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boobook said:
Just found this forum and this post im only just looking at getting into this prospecting thing now hence looking at the site.
But living in Clermont there has been work out in the gpa's over the last few years im told covering over old open mine shafts as apparently few people fell in them.
McDonald flat road gpa still has plenty of signs of the old timers in there tho even old machinery still there rusting away.
I know alot of gold still comes out of the gpa's so font dismiss old Clermont that quickly
IN sa for twenty years and have found 100 x more gold in qld in the last 25 years .You do need a licence in qld and u need a car tag for clermont g.p.aTassie Daz said:Clermont the Dud.
In one of my earlier posts I mentioned I was going to have a bit to say about one of the places I visited while on holidays. I expect that my comments are going to raise some argument but so be it. There will be those who disagree with the comments but I'm sure there will be those who agree too. So here goes.
We had travelled through NT, to Qld and as we were going right past, I decided to call into CLERMONT for a swing. While there I met a number of other detectorists and there were those who had luck but many more who did not. [Machines ranged from Garrett to Minelabs and more.]
Those who manage the fossicking in the area have deemed it necessary for all fossickers to hold a current Qld Fossickers License, but you are not told that until you front up to the local detecting shop to pay your money, or to the caravan park where they too, can issue the local kit. [Contents: See below] I don't travel with printing facilities so there was the added hassles of trying to produce the License so it could be sighted by those who would issue my kit. [It begs the question, If there is all this red tape, who polices those who choose not to buy the kit and what are the penalties for not doing so, because there are those who don't buy the kit.
Just on the one day I visited Black Ridge, there were 2 guys who fronted up, read the sign and disappeared without having the paper work, to detect for about 4hrs. [I saw their cars as we left in another location, and they had plainly jumped a fence to detect in that spot.]
And the contents of the kit? Well that's another joke. In it, the kit contains 9 maps of all 9 areas that are deemed GPA's [General Permission Areas] where you can detect freely. What the kit doesn't tell you is that there are no signs of the Old Timers diggings left for you to try to read. In the years since their hard yakka, the ground has been shoved, scraped, dozed and brutalized in many ways so that any possible evidence of their work has been removed. [There's nothing left to read] Even as late as 2 weeks ago, one of the local landowners was on one of the GPA's[not his land] with his dozer, pushing stuff around.
So you might ask, Why the bitch? Well I went well out of my way, to visit this town. All up I travelled over 600 K's to and from, to be told I couldn't detect without my license. Then I was sold a bunch of crappy maps that were worthless for the everyday detectorist. Only the GPA's were deemed go zones, but there were heaps of State Forest areas that seemed out of bounds. Why?
To sum up, Clermont is a DUD, a worthless trip. Oh, it might have been great in years gone by, but today after the place has been cleaned up the only stuff left is small amounts of fly crap, as that local I mentioned called it.
So, if you are considering a detecting trip to this once great producing spot, then choose anywhere but Clermont, Qld.
There will be those who disagree with these comments, as I said earlier, because they were able to find some colour, indeed while we were there, rumours were rife of a 51g nugget found. I will say two things about that. Maybe the rumour was just that a rumour, and maybe the person who found some colour, actually had to jump a few fences to find it..........or he or she was just plain lucky.
Either way, I wont be going back to the Dud place called Clermont Qld.
Feel free to comment.
Since the early 80`s I`ve been hearing gold fields are "duds", "finished" etc etc. But DAZ only to those who aren`t prepared as you obviously weren`t for Clermont. A friend from the USA came over last winter to Clermont for a brief two week visit, he pre-booked some time with the local Detector Shop Proprietor to show him the ropes and scored gold that made him a happy chap.
To complain of "historic" mining sites being destroyed, that is so in every State, as it is also so in all States some areas are preserved, having enjoyed the Victorian State Forests myself, they are magic. Be assured as 30 plus years ago there is detectable gold still on fields that produced to the detector operator then, but to do so you must be prepared and capable. eg I live in a QLD shire that is bigger than Victoria, in that shire there is a number of preserved sites and I believe it is in other shires. Gold only comes to those who, as per the Scouts Golden Rule......Be Prepared....... tis the nature of the beast, otherwise it`d be worthless.
To complain of "historic" mining sites being destroyed, that is so in every State, as it is also so in all States some areas are preserved, having enjoyed the Victorian State Forests myself, they are magic. Be assured as 30 plus years ago there is detectable gold still on fields that produced to the detector operator then, but to do so you must be prepared and capable. eg I live in a QLD shire that is bigger than Victoria, in that shire there is a number of preserved sites and I believe it is in other shires. Gold only comes to those who, as per the Scouts Golden Rule......Be Prepared....... tis the nature of the beast, otherwise it`d be worthless.
Spot on Norvic . Study the area u going to then research it some more .Know where u going to suit the detector u are using . a few hours on the computer can save u hundreds on fuel and time .On most GPA they have been gone over every sq mt at one time or another .But with the rains up there a small % will be replaced so maybe u need a STC to get the fine stuff thats been washed in or missed or a more expensive one that if u can use will find gold at a meter or more .If u dont have the right detector and have not studied the area u proberly will come up with nutin and call it a DUD spot . Dont get me wrong i went there years ago and got nuttin . I now go further north where there is no GPA sites but do my homework and get permission to fossick on stations around gold bearing sites where i never see anyone except dingo shooters and station hands .Mate thats prospecting at its best.
