".. ...which you are trying to retire from. :/

Best of luck and may you find the "Hobby" enjoyable and fulfilling.

Cheers Wal

 

[HeadsUp]

i would be guessing but if there were 15,000 hobbyist prospectors around the country then it means eventually the available resource will dwindle.

some do make a living , some crack a massive fortune but they might number less than 50 - 200 people in the country

i think the right attitude and mindset make a big difference when you consider there are people who have done it for 40 years and never found more than a couple of grands worth of gold in that whole time , while relative amateurs have been known to make discoveries in recent times of 57 ounces , 148 , 177 , 200 , 307 , 451 and 500 ounces off the top of my head being ones i have read about or been told about.

 

[the duck]

i do it for exercise and to get outdoors most of the time it wouldn't pay for food let alone petrol but i don't go after gold all the time

 

[doug]

Thanks people - it appears I'm on the same wavelength regarding expectations. Now the next big question, as a founding member of the Live Cowards Club, how prevalent are the snakes and other bitey things and is mobile reception an issue when prospecting, should I bring my EPIRB along?

 

[richo966]

it is out of the way and you are going to places snakes live so keep an eye open gg has no mobile coverage I think it will be the same in most isolated spots if you have good gear take it with you it will only slow you down but may save your life

 

[WalnLiz]

Traveled this great country far and wide from the highest peaks to the flattest deserts and i can assure you your biggest danger is driving to your local shop for a loaf of bread.

Common sense is the biggest factor to remember, and the occasional snake will certainly be spotted from time to time. Don't try to pick them up and they'll leave you alone. Try to hit them with a shovel and they may get as cranky as you, if some one tries to hit you with a shovel.

EPIRBS and the like are a handy item if in remote outback areas but never necessary in 99% of prospecting situations.

A good first aid kit is always a handy item. The most important piece of equipment for metal detecting is a hand held GPS and a reasonable knowledge of how they work. Getting lost can, and usually is, your biggest danger.

You can go way overboard with what needs to be taken on prospecting trips, and everyone will add an item to the list.

Like i always say...the one thing you can't have enough of is good old "Common Sense".

Best of luck and enjoy that big paddock we call the prospectors playground,

Cheers Wal.

 

[HeadsUp]

Thanks people - it appears I'm on the same wavelength regarding expectations. Now the next big question, as a founding member of the Live Cowards Club, how prevalent are the snakes and other bitey things and is mobile reception an issue when prospecting, should I bring my EPIRB along?

if you have an epirb then why not take it ?

if not for yourself then you might see somebody else who needs urgent help where there is no mobile phone service

in regards to snakes , a brand of snake gaitor called " snake Guardz " is the best type i could find and i carry them in my kit

available from Nuggets Down Under in Mudgee

 

[gadgetman45]

Doug, I am also retired & I do it for a couple of reasons, the first as mentioned by others, being outside in the great outdoors enjoying the fresh air & beautiful weather (mostly) & secondly, I get a great thrill when I find something, regardless of what it is, (trash excepted).

 

[doug]

Thanks guys - never considered a GPS which is dumb as I use them for flying - any recommendations?
I do have a First Aid kit so that's sorted and totally agree with Wal with respect to keeping it as light as possible although as headsUp suggested I will include the EPIRB.
And Gadgetman45 - you encapsulated the main reasons I would like to be involved - we used to do a bit of Geocaching previously (on push bikes) and this has the same type of appeal.

 

[gavfromoz]

Welcome Doug, you're in the best forum with the best members In regards to epirbs, the one which I've found to be brilliant as in size, weight, durability and relialbility (after lots of research) is the ACR ResQlink. Extremely small but recommended by many people for all land-based activities andit's a little 'peace of mind'. Have a look at it and see what you think.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ACR-RESQ..._Parts_Accessories&hash=item416d0e166e&_uhb=1

Gav

 

[doug]

Thanks Gav - have to agree with your comments regarding the members!
I'm OK for an EPIRB - I'll just borrow the one from the aircraft - it was a GPS that I was curious about. I don't want to spend money on features that I'll never use!

 

[WalnLiz]

I run a Garmin GPS12 which I've had for many years and it's one of those KISS models without a heap of bells and whistles on it. So long as it has a function to label and rename your way points, most of the other features will be universal.

You can pick up a good GPS unit for under $150, so no need to get talked into high end units which are all mostly user unfriendly, with some requiring a degree in computing to operate.

Cheers Wal.

 

[doug]

Thanks Wal - I thought the KISS principle would be the most logical...

 

[Jacko]

We're retired too and found enough to cover food and a bit of fuel. We have a Garmin GPS which we haven't had to use yet. As we've travelled in a lot of isolated places, we bought a satellite phone when we got back recently and feel safe in case we need it. As at one stage we were more than a week without phone coverage, but I did manage one bar on top of a hill one night. A lot of the time we find that 5 ks or so out of a town there is no coverage even with the blue tick phone.

The outback offers everything from the wildlife to the unbelievable sights, rock formations and just peace and quiet. I never worry about snakes or creepy crawlies. The winter months are good prospecting months in that respect. We didn't see a snake in three months walking through and in all different terrains in WA, NT and Qld. So, to answer as to the reasons for our travelling: sightseeing, meeting great people, lots of walking, free camping/camp fire and learning more about using the detector as we've only tried 3 seasons. As novices, finding some was fantastic.

 

[gavfromoz]

Jacko, I think you've painted the most perfect picture, something I hope to be able to see while enjoying the fantastic 'natural' gifts which are out there

 

[Jacko]

Thanks for your comment Gav. It's such a healthy lifestyle out there, no worry about phone calls, bills arriving, TV, shopping etc. What you need is there in your van, trailer, ute or whatever. Just good company and a few drinks round the campfire. We travel fairly light but are comfortably set up and looking forward to 5 or 6 months next year.