WalnLiz
Wal nLiz
Quite a few of us from the Eastern States head over to WA for the winter months chasing Gold. For those who want to break up the trip over, and who also have a keen interest in "Gemstones" as well, then a stop over for a week or so at Harts Range could be a very enjoyable and memorable detour. Not only is it one of the premiere Garnet locations in the country, it offers a vast variety of precious and semi precious gemstones as well. Some of the Zircons on the nearby Mud Tank Zircon Field are huge to say the least, and by far the biggest zircons I have ever come across. Top quality Zircons are extremely difficult to tell apart from Diamond when cut even to the trained eye, hence they are often referred to as the poor mans diamond.
Typical of the Garnets from this area
Directions to getting there are quite easy. From Alice Springs you travel north on the Stuart Highway for 68km to the turnoff for the Plenty Highway. Here you turn right and travel another 70km to the Gemtree Caravan Park, which is a good place to base yourself if you don't like camping on the fields. We ourselves prefer to camp where we are digging, as there is nothing better than getting out of bed, having breakfast and picking up the shovel to get some exercise, without having to drive to the location and then back again to the CV park. The caravan park also runs guided trips to the gem fields but for what it's worth the money can be easily saved, as finding the garnet and zircon fields is as easy as buttering toast.
Zircon Crystal from Mud Tank Zircon Field
The tools required are very basic. A sturdy shovel, a metal detecting style pick, a crow bar, a 1/4" and 1/2" sieve, and a small amount of elbow grease doesn't go astray either.
The easiest way to get started is work the existing trenches and follow the shist layers, as that's what the garnets fall out of. Shist is a metamorphic rock that hosts many different gemstones and the ranges around here have it in abundance. Most of the garnets are in the layers above the non decomposed material and are generally in a gravelly looking wash. Very rarely do you have to be more than a couple feet deep from the surface, and in fact you can pick up a jar full by only specking the surface itself.
Typical Garnet crystal found on the diggings
The tracks go past the Garnet fields and cross a couple of creeks. If hiking is something you like doing then following the bed of these creeks will often get you very large "Garnet Balls", some the size of golf balls. They tend to be opaque and specked on the surface. They have perfect crystal structure, not worth anything monetary wise but are great talking points, and look good in the gemstone cabinets back home. Many of the creeks in the area are full of "garnet sand" and that in itself is worth seeing. A few days on the Garnet Field and the nearby Mud Tank Zircon field will net you enough faceting material to last you a lifetime.
Varying sizes of Garnet Crystals found by specking in the creeks.
The Harts Range is a huge range protruding out of seemingly nowhere, and offers gem hunters a great variety of minerals and gems for very easy pickings. To see it all would take forever and for those who love gemstones It's a must put on the "bucket list" of locations. The scenery of the area is nothing like what's on the East Coast and as such makes a great holiday in itself. For the gold hunters Arltunga gold field is to the south and Tennant Creek to the north. Both very productive nugget hunting areas which could easily be incorporated into the trip. If you head out that way good luck and I'm sure it would be an experience to remember, or like us even revisit on several occasions.... Cheers Wal.
Typical of the Garnets from this area
Directions to getting there are quite easy. From Alice Springs you travel north on the Stuart Highway for 68km to the turnoff for the Plenty Highway. Here you turn right and travel another 70km to the Gemtree Caravan Park, which is a good place to base yourself if you don't like camping on the fields. We ourselves prefer to camp where we are digging, as there is nothing better than getting out of bed, having breakfast and picking up the shovel to get some exercise, without having to drive to the location and then back again to the CV park. The caravan park also runs guided trips to the gem fields but for what it's worth the money can be easily saved, as finding the garnet and zircon fields is as easy as buttering toast.
Zircon Crystal from Mud Tank Zircon Field
The tools required are very basic. A sturdy shovel, a metal detecting style pick, a crow bar, a 1/4" and 1/2" sieve, and a small amount of elbow grease doesn't go astray either.
The easiest way to get started is work the existing trenches and follow the shist layers, as that's what the garnets fall out of. Shist is a metamorphic rock that hosts many different gemstones and the ranges around here have it in abundance. Most of the garnets are in the layers above the non decomposed material and are generally in a gravelly looking wash. Very rarely do you have to be more than a couple feet deep from the surface, and in fact you can pick up a jar full by only specking the surface itself.Typical Garnet crystal found on the diggings
The tracks go past the Garnet fields and cross a couple of creeks. If hiking is something you like doing then following the bed of these creeks will often get you very large "Garnet Balls", some the size of golf balls. They tend to be opaque and specked on the surface. They have perfect crystal structure, not worth anything monetary wise but are great talking points, and look good in the gemstone cabinets back home. Many of the creeks in the area are full of "garnet sand" and that in itself is worth seeing. A few days on the Garnet Field and the nearby Mud Tank Zircon field will net you enough faceting material to last you a lifetime.
Varying sizes of Garnet Crystals found by specking in the creeks.
The Harts Range is a huge range protruding out of seemingly nowhere, and offers gem hunters a great variety of minerals and gems for very easy pickings. To see it all would take forever and for those who love gemstones It's a must put on the "bucket list" of locations. The scenery of the area is nothing like what's on the East Coast and as such makes a great holiday in itself. For the gold hunters Arltunga gold field is to the south and Tennant Creek to the north. Both very productive nugget hunting areas which could easily be incorporated into the trip. If you head out that way good luck and I'm sure it would be an experience to remember, or like us even revisit on several occasions.... Cheers Wal.
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