Mystyk59
Bill
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2013
- Messages
- 346
- Reaction score
- 207
Hi gang i haven't been on for a while as i went on a trip to visit the Victorian goldfields for the first time. I had been invited down my my mate Tommo who is a bit of a legend down there.
My prospecting partner Dale couldn't come . So myself and Emil {Grasshopper NT on the forum) took off in the ute for the 3000km drive.We got to Tommos and spent the night there before heading to the heart of the goldfields to set up the camper trailer on a property we were going to use as our base.
On the Friday morning we headed off to nearby Maryborough to visit the Coiltek Gold Centre.What a place . Part shop/ part drop in centre for delinquent detectorists
Urn boiling away , tea ,coffee , Milo and biscuits , help yourself. A verandah outside to sit and smoke and chat with whoever drops in.
To sit and listen to the old timers telling yarns of the tricks they used to pull on each other , some as simple as dropping a bullet in an ants nest and saying " I've got a signal but i cant be bothered to dig it" and sitting back while someone rushes to dig it and then watching them run off afterwards , tearing their clothes off as they are getting savaged by the ants is an experience in its self.
But when they start talking nuggets...WOW. they talk in ounces like we talk in grams.Then they take you in to the shop to show you the pic on the Wall of Fame of their biggest nuggets.
Then Tommo took us on a whirlwind tour of local spots , i was blown away by how many spots he was pointing out where mega ounce nuggets had been and how extensive the goldfields are.
Tommo had to go back for the w/end so myself and Emil tried a few spots Tommo had taken us to and picked up a couple of bits my best a 1.5 grammer and we had Monday off while we waited for Tommo to get back.
The next couple of days were a whirlwind of detecting . Tommo had so many areas he wanted to show us and give us an idea of how big the goldfields were. So many places , i was picking up bits here and there and so was Emil.
Thursday was the day ! We had been detecting for a couple of hours around Dunnolly when Tommo said he had something historical to show us and took us to this cemetery. There is a lone grave outside of this cemetery where they buried the local hooker as the wives objected to her being on hallowed ground. He remembered a spot not far from there, so off we went.
None of us had found anything that day and it was cold and drizzly so we all ended up back at the cars and the 2 lads decided to phone home. I decided to keep detecting for a bit longer and started to regret it after yet another dozen bullets to add to the hundreds i had already found !
Then a signal like a bullet but a little crisper. Not loud but sharp. Started to dig it and when it started to get louder i knew it was gold. When i was about 8inches it started to scream and then i thought ," Bugger a horseshoe or something "
Then at about 14-16 inches as i was scraping out and saw a flash of colour go past in the dirt, the light was failing and i thought was that gold ? Reached down into the dirt and pulled out this little lump of GOLD !!!
That was it ! I was up and running for the cars " HeeHaw HeeHaw Hee F@#$% Haw" My nickname is the Muleman so i always give a little heehaw to let whoever i am with know i have found a bit.
We had a deal that whatever we found over an ounce went 3 ways so i knew the boys would be happy as i knew it was over the ounce.
Emil had gone to get better reception so Tommo had the pleasure of seeing this maniac run out of the trees wild eyed and braying while on the phone to his missus.
We weighed it up and it was 101.2 grams
Emil came back and we played it real cool, I said " I got a little bit to save the day" and dropped it in his hand. He looked at it and said " F@#$ off " and started to hand it back. he thought we were playing a trick on him with one of Tommo's old finds.
When we convinced him it was true that was it , Hugs n kisses LOL.
Friday i spent going around showing it off to the oldtimers and crew at the Gold Centre, Then down to Bendigo again ( had been to the Whipstick and picked up a bit) to meet up with Rohan at the Nugget Finder factory, A great bloke who takes obvious pride in his coils and is proud of them being Australian made. Called in to see Brad Wilson at his shop Aussie Detecting
Then in in to show the boys at Bendigo gold who took a couple of pics to use on their Miners Den newsletter this month. Saturday we went for a swing with Stinky Pete from Detech on a private property in Castlemaine and i picked up a 8.6 grammer there.Thanks for the lovely dinner as well Pete ! And congrats on the business booming with the coils.
Sunday off to meet the gang from Bendigo and District group for 2 hours at Heathcote, i got a .7 bit there and Emil picked up a 3.8 gram nug there.
Now its back to reality Went out for a couple of hours last night and got a 0.28 bit.
Luckily i had 2 oz of gold to give the lads so i got to keep my nugget. For a little while, as i used up the gold i had brought with me to get made into a pendant for Kate ( my lovely and long suffering wife) i have decided to give her the Precious as her birthday pressie instead.
I want to say thanks to Wal n Liz , Agman , The Duck ,Nugget and the rest of you who have said that the gold gods will repay me and shine on me eventually and offered encouragement through the dry spells . You were right ! I have had some dreams come true. I got to the Vic goldfields , i got a good one. and the pic of my nugget is up there on the Wall of Fame at the Gold Centre. Admittedly dwarfed by the pics of mega ounce nuggets , but its there !
