Mineral Deposits in the Rockhampton Region (QLD)

[jasp05]

Hi guys,

I've been into the rocks and minerals since I was kid. Done a lot of gold prospecting with my father in the area over the years and am now looking to get my kids into the fossicking game. I know there are quite a few gems around to find. For instance there is carnelian, garnet, chyrsophrase, quartz crystals. I've even heard reports of amethyst and topaz.

The problem is I have no idea where to start looking for these gems. I have done quite a lot of research online, but given this is a low population area I haven't been able to find a lot of information regarding actual spots to go fossicking at. I have been a member of the local lapidary club for the last 2 years. However alot of the spots are on private property and the club use them for their field trips.

Does anyone have some more specific directions as to locations where a few gem and mineral specimens can be found? I know the carnelian can be found on the fitzroy river in the area, but as to which part of it, I've got no idea. (Its quite a large river).

but any tips or pointers would be much appreciated.

 

[ktmman]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6981

Lefty is your man to ask for spots on the Fitzroy R.

He did post directions to the spot but can't seem to find it.

 

[silver]

Watch out for crocs.

 

[Jaros]

I have always wondered why the sign says "ACHTUNG"--didn't think crocs and FNQlder's could read German.

 

[silver]

had to look it up(Achtung),.. I always thought it meant action,.. but sadly I was (always) wrong,.. Danke Jaros, for now I know for sure that it means Watch Out.

 

[Lefty]

Hi jasp05.

Doesn't it just suck to live in an area that has a high potential - the dominant geology is igneous, both intrusive and extrusive with numerous extinct volcanoes dotted about the area - but designated fossicking areas are non-existing? Peeves me no end (I live in Gladstone)

There is agate, carnelian, jasper and petrified wood to be found at Riverslea crossing on the Fitzroy. Go out past Westwood and turn off the highway at Gogango. You'll see a sign for Riverslea. Go through the "town" and cross the railway line - the river crossing is about 15km down that road. Follow the curve to the left when you see the big sign saying "Riverslea" at the gate of the property - do not enter the property. The river crossing is a couple of km further along.

There is a low concrete culvert crossing the river and large gravel banks, mainly on the left side of the bridge. The stones are lying amongst this.

Have your wits about you if you go near the waters edge, a couple of locals I have met told us the big snapping handbags are definately in there! But the gravel banks are pretty big and run quite a way back from the water.

Don't expect to find stuff of Agate creek quality. But there is some interesting material there nonetheless. I made this from a bit of carnelian I found there...

Most of the stuff you find looks orange but that's only a thin coating, it's usually translucent white underneath. Only a small percentage of the pieces are orange right through like the one above. I found a piece there a few weeks ago about twice the size of a matchbox - and it's full of cracks, bugger it!

Might throw up a few photos of some stuff I've found there.

 

[jasp05]

Thanks for the info lefty. Ive spent quite some time on google earth and think i have spotted a few areas out that way that have nice gravel banks. But at least ive got a starting point.

Ive heard there is garnet out near westwood also. Its on the way to your carnelian spot. Anyone know much about garnets in the area?

 

[Lefty]

This is fairly typical of the stuff at Riverslea. Like I said, it's not exactly Agate creek stuff but it is interesting and there is the odd bit of pure orange carnelian that akes a very pretty cab. Some of these bits do look better to the eye than they do in the photo, the camera doesn't really pick up the detail.

 

[jasp05]

How good is the road out there? do you need a 4wd or anything will likely be ok out there?

 

[silver]

They all look nice Lefty,... I like the bottom left one(looks like a womans face with long blonde hair, top half in centre) and that grey blue stone(cab) a lot.

 

[Lefty]

They all look nice Lefty,... I like the bottom left one(looks like a womans face with long blonde hair, top half in centre) and that grey blue stone(cab) a lot.

Cheers silver. I only just did that one today and you're right about how it looks - but I didn't notice until you pointed it out. I thought it looked like one of those Guilyan chocolates

 

[Lefty]

How good is the road out there? do you need a 4wd or anything will likely be ok out there?

No 4WD necessary. It can get a bit greasy after rain and there's some corrugation in places but it's generally ok for two-wheel drive vehicles. If you don't have a 4WD I would probably park up on the high bank (you'll see an area you can pull over). The track onto the gravel bank can have drifts of deep sand, I'm even cautious about taking a 4WD across that.

 

[Lefty]

Thanks for the info lefty. Ive spent quite some time on google earth and think i have spotted a few areas out that way that have nice gravel banks. But at least ive got a starting point.

Ive heard there is garnet out near westwood also. Its on the way to your carnelian spot. Anyone know much about garnets in the area?

