Our Sapphire Safari

So, only 4 weeks to go and then the boss and I are off on our first ever "long distance" fossicking holiday.
We hope spend about 2 weeks in the New England area. Somewhere I've never been before. We plan to stay in motel or cabin style accommodation.
Our plan is to stop first at Tinga Sands for a day looking for crystals.
Then on to Inverell and Glen Innes. We do plan to visit Emmaville to check out the mining museum at some stage.
Any suggestions on where an old 65yo, but still fairly active fella and his missus could go and reasonably expect to dig a pretty stone or three, would be greatly appreciated. My new Subaru is AWD but not 4WD so not too far off the beaten track please.
Thanks in advance,
Dave.

Well you have just about planned your trip Dave.. :Y: .. Tingha has a great Caravan park with Cabins and Lots of info on Locations to visit as well in the Area...You will enjoy your day at Tingha Sands But make sure you take a Pick as the Mullock Heaps can be quite hard going.. They won't let you near the Machines any more.. Around the time you will be there, Inverell Gem Club has their Annual Gem Show with Field Trips around the area...
You could also call in to the Inverell Rock Shop at 26 Ring Street Inverell and say G-day to Dave Innes and have a look at his fantastic Displays and make a purchase or two.. The Visitors Centre also has Billabong Blue's Sapphire Shop, and you can ask for directions to their Sapphire Mine... Only Camping available at the Pay-to dig sites tho....
There are several pay-to-dig sites you could visit around Inverell... Billabong Blue and 7 Oakes are 2 good locations to try.. Good places to find some Stones.. With-out the Hard Digging...Most of the Creeks in the area will be Dry or close to it... They have had No rain for quite sometime...

The Mining Museum at Emmaville is a must-see, you won't find a better display in Australia than there... And you also have the Emmaville Geological Centre on Gulf Road at Emmaville... Ask at the Museum for Directions... Steve Cullen has started this Centre and is also a volunteer at the Museum... He also has Fossicking at the Centre, at an old Emerald Mine called de Milhous Lode... Some fantastic finds have been made lately.. He also has a Facebook page about the Centre... All these places you can get too in your AWD.. And a Pub with Rooms available in Emmaville if you choose to stop over. If you need any Phone numbers or further info just ask...Happy to Help..

LW....

Thanks LW for your reply. I have now copied and printed off your reply and will include it with the list of ideas for our trip.
I've noted the many locations suggested on the pages of PA and other media sources, some of which go back many years and I guess that, since they were free for all to read, they are now probably "flogged to death".
I feel a bit silly coming forward cap in hand seeking information. But all my fossicking trips in decades past were in the Crookwell/Oberon areas of NSW. I have never been anywhere near Inverell/Glen Innes. Now I am retired I have the opportunity to visit the New England region, a part of the country I've long wanted to see.
Thanks again mate.
Dave.

No worries Dave... I will put some info together and send you a PM... Don't feel that way... There is plenty out there for All of us.. O

LW...

There's plenty of places to try up that way, yes most have been flogged but there are still good stones.

Pay to dig sites I've found are the best. There is Billabong Blue, 7 Oaks and Bullock Mountain near Glen Innes.

The public spots are Wellingrove between Inverell and Glen Innes, Swanbrook which I've never found anything, Nullamanna on Frazers Creek which I've found and seen some nice stones.

These links show the main areas:
http://www.inverell.com.au/fossicking/
https://www.aussiesapphire.com.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=151

There's really only one way to find out which place suits you and that is to get up there and have a look around and see where you enjoy the most, really and nice gems are a bonus, It's a great part of Australia up there regardless of what's found.

LoneWolf said:

Around the time you will be there, Inverell Gem Club has their Annual Gem Show with Field Trips around the area...

LW....

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Lone Wolf, do you know what dates the gem show on?

Heatho said:

There's plenty of places to try up that way, yes most have been flogged but there are still good stones.

Pay to dig sites I've found are the best. There is Billabong Blue, 7 Oaks and Bullock Mountain near Glen Innes.

Click to expand...

The only cutter I've ever found out that way was at 7 Oaks after the heavens graced the area with some rain, hopefully we all get a good dosing of the wet stuff soon again.

Digging from the supplied pile was much easier than breaking your back with virgin dirt which was handy. I found my cutter in that pile and it's not too far from town.

Are there any private farm properties in the area where the owners are willing to swap cash for access?.. to responsible and respectful people of course.

