Fossicking with kids in Northern Rivers NSW

Just spent an afternoon at Steve's property in the Hogarth Range, and found heaps of Labradorite, well over 1/4kg in all with the biggest stones being in the 30ct range, some are absolutely crystal clear and will make awesome cutters! What a beautiful spot, peace and quiet with the occasional Whipbird in the scrub.


Before we left we decided to check out a couple of other spots where people had already been scratching, couldn't believe the stones they had missed, 15mins flicking through one small pile yeilded some nice additions to our haul!

This place is amazing :Y: :Y:

Nice haul there Dihusky! :Y: Yes, if it's anything like the Springsure stuff it's easy to miss on the ground - it's so clear that you just look right through it and it seems to blend in with the ground.

Bit hard to tell from the photo - is the material colourless like quartz crystal? Most of the Springsure material has a yellow tint, though some is virtually colourless.

Do any of the pieces you got display a shiller?

Anyway, you won't be short of faceting material there by the looks

Yeah Lefty, plenty of cutting material, most is clear without any tint, some has some rutile in it which could mate for some really interesting looking stones when cut. Shiller... no none spotted unfortunately.

Just done a final grade in the sunlight and the new stone garden at the front of the house will have a heap of sparkle interesting marketing when we come to sell..."Comes with semi-precious gem garden", recon yours could be a fossickers paradise ickshovel: layful:

Need to spend a day or so in Springsure next time we head to the gem fields

Hi LyndellMaree,

I've been told by a couple of people I've met around Byron that Rosebank is a good place to fossick for gems and rocks. My interest is more with gold but when I've asked locally about prospecting for nuggets the subject has often turned to semi-precious stones. One of the blokes I had a chat with told me he lives out at Rosebank and has had good finds looking in the creek which his property is adjacent too. He suggested I try looking at Rosebank causeway. I took my detector there one day (I didn't find any gold) but the spot is easily accessible and the creek is wide at that point and quite shallow. I don't think I'm able to post pictures yet so cannot give you a map but if you head East from the Rosebank Store along Eureka rd you will find it. Good Luck!! :gemstone:

Justin

You must be referring to Coopers Creek, probably find most of the creeks around that area could be carrying all sorts of interesting rough considering the locations proximity to Volcanic activity

Yes Dihusky that is the creek i went to. That spot has some advantages, it's shallow and somewhere to park the car and accessible without going into private land which is why it was recommended to me.

LyndellMaree said:

Hi

My daughter and her young cousin (under 7) have shown an interest in rocks and I wanted to encourage that by taking them out for a fossick. Agates will keep them occupied for now - I remember lots of school holidays sitting on a creek side looking for them my selves, but now have no idea where to take them locally.

Could anyone point me to somewhere local (Lismore surrounds) for a day trip to take them?

Much appreciated

Click to expand...

Hi LyndellMaree,
Just wondering if you found any other places? Weve heard the near tevan/Alstonville there is opal... but unsure exactly where!! Id love to share spots if you have any. We just got back from Ewingar state forest and have the bug.....

You're referring to Tintenbar opal, don't know the extent of the deposit but it's on private land and have locked up the shafts I gather.

Out of the 4 locations in the area, There is only 1 spot that isn't on private property, and not much has been found there lately.... Don't bother asking permission as No is the common answer... The opal is a Volcanic type and must be kept in water or it will crack... And will also fade in the sun...
When they were building the new bypass there was some found but was very hush as jobs were threatened if caught Fossicking... The new tunnel had quartz crystals in it and all of this was sent away to be turned into lovely quartz stones for the garden...

The small deposits of Opal are more like a small open-cut... I have been to 2 areas and have found a very small piece on one of them, and that was the 'Public' area....

But, here's the bad bit, every time I pass this location, I stop and have a little dig and I often thought of the Legalities of this area and was proven correct last visit when Officer Plod from the local highway patrol stopped and kindly informed me that what I was doing was a no no in the area beside the road... So Diggers Beware...

One day I may find a better bit for the Collection... Plenty of Common Opal in the whole area, but nothing real good...

LW...

Rawcus_01 said:

Above are pictures of the Labradorite I found at Hogarth Range a few days ago. I accidently posted the second photo twice. I really like the piece with the rainbow shimmer in the first photo.

Lone Wolf, me and a friend paid Steve $5 for both us to go and have a dig, well I say dig but most of the material was almost on the surface and the more we dug the less we found.

Click to expand...

Hi, any idea who might be accepting of people paying to play on their property?
Ty
Trudi

Trudi said:

Hi, any idea who might be accepting of people paying to play on their property?
Ty
Trudi

Click to expand...

Most people won't give out details of their private property access.

There may be some places that offer fossicking & advertise it?
There is Aroona Glen but these might be to far south? https://www.facebook.com/groups/994746077307996/

https://www.inverell.com.au/choose-your-own-adventure/fossicking/