barraba / bingara

pauly250 said:

check out WOODSREEF there was working gold mines in the area up until the 80,s. i was working at a mine in the area last year and purchased the narrabri regional government geological record book from miners den parramatta and there were hundreds of places gold was found in the original surveys.
Drive up the manilla road ,there is a section called "fossickers way"

Click to expand...

aka Ruby Hill

G'day

The Peel Fault is a veritable smorgasboard of mineral goodies with everything from gold & gems through to asbestos and yellow cake. A lot of the historical areas like Crow Mountain are on private land and unaccessable. There are a couple of fossicking areas still available but have been given the standard going-over most of these areas have. My best spot and my best finds are in this region but it took at least 5 trips and a year of intense research before I got the result I was after. For an experienced prospector there is still gold the old boys missed, not just river specs
I worked with an old engineer who used to fill a match box with bean sized nuggets every available weekend during the 70's and 80's with his shovel and pan from a secret spot out that way. He passed it on to me but his memory was a bit rusty, hence it taking me so long to dial in the location.
This is the map he drew me. If you can make sense of it good luck and I'll see you out there

I'm not giving any more away but there are still rewards to be had by somebody that knows what to look for and can think outside the square.
Research, research, research

Cheers

Chimpy

Do you live in the area Chimpy?

Nevermind, just saw the Nelson Bay thing on the side lol.

Do you go around the Barraba area of the fault or the southern end?

G'day

Mate, the better but harder to find gold is around the Barraba area, up towards the Bingara end is smaller, easier to find stuff. The fault runs almost to the coast and is associated with the patchy, thin lenticular reefs that are around the Colongalook (? spelling) and Bulladelah areas

Cheers

Chimpy

Cheers, Barraba is the area I have been directing most of my research attention to lately. I didn't realise that the fault wrapped around and headed east - just kinda figured it stopped around that stewarts brook area.

Thanks heaps chimpy for sharing some clues

G'day

I had to locate an old bush dump that hasn't existed for 20 years to find a referance point. A lot of door knocking and picking the old locals memories before I got a result. I'll give you one more tip. I have to dig around 3-4 feet deep to find untouched bedrock. Never found much in the shallower wash layers. Not even flood gold. And if you don't get the odd buckshot in your pan somebody has probably already dug that spot

Cheers

Chimpy

pauly250 said:

check out WOODSREEF there was working gold mines in the area up until the 80,s. i was working at a mine in the area last year and purchased the narrabri regional government geological record book from miners den parramatta and there were hundreds of places gold was found in the original surveys.
Drive up the manilla road ,there is a section called "fossickers way"

Click to expand...

You maybe a little confused with asbestos mine, which closed in early 1980s, gold mines havent been operating since 1900. And fossickers way runs for Manilla to warrialda , couple hundred kms