deep find

g,day fellow prospectors. mrs reynard (or the vixen) depending how brave i feel, spent the last four days at smythsdale 30km from ballarat. two days detecting and apart from the march flies that are ferocious we had a great time. on saturday afternoon i was working a nice looking area about eighty meters above a well worked creek between two side runs of diggings. there was heaps of junk about and i was nearly ready to give up on the area when i got a real screamer and thought more junk. but after doing minelab golds training day i said no i have to make sure, so after digging down about eighteen inches i struck a layer of rock and man was it packed in tight. it took a while but i managed to prise out couple. the 4500 with a 15" evo was screaming but something was wrong as i felt it was man made as the rocks seemed different. by this time i was knackered so a quick call to mrs reynard and she brought me in the bigger pick and her 4500 with a 14x9 n.f. much better to pinpoint with.well with the bigger pick i got through the rocks and at about two and a half feet found a miners pick head and what remained of a shovel head i was not disappointed as i had expected something along these lines. i took the pick and after putting back the rocks and after filling in the hole we headed out. it was on the way out i started to think why would anybody go to so much trouble to bury a pick and shovel, it must have been well over one hundred years ago, bury them yes but a layer of rocks as well mmmm.i do not know how big the rock layer is as i only dug where the signal was. i would be interested to hear some of your ideas.i know what i think is there what about you.

Did you get the shovel out and check the hole again? Some old timer might have buried their stash under it. Or I wonder if it might be a grave.

Sounds like a grave....I would return the pick

Yeah, the poor buggy is lost in his after life.
I'll haunt anyone who takes the pick out of my grave after I'm gone. Ha ha

yes boys thats what i thought as well it looks like on my next trip i will have to reopen the hole and return the poor old buggers pick

Could put two shovels there, he can take his pick.

Sounds like a grave. Putting a little cross of stones may stop it being disturbed again.

thanks harry, yes i will put something on it to mark it. it would be great to establish the history of him but the chances off that are slim. but gee i love our history i will have talk with him when i give him back his pick.

hi chewy don't worry i checked it out zero that was before i realized what it was

ha ha limpalot i like it

Hi Reynard,

I seen this post a few days back, very interesting indeed. How good of condition is the pick maybe you can trade mine for his and when you go back just have a talk with him and explain to him to look after mine as I will put his to very good use.

Be good to hear back on your findings if or when you visit that area again for more inspection.

We actually found a hole the other day with about 12 bullets fired into the same area, while digging there were bones. Im guessing someone laid a fair few rounds into an animal, was hoping that there wasnt a necklace, ring or a watch in close proximity.

Its just amazing what we find in our travels.

Cheers M.G

nah the pick has got to go back i,m sorry mate i will make you one if you like but i don't think it will find as much gold as stubby

Thats fine Reynard,

Hope it gets to rest back with his owner again. Bjay mentioned to retire mine, too much work to bring back and the time it would take I am better of retiring it and buying a new one. Man Cave trophy

All the best

Check it is a grave could be a hidden reef with the prospectors kit hidden waitng for his return that never happened, but my gut says burial.

that was my original thought a.f. but after thinking about it i am quite sure it is a grave, the only way to be certain would be to dig him up and i am not going to do that. no the next trip i will replace his pick and place a marker on the spot. i think he would be chuffed to know of all this interest in him after all this time.

interesting find
maybe the local historical society may have an interest?

cheers

well fellow prospectors you will be pleased to know that last week i went back and returned the old blokes pick, i reopened the grave
and put it all back as i first found it. I also made him a headstone, so none of you blokes make the same mistake as i did.
So if you are out in the bush having a swing and come across him dip ya lid and say g'day

Well done mate. The Aussie in all of us thank you for paying respects to him.
Kind regards
Mackka :Y:

Great story and a top effort returning the old man's pick :Y: well done reynard.

That's awesome so nice of you!