New member - 1st trip to Gulgong

[Wicked]

Hi everyone and thank you.
Im from Newcastle and I’m brand new to prospecting. I have all the gear, and just about to go on my very first trip.
Unfortunately this trip was planned more around a place to stay with my spoilt dogs rather than for a place for me to only search for gold.
BUT I’m staying on a property in Gulgong, on Barney’s reef road. Is there anywhere around that area or even Mudgee that I can try my new sluice out or detect. Any tips would be awesome and I promise to post back and let everyone know how my 1st adventure went.

 

[Mackka]

Welcome to the PA. Now I can't help with info on Gulgong but it was known for gold in the old days. Even the name Barney's Reef Road sounds like a gold area to me. I am sure there are lots of people on here that will give you some info so you can commence your journey into prospecting. Cheers Mackka

 

[mbasko]

The gold chased out at Barney's Reef was mostly old alluvial leads buried deeply under basalt flows I believe. I've read old timer reports of shafts being sunk down 40ft & still in the basalt so for hobby prospecting this isn't an ideal area to be searching. That being said I've always wondered if Slap Dash Creek out that way might cut thru some old shallower areas & hold some gold in crevices etc. Possibly worth some sampling if on or near where your staying.
Unfortunately though, most areas around Gulgong/Mudgee are now on private property. It can be a hard gig around here, even for locals, to get access. Those that do have access arrangements tend to keep them guarded (& for good reason).
In previous years I would have recommended a few areas but there are no longer any areas that are available for public access & fossicking. The Local Land Services branch has listed fossicking as a not allowable activity so that rules out TSR's in the area (Travelling Stock Routes) & the vacant Crown Lands out at Home Rule + other areas now, by rights, require Temporary Fossicking Permits which aren't hard to get but can take a few weeks to organise.
Your best bet may be to try in the creeks/rivers where you can access without crossing over private property.
Wialdra/Reedy creek, Cudgegong River, Cooyal Creek might be worth trying with sluice/pan.
On short notice the closest spot to try both sluice/panning & detecting with access not requiring permits/permission would be the Hill End/Tambaroora Common (about an hours drive).
https://www.bathurstregion.com.au/t...cking-in-bathurst-region/hill-end-fossicking/A bit closer is Windeyer, Maitland Bar, Hargraves etc. but similar issues with access in those areas too & you'd be limited to where you can access creeks etc.

 

[nucopia]

Gday Wicked
Where in Newcastle are you ?
Im from near Morisset on Lake Macquarie.

We often drive through Gulgong to Wellington where we have a rental property.
Its a shame as Mbasko has stated , most of the creeks in the Gulgong area are on private property and difficult if not impossible to access..
If you are staying on a mates property perhaps you can try networking through his neighbors/friends in the area to gain access to private property... Its worth a try..
You can also use MinView NSW as a research tool too.
Good luck mate and Welcome to the forum !

 

[Wicked]

The gold chased out at Barney's Reef was mostly old alluvial leads buried deeply under basalt flows I believe. I've read old timer reports of shafts being sunk down 40ft & still in the basalt so for hobby prospecting this isn't an ideal area to be searching. That being said I've always wondered if Slap Dash Creek out that way might cut thru some old shallower areas & hold some gold in crevices etc. Possibly worth some sampling if on or near where your staying.
Unfortunately though, most areas around Gulgong/Mudgee are now on private property. It can be a hard gig around here, even for locals, to get access. Those that do have access arrangements tend to keep them guarded (& for good reason).
In previous years I would have recommended a few areas but there are no longer any areas that are available for public access & fossicking. The Local Land Services branch has listed fossicking as a not allowable activity so that rules out TSR's in the area (Travelling Stock Routes) & the vacant Crown Lands out at Home Rule + other areas now, by rights, require Temporary Fossicking Permits which aren't hard to get but can take a few weeks to organise.
Your best bet may be to try in the creeks/rivers where you can access without crossing over private property.
Wialdra/Reedy creek, Cudgegong River, Cooyal Creek might be worth trying with sluice/pan.
On short notice the closest spot to try both sluice/panning & detecting with access not requiring permits/permission would be the Hill End/Tambaroora Common (about an hours drive).
https://www.bathurstregion.com.au/t...cking-in-bathurst-region/hill-end-fossicking/A bit closer is Windeyer, Maitland Bar, Hargraves etc. but similar issues with access in those areas too & you'd be limited to where you can access creeks etc.

Thank you so much for all the information, it’s greatly appreciated. And some great places to start. I will definitely try slap dash creek as it’s just up from where I will be staying.
I do have my fossickers permit from NSW forestry corp…. Is that the one you mentioned I would need for other areas? Or do you need permits for each area? Sorry, I totally am a novice, all the gear and not a clue. lol

 

[Wicked]

Gday Wicked
Where in Newcastle are you ?
Im from near Morisset on Lake Macquarie.

We often drive through Gulgong to Wellington where we have a rental property.
Its a shame as Mbasko has stated , most of the creeks in the Gulgong area are on private property and difficult if not impossible to access..
If you are staying on a mates property perhaps you can try networking through his neighbors/friends in the area to gain access to private property... Its worth a try..
You can also use MinView NSW as a research tool too.
Good luck mate and Welcome to the forum !

Hi I’m on the other side of the lake from you in windale.
I’m staying on a property through Hipcamp, so I don’t know the owners at all… but I will still ask them for any information they may be willing to share. Lol
I’m just about to have a look at min view now. Thank you so much for your help

 

[mbasko]

The NSW Forest permit is only valid for NSW State Forests. The only state forest near Gulgong is Cope Forest & there are areas of it under lease + off limits to fossicking so not ideal. Before fossicking in NSW State Forests it's best to check for any updates/closures on their website + Minview state forest fossicking layers map.
https://minview.geoscience.nsw.gov.au/#/?lon=148.5&lat=-32.5&z=7&l=
The NSW Crown Lands Temporary Fossicking Permits are issued by NSW Crown Lands for vacant/unmanaged crown land. Crown Lands under management require the permission of the land manager.
Sorry there's no easy way to explain it all but I've tried here:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/nsw-a-minefield-of-rules-simplified-hopefully.40536/

 

[Wicked]

The NSW Forest permit is only valid for NSW State Forests. The only state forest near Gulgong is Cope Forest & there are areas of it under lease + off limits to fossicking so not ideal. Before fossicking in NSW State Forests it's best to check for any updates/closures on their website + Minview state forest fossicking layers map.
https://minview.geoscience.nsw.gov.au/#/?lon=148.5&lat=-32.5&z=7&l=View attachment 10883
The NSW Crown Lands Temporary Fossicking Permits are issued by NSW Crown Lands for vacant/unmanaged crown land. Crown Lands under management require the permission of the land manager.
Sorry there's no easy way to explain it all but I've tried here:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...eld-of-rules-simplified-hopefully.40536/[/UR

[QUOTE="mbasko, post: 671729, memb....gov.au/#/?lon=148.5&lat=-32.5&z=7&l=[/QUOTE]

View attachment 10883
The NSW Crown Lands Temporary Fossicking Permits are issued by NSW Crown Lands for vacant/unmanaged crown land. Crown Lands under management require the permission of the land manager.
Sorry there's no easy way to explain it all but I've tried here:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/nsw-a-minefield-of-rules-simplified-hopefully.40536/

Thank you!! Very confusing for a newbie, but now I understand.
The app is amazing! I will be practising using it before I go