There was a garnet digging site many years ago on the Pheasant creek road that runs from the highway not far past Gogango down to Wowan and Jambin and eventually comes out at Biloela. Dad dug there a few times and got some but I believe it's closed (it was always private property).

There was apparently another garnet site at Ridgelands but there's nothing on mines department website about it - it probably exists but is not a declared fossicking area and you probably can't go there either.

The chrysophrase comes from up at Marlborough as far as I know. And you're not allowed in as far as I know.

When I was a kid, we stopped on the side of the road between Gogango and Duaringa on the way out to Rubyvale and I picked up a clear pebble in the gravel that turned out to be topaz. They don't cart road gravel a million miles so the source would have been somewhere local but I have no idea where that might be.

If you're keen to drive that far from Rocky, you can find clear quartz crystals, amethyst, smokey and citrine at Lowmead - here is the thread. It's about halfway between Gladstone and Bundaberg on the old coastal road (Tableland road) that branches off the Bruce highway at Miriam Vale and arrives at a T-junction with Agnes waters/1770 to the left and Lowmead, Baffle Creek and eventually Bundy to the right. You don't need any permission to go there, let me know if you want directions between now and tomorrow evening, I'll be heading out to Rubyvale on Monday and will be incommunicado for a week.

Cheers

 

[Dedicated luck]

Gday lefty, Im in gladstone too and always keen on a dig trying to locate the calliope agate deposit atm but not having alot of luck, might head riverleigh tommorow and lowmead on monday! Tried to send you message lefty but dont think i can haha

 

[Lefty]

Hey Dedicated luck, I've heard of this mysterious Calliope agate deposit from a couple of very old books (printed 1950's by the looks) but I know of no one who knows where it is. I think it probably does exist but the location is long forgotten. Would have probably been found by gold prospectors a long time ago, that's how most of the gem deposits seem to have been found.

Were you after directions to Lowmead?

 

[Dedicated luck]

I recently come accrose a jewller selling calliope agate.. iv sent him a email as he says self collected. Hopefully hear back! Also read of another agate deposit off old tannum road? And garnet not far west of calliope? Wouldnt mind investigateing some of these spots!!

And no sorry lefty, I dig lowmead a fair abit starting to lean away from the diggins tho...

 

[ktmman]

Hey Dedicated luck, got any pics of your Lowmead finds?

Very interested in your "Leanings" ...

 

[Lefty]

I recently come accrose a jewller selling calliope agate.. iv sent him a email as he says self collected. Hopefully hear back! Also read of another agate deposit off old tannum road? And garnet not far west of calliope? Wouldnt mind investigateing some of these spots!!

Interesting about the agate there, hopefully you find out some more.

The agate deposit just off the old Tannum road does exist, we used to pick it up there when I was a kid. But - you guessed it - you're not allowed to go there. The site is in the bounds of the sand and granite boulder quarry. Our club treasurer rang them a while ago to ask if our members could have permission to look over their rock pile - the woman on the other end of the phone laughed at her.

I have heard of the garnet not far from Calliope but can't find anyone who knows exactly where.

The Gladstone/Rocky region - so much promising geology but so very, very few fossicking opportunities.

 

[G.A]

Hi

Hi jasp05.

Doesn't it just suck to live in an area that has a high potential - the dominant geology is igneous, both intrusive and extrusive with numerous extinct volcanoes dotted about the area - but designated fossicking areas are non-existing? Peeves me no end (I live in Gladstone)

There is agate, carnelian, jasper and petrified wood to be found at Riverslea crossing on the Fitzroy. Go out past Westwood and turn off the highway at Gogango. You'll see a sign for Riverslea. Go through the "town" and cross the railway line - the river crossing is about 15km down that road. Follow the curve to the left when you see the big sign saying "Riverslea" at the gate of the property - do not enter the property. The river crossing is a couple of km further along.

There is a low concrete culvert crossing the river and large gravel banks, mainly on the left side of the bridge. The stones are lying amongst this.

Have your wits about you if you go near the waters edge, a couple of locals I have met told us the big snapping handbags are definately in there! But the gravel banks are pretty big and run quite a way back from the water.

Don't expect to find stuff of Agate creek quality. But there is some interesting material there nonetheless. I made this from a bit of carnelian I found there...

Most of the stuff you find looks orange but that's only a thin coating, it's usually translucent white underneath. Only a small percentage of the pieces are orange right through like the one above. I found a piece there a few weeks ago about twice the size of a matchbox - and it's full of cracks, bugger it!

Might throw up a few photos of some stuff I've found there.

Hi, I live in Bundaberg and am trying my hardest to find places within a few hours drive from here and I'm having no luck. I've been to lowmead and produced some small very colourful emathist, mount perry with specks of gold and agate chunks along the Burnett river. Do you know anywhere I could find any kind of gems just very keen for the hunt ... Thanks