Where to start?

[Bingo]

When looking at the Geovic website with the deep lead, mine workings, reserved crown land and rivers etc. layers turned on, which areas are the best to target?

Should I be searching in the areas where it shows mine workings? or sticking to where the deep leads are?

Should I be looking for where creeks cross through or near the deep leads and workings?

I'm wanting to start my search for gold around Stawell as my parents still live there and I get back to visit them regularly through out the year.

The problem is looking on google earth a lot of the bush areas north west of Stawell are restricted bush reserve, whilst other areas are private property?

Where should I start my search?

If anyone has any information that they could share I would greatly appreciate it.

Thankyou

Ben

 

[loamer]

Bingo

By narrowing in on Stawell you have selected a problematic area. The Stawell Deep Lead Nature Conservation Park is a NO GO area for prospecting and fossicking. This is because of potential damage to plants - check the Parks Victoria 'The Stawell Ironbarks' visitor guide. This is not a result of detecting, the plants in there are rare and delicate. Anyway, its only one area from 100s in Vic that are closed off.

However, as a base, Stawell is a good place especially if you can get free accommodation. You have the whole area south to Ararat to check. You can get the Ararat Regional park guide - with map - from Parks Victoria on-line or at tourist info places. You CAN prospect and fossick in this park. You can also zip across to St Arnaud where you can also prospect. There is also the Grampians etc. There are several gold maps for about $20 on the areas i have mentioned but none for Stawell that I can see.

Good Luck

 

[Bingo]

Hi Loamer, thank you for your reply.

Yes I did read about a rare Orchid that grows in the Ironbarke's.

I'll purchase an Ararat and surrounding areas goldfields book as I can't find much about Stawell.
There may even be a few areas to check out at deep lead, on the Horsham side of Stawell.

In all my (nearly) 30 years on this planet, I never realised that Deep Lead was named after the gold term. That was until I started researching about prospecting.

You learn something new every day

Cheers again.

Ben