Sunny Corner

[Philthy]

Here's a little story on my first big prospecting adventure to Sunny Corner a couple of weeks ago. Packed the car the night before so we could get an early start from Sydney.
The drive up wasn't too bad but it was getting a little chilly the higher we got into the hills.
Plenty of map work and research was conducted prior and the GPS marks were loaded so that we could hit the ground running.
So we got into the forest and went to the first spot on the list. After test panning a fair way above and below this spot, nothing was found so it was time to move on. This then happened for the next couple of spots also. Where is this damn gold???
We pulled up at a great little creek crossing and got out the test pan to have a scout around when we heard some motor bikes approaching.
A mum and her young son were out for a sunday ride. Mum made it across the creek with no problems, but the son rode it like he stole it and come a cropper right in the middle of the creek. Packed away the pan and helped them for a bit, then we moved on and after all that, I never even tested the spot.
Finally we found a spot with colour in the pan, so it was out with the big guns. I had brought along my Jobe 45" sluice, the Bunnings super sluice and the cresswell concentrator (rotapan).
I set the Mrs and daughter working on the rotapan while I concentrated on the Jobe for awhile. We stuck at this for awhile getting some good concentrates from the rotapan the we put half through the bunnings sluice and the rest to bring home for checking later.
After lunch we had a look around the historical side of Sunny Corner before trying one more spot before heading home.
As we pulled into the final spot, the daughter asks, "What's that sound?" A nice inch and a half piece of slate in the shape of an excalibur sword is sticking out the bottom of the tyre. So time to unpack the car and get the spare out.
By that stage it was getting on and we called it quits for the day.
The bunnings sluice worked like a dream, I was very impressed with the performance of this simple device.
When we got home, the Mrs decided to wash all the mud off the car and she discovered that we had a stick through another tyre.

Since returning I processed all the concentrates for an approximate wealth of $1.73. The cost of 2 tyres and a wheel alignment $600

Oh well, we had fun.

 

[Digginholes]

I spent a day exploring sunny corner ended up with a few specimens of what I now believe to be copper pyrites, lead a few bullet casings and about 3 fly poo specs of gold.
Looks like you've done pretty well apart from the tyres
Cheers

 

[boobook]

Next time you are in the area have a look at Anthony's creek. It was hydraulic sluiced in the early days but still plenty of fine gold there.
mike

 

[Digginholes]

Thanks mike will do..
Cheers

 

[TenOunce Tone]

Bugger about the tires.. bet that left you feeling deflated.. Nothing worse than a flat in the middle of the bush, just glad you made it out without further troubles.

Is that a ex army 6x in your profile pic, can i be bold and ask what you paid for it, ball park will do. I was seriously thinking about bidding, but Cairns was a bit far from the bidding action.

Cheers, and good luck with your future outings.

Tone

 

[HeadsUp]

bugga

thats an expensive trip

can only get better

research like you did is a big headstart though

ps . what kind of tyres were they ?

 

[Philthy]

They were the factory tyres for the Toyota Kluger.

Damn expensive ones.

 

[isolation]

Next time you are in the area have a look at Anthony's creek. It was hydraulic sluiced in the early days but still plenty of fine gold there.
mike

I was doing a bit of panning around Sunny Corner on the weekend, mostly around Mitchell Creek. No colour, but it's only our 2nd outing. I'm looking at a map of the area at the moment, and it doesn't look like St Anthonys Creek stretches too far into the State Forest. Can you prospect outside the forest, or is that private land etc?

 

[josh086]

Next time you are in the area have a look at Anthony's creek. It was hydraulic sluiced in the early days but still plenty of fine gold there.
mike

I was doing a bit of panning around Sunny Corner on the weekend, mostly around Mitchell Creek. No colour, but it's only our 2nd outing. I'm looking at a map of the area at the moment, and it doesn't look like St Anthonys Creek stretches too far into the State Forest. Can you prospect outside the forest, or is that private land etc?

Very supprised you didnt get colour in mitchel creek should of had a colour or 2 in just about every pan there mate

 

[isolation]

Well I'm off to a great start then lol

I had a bit of a dig into the bank, and under a fallen tree root ball

 

[Heatho]

Try getting into crevices and digging under rocks instead, digging into creek banks and under trees will get you fined if you get caught.

 

[isolation]

Try getting into crevices and digging under rocks instead, digging into creek banks and under trees will get you fined if you get caught.

Oh really?! I didn't know that. I dug not too far from someone else's hole, so I didn't even think. No more bank digging. The tree wasn't on the bank and had fallen over, is that not ok? I bought a few crevicing bits and pieces last night actually

 

[Farrquarr]

Sunny Corner is a great place to pan up a little color. I went out yesterday arvo and panned .6g it was tough going with the creek so high after recent storms in the area.

 

[Heatho]

Try getting into crevices and digging under rocks instead, digging into creek banks and under trees will get you fined if you get caught.

Oh really?! I didn't know that. I dug not too far from someone else's hole, so I didn't even think. No more bank digging. The tree wasn't on the bank and had fallen over, is that not ok? I bought a few crevicing bits and pieces last night actually

Yeah in the NSW fossicking laws, best Gold is probably in the creek and crevices anyway. You can dig above the banks on the upper terrace areas and cart dirt to the creeks but not directly into them.

 

[isolation]

Yeah in the NSW fossicking laws, best Gold is probably in the creek and crevices anyway. You can dig above the banks on the upper terrace areas and cart dirt to the creeks but not directly into them.

Yeah heaps of big digs on the upper level, most overgrown with Blackberry bushes. I did have a quick look at the rules and regs when I purchased my permit, guess I need to go and take a closer look.

Sunny Corner is a great place to pan up a little color. I went out yesterday arvo and panned .6g it was tough going with the creek so high after recent storms in the area.

Were you in Mitchell creek Farrquarr?

 

[Farrquarr]

Yea mate I sure was, I love sunny corner its my safety need where I can always get color.

 

[Farrquarr]

Also it is close to home half hour drive.

 

[isolation]

Nice! I'm pretty sure we were in Mitchell creek. Do most of the creeks in Sunny Corner produce? It's a massive area, and I'm keen to explore more of it.

 

[Goldiewa]

philthy, can you please tell me what a Bunnings super sluice is please. Would be interested in seeing a picture of it if possible..

Goldie

 

[Philthy]

Hey Goldiewa,

It's just a really basic sluice that I had seen elsewhere on here and made my version of it. $25 to make and the daughter loved putting the tailings of the cresswell gold concentrator through it. The bunnings sluice loved the classified material too.

Will put up a video of it in action once I work out how to do it.

Cheers
Philthy