Hill End / Tambaroora Area NSW information and questions

[Rastys 1964]

Heading out to Hill End this weekend (18-19th May)for a bit of a look around.

Any hints on where to pan or detect would be greatly appreciated.

Company for a beer and yarn always welcome. Will be staying at the Village campground. Look for the old silver patrol.

Richard

 

[Heatho]

Very very tempted Richard, will let you know if I can get out there, would be great.
Even if I can't this weekend would be great to organise something, somewhere soon.

 

[Nugget]

Hi Rasty,

I've only ever been to Hill End once and that was many years ago. I'm really keen to return for some serious prospecting time but having a 9 month old can at times diminish plans before they're even thought of. I'm looking forward to when the young fella gets old enough to swing a detector or carry my gear :lol:

So unfortunately no local knowledge from me but please let us know how you go.

Cheers,
Nugget

 

[jenmal]

Hi Rasty,
We have been down the Bridal Track a few times along the Turon River, plenty of spots to camp and pan and use the detector down there!

 

[headbut]

Hi Richard , if you go just out of town to Tambaroora , but go into the creek at Abbotts road (dirt track) where it crosses the creek,about 1.5 k from the Fossicking sign.Saw a couple of guys pumping sand from the creek bed cracks & getting flecks , but can be bone dry.Did some detecting & found an old bolt under rock, so not all areas have been over. Cheers Paul

 

[headbut]

Also some good camp spots, along the Bridle track but detecting in them is a waste of time, too much aluminium burried. You may find coins though .Last I heard the track is still closed at Monaghans Bluff , so most good camp spots are from the Hill end side , not the Bathurst side.

 

[Rastys 1964]

Thanks for the info. Will have a look around and let you know how I go.

 

[headbut]

I've also heard that small aluminium disks , about the size of a hole punch, are scattered through the area

 

[Rastys 1964]

Had a very relaxing weekend at Hill End. The steaks at the Royal were great.
Panning at the entrance to Tambroora showed a pan full of small silver discs, I guess someone has dumped a heap of them upstream for some reason.
I picked a gully back towards the racecourse to try detecting. I thought I had found my first nugget when I pulled a very odd shaped bit of lead from the ground. When I first saw it, it had a definite yellow tinge to it but scratching the back showed the unmistakable silver colour of lead. I am going to keep it just due to its odd shape and colour. Also found quite a few round projectiles from a black powder gun, one very close to perfectly round. I was very surprised at the lack of ferrous trash in the area, though this may mean that I was in a gully that had very little mining exposure in the past, who knows.
Might try down towards Sofala/Wattle flat next time.

What a great weekend away

Regards

Richard

 

[Heatho]

Those silver disks are breeding and spreading, I dug up several of them at Long Reef beach
the other day. Very annoying.

 

[slowflow]

Set out for Hill End yesterday, Got the pan out to do some sampling, rain.
None of the rain was serious but I didn't feel like digging in the rain again and not going to run the sluice, aquatic animals are doing it tough enough. Not a bad trip, some good people and out bush.
They need the rain desperately.

Photos from the crossing 2 down stream and 1 upstream.

 

[WalnLiz]

They could use more than a bit of rain by the looks of that.

 

[Guest]

Yep she be very dry out this way. No good for water sports at the moment. We're definitely passed the dead dingo's donger stage. :lol:

 

[Wally69]

Is this the crossing at the bottom of the bridle track?

Only been there once in the wet so struggling to to rationalise the lack of water......wow

Must make getting to some remote detecting spots more accessible though, either by foot or 4wd up the river bed, is this the case?

 

[slowflow]

That's the spot.

 

[kuskus]

Hey yall,

Just picked up doug stones hill end map. and was looking how big the common area is. Am I right to say I can swing a detector anywhere in the common area??

There's a lot of places to swing their.

 

[Narrawa]

There are many privately owned blocks on the common, some fenced some not. There may also be some small mines/leases operating still.?

 

[Oldfella]

Hi kuskus, If you get to go out to Hill End, pop in and see the local ranger who usually looks after the museum, he/she will give you a good Idea where you can fossick, and good local info as well.
Cheers

 

[kuskus]

Thanks fellas I thought it was to good to be true 8.(

 

[Heatho]

There's heaps of ground out there to detect, just be careful of private property, especially if fenced. It's hard going though but worth a shot.

As Narrawa said, have a chat with the ranger if unsure, they are mostly friendly people out there.