I Don't know of any-one 'Allowing' anyone on their Properties for a Fee... Only the pay-to -dig sites... I have also heard that Bullock Mountain is Now Closed .... Unless they have re-opened? but I haven't heard anything to suggest that they are...

Here is a link to the Event.... :Y:

https://sites.google.com/site/inverellsrocksandgems/home/gem-and-craft-show

LW....

Had a great time at Billabong Blue, and found heaps of stones, at least one cutter. Well set up and easy fossicking

Sorry Rockgal, No luck on those Sieves, they haven't seen them for a long time.... Better try Mr Tumbles I think.... O

LW....

Thanks everyone, all good information.
I just checked and the show is on from the 13th to the 20th October.
Perfect timing for us I think.
Cheers,
Dave.

LoneWolf said:

Sorry Rockgal, No luck on those Sieves, they haven't seen them for a long time.... Better try Mr Tumbles I think.... O

LW....

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Thanks for looking for me Lone Wolf, you are a gem. Hehe

Mr Tumbles haven't seen them in ages either. Manufacturer closed down a while ago apparently.

Cmt at Tweed have a stainless version. Only non cert one I could find is Aus. What on earth happened to the 600mm big suckers.. oh well.

I think there needs to be a gem emoticon. Lol

Chiron52 said:

Thanks everyone, all good information.
I just checked and the show is on from the 13th to the 20th October.
Perfect timing for us I think.
Cheers,
Dave.

Click to expand...

Hi Chiron52,

I hope you guys have a great time and enjoy your travels. Keep us posted on the treasures you find? :Y:

A place in Melbourne made them. They closed down around 2005.. When I heard they stopped making them I looked into purchasing the Dies from them, to make them myself.... But the cost of the Dies and Machine was out of this world. The cost would have been close to $45,000.. Being a sheet-metal worker it was right up my ally... But when you add Material, Mesh and Labour... They would be too much now...

LW...

Well, the missus and I will set off on our sapphire safari on Wednesday.
I just checked the weather forecasts for Inverell/Glen Innes over the next week - rain, showers and storms.
But ..... but ..... but ....... but I thought there was a drought up that way!
Oh well, pack the umbrellas, I guess. 8.(

Good luck mate, I'll be out that way next week, hopefully not too much rain so we can get a few saphires

Good Luck in the Hunt Fellas. .. Wish I was there with you... Inverell Has their Show and Field Trips on soon... Enjoy... :Y:

LW.... :rainbow:

Hi all from sunny Inverell.
We were a couple of hours late leaving home on Wednesday. Which was kind of lucky I guess as we would have been in the Singleton area when that "peanut" in the stolen truck trashed the center of town.
Anyway, we arrived in Inverell yesterday after a stopover in Tamworth. Although it rained lightly most of the way, we still made good time.
Today we hit Tingha Sands on the hunt for quartz crystals. I thought the heavy rain of the last few days would have washed the top soil away and the gems would be just sitting on the surface waiting to be picked up. Ah ..... Not quite!
Somebody, who shall remain anonymous, is crowing because she found a big quartz crystal (less than 5 minutes after getting out of the car no less).
The other person, (the good looking one, the driver, the one who digs the biggest holes and finds the least, you know .... me), well his best is only half as big. Never take wives fishing or fossicking! They will always show you up! Anyway, my best Smoky is dark, with an even colour all through and looks real pretty.
On our way back to camp we stopped off at the Inverell Gem and Craft Show. What a nice bunch of folks the local members are. We're looking forward to tagging along on some of their field trips next week. We bought a few rocks to cab for when we next visit our local lapidary club and I might sneak back and grab a few more I have my eye on before the show ends next Friday.
Cheers for now.

Best Wishes mate and good hunting.
Mackka

Yesterday we decided to hit Wallangara, best known for it's tourmaline crystals. We had an absolute ball finding plenty of crystals (she found the biggest crystal, AGAIN) before a wild thunderstorm chased us out of the forest. Crikey, what a heavy downpour we copped during the 65km trip back to Inverell.
The missus now says she wants to move to Inverell so she can go out and find crystals every weekend.
We had a rest day today giving me a chance to go back to the Gem Show and purchase more rocks (and the missus more jewelry).
Tomorrow, weather permitting, we'll tag along with the local club on their first field trip of the show.
Cheers.
PS. Guess who (while he was walking along) found another nice Smokey just sticking up out of the ground? It seems I have an eye for Smokey's.