Where to go for a few weeks hunting. Coming from uk

[ice2037uk]

I’m starting to plan a trip from uk to oz.
I’m experienced detectorist here in uk.
Not sure on west or around Victoria.

Going to hire couple 4x4s with roof tents.

I have a minelab manticore tho will have to hire or buy something more suitable for nuggets.

Any recommendations and info would be much appreciated

I’m also willing to team up with some locals for few weeks
I’m not looking to make it rich.
I just like the adventure and the chance to see some family.

 

[mbasko]

What time of the year & length of stay are you looking at?
This will help members to be able to respond with the best advice depending on the season here.

 

[grubstake]

I just like the adventure and the chance to see some family.

One of the biggest issues for visitors from Europe interested in prospecting here, is underestimating the enormous distances involved. Unless you are coming for a lengthy stay (over a month), where your family members are located in Australia will have a big impact on which areas you are able to prospect, without wasting half your holiday on lengthy and often dull roadtrips.

 

[user 7268]

Grubstake makes a very good point. Ice2037uk when you say not sure on West or Vic, to put it in perspective the distance from the two is approx two and a half times the entire length of the UK

 

[Mackka]

It sure is a big country. It used to take me two days to drive from Brissie to Cairns on business and stayed overnight in Mackay. Great days. Mackka

 

[ice2037uk]

My initial plan was 3 months in Western Australia

Tho now thinking maybe go for few weeks just to see what’s what. Then maybe the next trip be a few months.

My nephew lives in Melbourne. So if I do ho to the west I know I won’t be visiting him.

I believe spring time be best time

Then after that I’m going to New Zealand for 4 weeks to visit my Nan.

 

[Mackka]

Ice here is my 2 cents worth. there are more precious things in the world than Gold, so give the waste of time going to WA and spend it in Melbourne and in NZ with Nan. Mackka

 

[grubstake]

For WA prospecting, winter is the preferred prospecting season - usually dry with mild, often sunny days and clear, cold, desert nights. Autumn and spring can be OK, but can occasionally have some uncomfortably hot days.

Over east, Melbourne is renowned for having four seasons in a day, at any time of year. Winters in central Victoria (where most goldfields are), can be uncomfortably cold and showery - autumn and spring are the best prospecting seasons there.

 

[grubstake]

Here are a couple of recent threads from prospective European visitors to Australia. There's lots of info in the discussions that would be of relevance:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/looking-for-some-friends.40544/https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/detecting-western-australia.40462/

 

[gnftrs]

I’m starting to plan a trip from uk to oz.
I’m experienced detectorist here in uk.
Not sure on west or around Victoria.

Going to hire couple 4x4s with roof tents.

I have a minelab manticore tho will have to hire or buy something more suitable for nuggets.

Any recommendations and info would be much appreciated

I’m also willing to team up with some locals for few weeks
I’m not looking to make it rich.
I just like the adventure and the chance to see some family.

Hey mate, the Manticore will find gold, in fact, my wife found a piece yesterday here in the NT with one. We both detect up here, I’m running a 7k, she usually uses a 6k, both brilliant machines (Expensive though). We bought a Manticore as a spare detector, I am pretty impressed with it to be fair. The best advice I can give you is research the areas you intend to go. Don’t forget, not all gold producing areas produce those big nuggets everybody tries to find. Might be worth getting acquainted with GeoVic, its the interactive map the mines dept and prospectors use. Look for it on YouTube too, there’s a few good tutorials on it. I’m an ex-pat, moved here in 2015, took me two years to find my first piece of gold. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get any!!!! Make the most of your time in the bush, the dark skies are beautiful!!! Oh, and don’t forget to get a Miners Right Before you go!!!