Fossicking Emmaville/Torrington

Me and the family just purchased a property at the bottom of Torrington reserve. We have a 1.3km creek running through it (Bark hurt?).
The wife and kids are very keen to do some fossicking. Where should we start?

Appreciate any help.

Welcome to PA..... It's Bark Hut...

Not a bad area, but I would be getting right up the top of Duck Creek fire trail... Are you on Gulf Rd or in Torro itself?
Do a search on this Forum, there's plenty of info...

Torrington State Forest and Conservation area is still closed ATM as far as I know from the Bushfires... You won't find Sapphires at Torrington tho... More like Crystals, Beryl, Topaz and Minerals....

Check out the 'Gemorama' Facebook page for our Gem Event in June long weekend at Emmaville... Perfect for Families and to learn the ropes, so to speak... or have a look here...
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=29757

I will be posting more Details once Minerama is over this weekend... Minerama is a Gem event held at Glen Innes with Field trips....

And started TODAY and runs till Sunday at the Show Grounds...
https://www.minerama.com.au/

Also the Northern NSW and South East QLD fossicking page on Fakebook is getting something organised around Easter down there ...

Hope that helps... Also if you get your post count up to 10, you will be able to PM(private Message) Me...

LW....

A very interesting part of the country, only visited once years ago, always wanted to return one day.

The Department of Primary Industries published an excellent brochure through the National Parks and Wildlife Service entitled "Rocks Minerals and Landforms of the Mole Tableland". I do not know if it is still available. You could enquire at the Armidale office of National Parks 175 Rusden St, Tel. 02 67760300.

Is that the one with the Map and mines printed on one side and a bit of history on the other? If so Yes it is still available... I got several of them from the Geo science (by calling them) for free last year...

Don't think National Sparks and Wildfires has them any more...

LW...

yes that's the one, thanks for the update.

On tent hill road and runs up to gulf road/ marvins trail.

Was there on the weekend. Creek is flowing and quite full, might have to wait for it to settle down

We are there Easter so Ill check out the Emmaville event. We went to the museum
Which the kids loved

Yes they have had some very good rain lately.... And they really needed it too... I have never seen it so Dry down there in the 10 yrs I have been going down there..

One of the best Displays in Australia at Emmaville Mining Museum...

You should have some old Mines there or at least very close to you...

S.E.Q& N.NSW Fossicking are trying to organise something with us on Easter weekend, but We don't give up Our locations that easy.. :lol:

LW...

Sorry guys, Emmaville Museum is closed for the time being and the Virus has caused the closed all camping areas in NSW State Forests and National Parks and that includes Torrington State Conservation area. Country communities are also not keen for visitors bringing anything unwanted in. Best to stay at home for the time being. Safer for everyone all round. Long distance travel is now limited to essential reasons which does not include fossicking. Going to be a long year playing with my rocks in the back yard.

Even worse restrictions in Qld now.

jimnyjerry said:

Sorry guys, Emmaville Museum is closed for the time being and the Virus has caused the closed all camping areas in NSW State Forests and National Parks and that includes Torrington State Conservation area. Country communities are also not keen for visitors bringing anything unwanted in. Best to stay at home for the time being. Safer for everyone all round. Long distance travel is now limited to essential reasons which does not include fossicking. Going to be a long year playing with my rocks in the back yard.

Even worse restrictions in Qld now.

Click to expand...

Yes, all Qld fossicking areas are closed, but that doesn't seem to deter some from doing the wrong thing. Two interstate caravans were seen entering the Graves Hill fossicking area here on the Central Qld Gemfields yesterday and even though they were advised by a local not to enter due to the restriction, their response was that they have come all this way to scratch for sapphires and nothing is going to stop that.

We have petitioned the state government to allocate a lockdown zone covering the entire gemfields and hopefully we will get it. So far, we have no cases of Covid19 in this part of the country and want it to stay that way. If you don't live here, stay away - no please about it. Those observed not complying with the fossicking area closures will be reported!

Good, reporting them is the only way to get out of this mess quicker rather than let people run riot.

I found that the police contact # has a reporting option for the CV19.

You can still go, you just need a better excuse... Or combine Fossicking with a 'Compassionate' reason...

LW...

I don't quite follow your logic there LW....closed means closed.

Not many do.. :lol: :lol:

.I have been into NSW 3 times since the 'Closure'... You just need a Valid Excuse.. And living close to the Border also helps...

We are a 'Twin Town' after all... Lots of daily Business gets done and still needs to get done on each side of the Border...

How do you enforce a Lockdown if your town is cut in half by the Border like Goondiwindi QLD... One side of Main street is NSW, other side is QLD... Tweed Heads/ Coolangatta is the same...

LW....

It doesn't say we can't fossick, it says we cannot go to areas set aside for fossickers. erfect:

LW, I think you might have to check your map again in relation to Goondiwindi. The state border is the Macintyre River which flows south of town, not down the main street.

Apparently we are not on the same page here. My first post, #9, referred to the situation here on the Central Qld Gemfields and the closure of all Qld fossicking areas, nothing to do with the state border and crossing into NSW.

Pat is correct, the closure of the fossicking areas in Qld do not mean that people can't fossick, they just can't do it in state designated fossicking areas. The issue for us living here on the gemfields is not so much people fossicking, it is outsiders coming into our area during this crisis without a legitimate reason to do so.