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I know it's not Clermont but had an elderly couple come into our shop the other day after their annual trip to WA. They'd been detecting WA for about 20 years and before leaving for their recent adventure they'd mentioned the early days where a trip to the goldfields paid off their mortgage or renovated their home etc. They'd always come home with loads of gold. In the last 5 years they'd sworn there just wasn't much gold to be had and on a productive trip they'd come home with enough to pay the travel expenses. That's not to say they don't still love being out there. Well they came in with an exceptionally big grin recently and quietly told us they'd found 32 ounces on their latest trip literally just a few hundred meters from where they'd been detecting for years. Not only that but they reckon it could have been found with any cheapo detector so it was virgin ground. They don't prospect too remote as they like to return to a caravan park after a days detecting. Just goes to show how easy it is to miss a good patch even in areas which see high traffic. The stories of oldies always give me a much needed boost of inspiration before a prospecting adventure.
Spent 5 days detecting on a lease at Clermont. With the 4500 found 6 grams, mate found 10 swinging the Z. Best part is ya can camp on the lease and there are 3 GPA,S within 10 minutes of the lease. $20 a day to camp and swing. If anyone interested see JP at Clermont detector shop.
I have no connection with the lease owner, I found out about the place from a mate who was at the caravan Park.
Polky.
I have no connection with the lease owner, I found out about the place from a mate who was at the caravan Park.
Polky.
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Thanks for that policy.
That adds a positive, I mostly read of people not finding much.
How big is the lease?
That adds a positive, I mostly read of people not finding much.
How big is the lease?
Well done polky.
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Wow that's great news.
151OST
Andrew
polky said:
G'day polky, there is a lease to camp at on gum tree for Clermont, have you heard or know what it is like..? I'm new and was looking at possibly a trip out.. its on a 320acre block, camping was 100 a week, with no royayities..
thanks
Year mate, that's the same lease. You can camp anywhere on the lease.
The new caretaker has cleaned up a large area for camping. Cut stacks of fire wood
And set up a conversation area around a camp fire .I think he plans to set up hot shower.
Best part is ya camping on the gold and The four Mile, Mc masters and Birgham are all 5/10 minutes away.
You can book online or see JP at his shop in Clermont.
The more use it gets, the more it will stay open
Polky
The new caretaker has cleaned up a large area for camping. Cut stacks of fire wood
And set up a conversation area around a camp fire .I think he plans to set up hot shower.
Best part is ya camping on the gold and The four Mile, Mc masters and Birgham are all 5/10 minutes away.
You can book online or see JP at his shop in Clermont.
The more use it gets, the more it will stay open
Polky
Hey KM how ya doin. Year saves driving from Clermont to the gold and back each day.
The new caretaker has done a really good job set the place up for campers
There,s fresh water,firewood flat areas for campers and caravans.
Well worth a trip out there.
Polky
The new caretaker has done a really good job set the place up for campers
There,s fresh water,firewood flat areas for campers and caravans.
Well worth a trip out there.
Polky
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Thanks Polky we are heading up 3rd June was going to stay a few days at Clermont on our way to Forsayth we will defiantly stay longer at Clermont. We will book to stay there.
It really is great news.
Thanks
K_M
It really is great news.
Thanks
K_M
Twapster
Peter
I'm currently camping at the lease, and I can vouch its a top location and caretaker Paul has been very helpful. The best part is the lack of junk targets. Everyone's finding gold if they put the time in so that's the other good part.
Twapster
Peter
Sorry for the late reply, 2 ways in, 20 foot vans can make it. Talk to Paul the caretaker I can PM u his number re pets no idea.
Why stay at the caravan park when you can sleep on the gold! Works out cheaper.
Why stay at the caravan park when you can sleep on the gold! Works out cheaper.
Why stay at the caravan park when you can sleep on the gold! Works out cheaper.
For sure and a far better nights sleep and way way more friendly I found and that's gold in itself
Also free camping is available with toilets and showers at the BP just before the roundabout on the Gregory Highway .................. bit of noise due to truck movement during the night but can save you a couple of hundred dollars a week :Y:
For sure and a far better nights sleep and way way more friendly I found and that's gold in itself
Also free camping is available with toilets and showers at the BP just before the roundabout on the Gregory Highway .................. bit of noise due to truck movement during the night but can save you a couple of hundred dollars a week :Y:
Twapster
Peter
Of course I will clarify that I have no issue with staying at the CP, I'm sure that's great too. But when I did my research on Clermont it seemed that was the only option.
Loads of people staying at the BP, which I thought was just a single overnighter sort of deal.....spoke to one guy who was on his 3rd week there.
The lease works out cheaper as long as you have the tools/toys to sustain yourself in the bush....but then its only 30 mins back to town for re supplies!
Loads of people staying at the BP, which I thought was just a single overnighter sort of deal.....spoke to one guy who was on his 3rd week there.
The lease works out cheaper as long as you have the tools/toys to sustain yourself in the bush....but then its only 30 mins back to town for re supplies!