By the Way , I was using my trusty gpx 4000 and 17x11 Nuggetfinder Advantage
Happy digging gang
Regards Bill
My prospecting partner Dale couldn't come . So myself and Emil {Grasshopper NT on the forum) took off in the ute for the 3000km drive.We got to Tommos and spent the night there before heading to the heart of the goldfields to set up the camper trailer on a property we were going to use as our base.
On the Friday morning we headed off to nearby Maryborough to visit the Coiltek Gold Centre.What a place . Part shop/ part drop in centre for delinquent detectorists
Urn boiling away , tea ,coffee , Milo and biscuits , help yourself. A verandah outside to sit and smoke and chat with whoever drops in.
To sit and listen to the old timers telling yarns of the tricks they used to pull on each other , some as simple as dropping a bullet in an ants nest and saying " I've got a signal but i cant be bothered to dig it" and sitting back while someone rushes to dig it and then watching them run off afterwards , tearing their clothes off as they are getting savaged by the ants is an experience in its self.
But when they start talking nuggets...WOW. they talk in ounces like we talk in grams.Then they take you in to the shop to show you the pic on the Wall of Fame of their biggest nuggets.
Then Tommo took us on a whirlwind tour of local spots , i was blown away by how many spots he was pointing out where mega ounce nuggets had been and how extensive the goldfields are.
Tommo had to go back for the w/end so myself and Emil tried a few spots Tommo had taken us to and picked up a couple of bits my best a 1.5 grammer and we had Monday off while we waited for Tommo to get back.
The next couple of days were a whirlwind of detecting . Tommo had so many areas he wanted to show us and give us an idea of how big the goldfields were. So many places , i was picking up bits here and there and so was Emil.
Thursday was the day ! We had been detecting for a couple of hours around Dunnolly when Tommo said he had something historical to show us and took us to this cemetery. There is a lone grave outside of this cemetery where they buried the local hooker as the wives objected to her being on hallowed ground. He remembered a spot not far from there, so off we went.
None of us had found anything that day and it was cold and drizzly so we all ended up back at the cars and the 2 lads decided to phone home. I decided to keep detecting for a bit longer and started to regret it after yet another dozen bullets to add to the hundreds i had already found !
Then a signal like a bullet but a little crisper. Not loud but sharp. Started to dig it and when it started to get louder i knew it was gold. When i was about 8inches it started to scream and then i thought ," Bugger a horseshoe or something "
Then at about 14-16 inches as i was scraping out and saw a flash of colour go past in the dirt, the light was failing and i thought was that gold ? Reached down into the dirt and pulled out this little lump of GOLD !!!
That was it ! I was up and running for the cars " HeeHaw HeeHaw Hee F@#$% Haw" My nickname is the Muleman so i always give a little heehaw to let whoever i am with know i have found a bit.
We had a deal that whatever we found over an ounce went 3 ways so i knew the boys would be happy as i knew it was over the ounce.
Emil had gone to get better reception so Tommo had the pleasure of seeing this maniac run out of the trees wild eyed and braying while on the phone to his missus.
We weighed it up and it was 101.2 grams
Emil came back and we played it real cool, I said " I got a little bit to save the day" and dropped it in his hand. He looked at it and said " F@#$ off " and started to hand it back. he thought we were playing a trick on him with one of Tommo's old finds.
When we convinced him it was true that was it , Hugs n kisses LOL.
Friday i spent going around showing it off to the oldtimers and crew at the Gold Centre, Then down to Bendigo again ( had been to the Whipstick and picked up a bit) to meet up with Rohan at the Nugget Finder factory, A great bloke who takes obvious pride in his coils and is proud of them being Australian made. Called in to see Brad Wilson at his shop Aussie Detecting
Then in in to show the boys at Bendigo gold who took a couple of pics to use on their Miners Den newsletter this month. Saturday we went for a swing with Stinky Pete from Detech on a private property in Castlemaine and i picked up a 8.6 grammer there.Thanks for the lovely dinner as well Pete ! And congrats on the business booming with the coils.
Sunday off to meet the gang from Bendigo and District group for 2 hours at Heathcote, i got a .7 bit there and Emil picked up a 3.8 gram nug there.
Now its back to reality
Went out for a couple of hours last night and got a 0.28 bit.Luckily i had 2 oz of gold to give the lads so i got to keep my nugget. For a little while, as i used up the gold i had brought with me to get made into a pendant for Kate ( my lovely and long suffering wife) i have decided to give her the Precious as her birthday pressie instead.
I want to say thanks to Wal n Liz , Agman , The Duck ,Nugget and the rest of you who have said that the gold gods will repay me and shine on me eventually and offered encouragement through the dry spells . You were right ! I have had some dreams come true. I got to the Vic goldfields , i got a good one. and the pic of my nugget is up there on the Wall of Fame at the Gold Centre. Admittedly dwarfed by the pics of mega ounce nuggets , but its there !
By the Way , I was using my trusty gpx 4000 and 17x11 Nuggetfinder Advantage
Happy digging gang
Regards Bill
