Glen Innes or busy

Been hanging out for a break and time back in the bush, so with Minerama coming up what better excuse for 10 days in the New England gem fields. It's crazy, we've driven through this area so many times but never stopped for more than a few hours, even visited Tingha years ago and had a play in dry wash with zero success.

This trip has caused me to discover an unknown characteristic, I think I over analyze, I've got pages of research, maps galore to the point of confusion, then there is the frustration over trying to find a creek someone has mentioned, still bugging me! Now the area looks to have had some rain, so new areas to explore that have had a 'wash' unless the locals have flogged them first.

Anyway, starting out from Deepwater on our way down from the GC, picked a bunch of spots to spec then follow up as the week unfolds.

Finally got the internet up and running at the apartment so can update the trip.

Dropped in at Mr Tumbles in Deepwater, closing down sale in progress so great prices on everything, the building is also for sale, so end of an era. Had a long chat with the owner and broached the subject of Silent Grove, yes the Brisbane owners have closed the site due to the damage done by a local mining group, I gathered that prosecution is difficult as they play the 'indigenous card'.

She was interesed in how I knew about some of the details which led the conversation to this forum and how disappointed/disgusted members were at the loss of yet another site.

From Mr Tumbles it was off to Emmaville Mining Museum, what an awesome place, Ron is a wealth of knowledge on the area and directed us to some interesting spots, most we found the next day, Blatherarm didn't produce and looks heavily worked, but the next site looked interesting albeit very difficult to get to, didn't fossick as it will take a bit more gear than we had with us, plus better to bush camp on site.

On the way back checked out the Reddistone Creek Road Bridge site and quickly found some beautifully clear quartz which will be great for faceting practice.

Today we headed to Inverell and out to Billabong Blue, the tourist fossicking site is currently closed due to conditions following the wet weather, but the creek is open provided you drop into the shop at the info centre. Worked both deep river gravel and bank wash layer for around 4hrs but only got some very small stones, nothing of any worth. Then drove to Fraser Creek and had a look around, some interesting spots but it was now around 4pm so decided to look at Camerons Creek before heading back to Glen Innes.

Going to track down some help tomorrow as we have concluded we know nothing about wet/river fossicking, all our work to date has been dry.

Mr Tumbles building sold and going to be a collectables antique store. They were selling boxes of rock for $50 at the weekend. Move out at the end of the month. Sad to see them go.

Yep, picked up a box for $40, went through it in more detail when I got home, found I had some gread material for cabbing plus a little white pill pot.... opened and poured into my hand, garnets, sapphires and zircons What a bonus.

Sad indeed, always hate loosing what is almost an institution...

Well done Dihusky.

Also bought a box for $40 on Sunday afternoon. Mostly Mount Hay thundereggs. Will have a great time cutting them.