stevewilko
that's right it was me....
Hello to all,
Earlier, I posted that I would go to Moonambel. I decided to wait out the heat wave that came through at that time. It was 40 degrees there for 2 days. It would have been folly to be out there in those conditions.
A rough internet map of the region I have showed me the main named tracks in this State Forest Reserve.
I was able to tour the area in my heavy 2wd van easily, and I spent a considerable time throughout a fair area, walking it and observing it as well.
I decided on a spot as it is east of the predominant mountain (or hill) which I do not have a name for as yet. Predominately - "where is gold likely to come from?" was my reason to choose there. I walked there for an hour or two. High up the hill I found deep diggings in what I might call a placer site, but I also found a main large rock reef there, with a large quartz vein exposed as it was visible inside some inline deep diggings. These veins ran north to south.
Going downhill to the east the hillside formed into 3 slight gullies and these joined extensive alluvial diggings 1 kilometre away. (One dig pit held 200+ old vb cans). I tried hard to study the area, the differences in these grounds at this location in an attempt to determine the gold bearing potential... as a novice.
This was a 3 night stay. Stopping late in the first day and out early on the 4th day. For 2 days I only found ferrous, including a lot of large and heavy old implements showing blacksmithing of broken tools, heat bent into new or again serviceable digging tools. I worked the different area types, in segments, using the 11"DD and the 15 x 12" mono.
I left to return home to work on recent camping test improvements to my van and I had a successful ebay bid on an 18" nugget finder four spoke mono coil, circa 2008, for $75.
Continuing on, and I hope I am not boring you, tell me if I am... I waited out the next weeks rain to return to the same place, leaving early.
Late on the first day of another 3 night camp, using the 18" mono I found gold.
Exactly the low and deep threshold signal I had been waiting to hear, 35cm down and I thought it, when in hand, that it was lead. It was very very hard mud encrusted. Wetting it and rubbing it against my trousers it wouldn't show colour till I got a raised edge to change from dull silver'ish to golden.
It is very rough edged all over with very small quartz beads externally. I thought to myself that this possibly hasn't traveled very far and there was just enough sunlight left to roughly clear 50 sq metres of debris to plan to be able to closely work the area with the 11" DD. I roughly toothbrushed the nugget and it is not yet cleaned
It was on a gully side. I detected my cleared area and vertically up the gully side in a fan out shape. I detected the gully to the west aways and down to the east and didn't find any more gold. Next day I repeated the process with the 18" mono and didn't find gold again.
I have since purchased Doug Stone's Moonambel Redbank map and the area I was in is not marked as a diggings area although the the early workings to be seen where I was, are extensive.
Cheers All.
Thank you all for your help.
Should you see my van around anywhere by all means, please introduce yourself. I am going out again tomorrow, late Wednesday, after the ne to sw weather direction change comes through. I am not going to Moonambel as it is 400 klm round trip. I have to be home b4 Saturday.
Earlier, I posted that I would go to Moonambel. I decided to wait out the heat wave that came through at that time. It was 40 degrees there for 2 days. It would have been folly to be out there in those conditions.
A rough internet map of the region I have showed me the main named tracks in this State Forest Reserve.
I was able to tour the area in my heavy 2wd van easily, and I spent a considerable time throughout a fair area, walking it and observing it as well.
I decided on a spot as it is east of the predominant mountain (or hill) which I do not have a name for as yet. Predominately - "where is gold likely to come from?" was my reason to choose there. I walked there for an hour or two. High up the hill I found deep diggings in what I might call a placer site, but I also found a main large rock reef there, with a large quartz vein exposed as it was visible inside some inline deep diggings. These veins ran north to south.
Going downhill to the east the hillside formed into 3 slight gullies and these joined extensive alluvial diggings 1 kilometre away. (One dig pit held 200+ old vb cans). I tried hard to study the area, the differences in these grounds at this location in an attempt to determine the gold bearing potential... as a novice.
This was a 3 night stay. Stopping late in the first day and out early on the 4th day. For 2 days I only found ferrous, including a lot of large and heavy old implements showing blacksmithing of broken tools, heat bent into new or again serviceable digging tools. I worked the different area types, in segments, using the 11"DD and the 15 x 12" mono.
I left to return home to work on recent camping test improvements to my van and I had a successful ebay bid on an 18" nugget finder four spoke mono coil, circa 2008, for $75.
Continuing on, and I hope I am not boring you, tell me if I am... I waited out the next weeks rain to return to the same place, leaving early.
Late on the first day of another 3 night camp, using the 18" mono I found gold.
Exactly the low and deep threshold signal I had been waiting to hear, 35cm down and I thought it, when in hand, that it was lead. It was very very hard mud encrusted. Wetting it and rubbing it against my trousers it wouldn't show colour till I got a raised edge to change from dull silver'ish to golden.
It is very rough edged all over with very small quartz beads externally. I thought to myself that this possibly hasn't traveled very far and there was just enough sunlight left to roughly clear 50 sq metres of debris to plan to be able to closely work the area with the 11" DD. I roughly toothbrushed the nugget and it is not yet cleaned
It was on a gully side. I detected my cleared area and vertically up the gully side in a fan out shape. I detected the gully to the west aways and down to the east and didn't find any more gold. Next day I repeated the process with the 18" mono and didn't find gold again.
I have since purchased Doug Stone's Moonambel Redbank map and the area I was in is not marked as a diggings area although the the early workings to be seen where I was, are extensive.
Cheers All.
Thank you all for your help.
Should you see my van around anywhere by all means, please introduce yourself. I am going out again tomorrow, late Wednesday, after the ne to sw weather direction change comes through. I am not going to Moonambel as it is 400 klm round trip. I have to be home b4 Saturday.
Nice....
