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Kjmm6570

Kevin
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Hi All,
We have just come back from doing a couple of weeks fossicking around some common sites in NSW. The first week was pretty enjoyable and we found a couple of nice specimens, which I hope are sapphire. But the second week was a disaster!

Started out hiring a simple detector and taking it up to Sofala area where we headed to some old diggings at Wattle Flats and spent the entire day wandering around the bush like a couple of lost children not really knowing what land formations we needed to be looking at as the area was pretty well disturbed by previous diggings. I did however manage to find half a horse shoe, a few bullets and two hot rocks that have since proven to be lumps of iron. No luck but still feeling excited we headed to Wee Jasper for maybe some gold, but really looking for sapphires. Apart from driving around the area and not really knowing where to set ourselves up, when we finally did, it was very apparent that the areas we had chosen had nothing but a lot of jasper, river pebble and not much else.

So my question is, as a starting point, what are the outstanding landforms/ features or geology that make a site viable for further inspection?

We both really enjoy the idea of prospecting, but the reality was that we were very unprepared and clearly unaware of what we should have been looking for. (Apart form quartz and ironstone that is) lesson definitely learnt the hard way, and probably a very common trap for anyone who is heading out for the first time.

I am hoping that I might be able to gather enough info so the next chance we get to head off fossicking again, we can feel confident that we stand a small chance of success.

Any suggestions from the knowledge pool would be very much appreciated :)

Cheers

Kev
 
Did you go to McPherson's Creek? 100% you will find gold if your on the diggings there.

Gold's not near the camping area. Have to go to McPherson's Creek at Wee Jasper. Not for detecting but panning for gold or sapphires.

Redmanti said:
Drive to Wee Jasper. Cross the bridge over the river. At the junction turn left. Drive along until the turn to Tumut. Drive past the camping reserve up the dirt road and follow the map.

There is not enough water for a Highbanker. It is not a Highbanker zone. You need to expect blackberries and the insects can be bad at times. Best thing actually is to fill up on some buckets of dirt and take them down to the main camping area where you can pan away at the creek in comfort. The gold is very chunky and you need to puddle it out. Camping is about $7-$8 a night.

No fuel at Wee Jasper.

Sapphires there as well. Wal & Liz know all about that.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/368/1371390461_wee_jasper_2.jpg
 
Thanks Redmanti, when I googled Macphersons creek, it took me up Gordans road and into a state forestry area. But didn't show it as the map does
 
Kjmm6570 said:
Thanks Redmanti, when I googled Macphersons creek, it took me up Gordans road and into a state forestry area. But didn't show it as the map does

Really hard to find unless you have a map. Spent my first trip just trying to find it with a couple of false turns.

You WILL find gold if you get to the places on the map. There isn't much water. It's easier to fill up wash higher in the diggings and then wash them at the camping area near the creek at your leisure. The gold is bigger than Oallen flour gold.

There will be very little water there in the summer. Tuena and Oallen Ford for Highbankers. Suggest joining up with someone nearby.

I'm off to my regular dig tomorrow near Eden.
 
Thanks Redmanti, good luck for tomorrow, hopefully the rain stays away.

Cheers
Kev
 

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