Weld river new year trip!
- Thread starter Nikos
- Start date
Help Support Prospecting Australia:
Hey Nikos, we put in a day at the Weld two weeks ago. We had a brilliant day, the sapphires were plentiful but most were very small.
We had lunch at the Weldborough Hotel - fantastic pub. The steak sandwich was great. Just need to make sure you are there before lunch finishes at 2.
Handy tip - the Mineral Resources Tasmania website (http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/portal/do...9-9995-4c79-be9d-8891ae796cb5?t=1435290199434) lists two main collecting areas. The site off Frome Road is far more accessible than the one off the Tasman Highway. We tried the entry off the Tasman Highway first, but missed it, then ended up driving for 15 min before it was safe enough to turn around and come back. We then drove about 50 m in before the missus blew her top - it was so overgrown that the bush on all sides was just scratching the paint on the hire car, so we gave up.
If you head down Frome Road, it will cross the Weld and there is space to park the car.
There is soooo much spinel in that river, it's amazing. Keep an eye out for the star sapphires, they are really hard to tell apart from the spinel - we found three small ones.
Have a great trip - very jealous!
Cheers
Pete
We had lunch at the Weldborough Hotel - fantastic pub. The steak sandwich was great. Just need to make sure you are there before lunch finishes at 2.
Handy tip - the Mineral Resources Tasmania website (http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/portal/do...9-9995-4c79-be9d-8891ae796cb5?t=1435290199434) lists two main collecting areas. The site off Frome Road is far more accessible than the one off the Tasman Highway. We tried the entry off the Tasman Highway first, but missed it, then ended up driving for 15 min before it was safe enough to turn around and come back. We then drove about 50 m in before the missus blew her top - it was so overgrown that the bush on all sides was just scratching the paint on the hire car, so we gave up.
If you head down Frome Road, it will cross the Weld and there is space to park the car.
There is soooo much spinel in that river, it's amazing. Keep an eye out for the star sapphires, they are really hard to tell apart from the spinel - we found three small ones.
Have a great trip - very jealous!
Cheers
Pete
Hi Nikos,
All that phantom83 said. Other places worthwhile are the central part of the river (near Harridge Falls) and the top area downstream of the pub once you start to get to bedrock. Up there be respectful: some people have been undermining the bank and eroding the ford where the cows cross. Easy way to piss off the farmer who has the lease, and there are plenty of other places to go. The sapphires are larger but fewer. You'll need a Prospecting Licence anywhere out of the Fossicking Area. If you feel adventurous, the lower Wynyford, the Frome, the Cascade, Main Creek and Black Creek can all be good in places.
All that phantom83 said. Other places worthwhile are the central part of the river (near Harridge Falls) and the top area downstream of the pub once you start to get to bedrock. Up there be respectful: some people have been undermining the bank and eroding the ford where the cows cross. Easy way to piss off the farmer who has the lease, and there are plenty of other places to go. The sapphires are larger but fewer. You'll need a Prospecting Licence anywhere out of the Fossicking Area. If you feel adventurous, the lower Wynyford, the Frome, the Cascade, Main Creek and Black Creek can all be good in places.
