Interesting story. Captions for pics are included in the text below, but you will get the gist of it, complete story with pics at the link.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08...nsland-as-prospectors-comb-cloncurry/12518732
"Prospectors have flocked to north Queensland to comb the hills for gold after the precious metal reached unchartered territory last week.
Key points:
Prospectors have been combing north Queensland gold fields in recent weeks, looking to capitalise on record prices
The gold price reached more than US$2,000 an ounce last week for the first time
Prospective explorers are being reminded to get a licence from the Queensland Government before searching for gold
For the first time in history, the gold price has climbed above US$2,000 an ounce this week.
Third-generation Cloncurry explorer John Walton said the rising price was good news for the north-west Queensland town, which had experienced boom and bust over the years.
"There's a lot of hardship and hard drilling that produces nothing," Mr Walton said.
"But it's good if you know that the price of gold is that high."
There is only one public fossicking area in the Cloncurry Shire, and Mr Walton, who enjoyed having the hillside to himself until recently, said tourists had been flocking there since travel restrictions eased in Queensland in early July and they were asking for advice.
"They all wanted to know where the gold is and they don't want little bits of gold they want the big bits of gold," he joked.
"You tell them the best place to go is a place called wild goose creek so you send them off on a wild goose chase."
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Metal detectors running out
metal detector in grass
Although finding rare metals is the objective, a lot of fossickers find other pieces of scrap like tin and horseshoes on the hills in Cloncurry.(ABC North West Queensland: Kemii Maguire)
The gold rush has also been noticed closer to the east coast and Frieda Berry-Porter from Outback Prospector in Clermont said prospectors were buying up metal detectors.
"We have trouble some days supplying detectors for our interested customers," Ms Berry-Porter said.
"The huge demand is across not just Australia but other countries as well."
Ms Berry-Porter said while gold prices were playing a part in the renewed interest in prospecting, she also suspected people were looking to go outdoors after the recent lockdown.
"For some physical and mental stress relief in responding to the coronavirus, I think it's good therapy for a lot of people," she said.
"We've seen a lot of new faces and people who have really never had an interest or tried the activities before."
Chinaman Creek Dam Hill at sunrise.
The hills of Cloncurry are a popular destination for gold fossickers looking to capitalise on record prices.(Supplied: Cloncurry Shire Council)
Exploration companies revive old mines
The record gold prices have also been a boost to exploration companies looking to start larger-scale mines in the area, like the Tick Hill mine that has been dormant for more than two decades.
Carnaby Resources managing director Rob Watkins said the company's plans to reopen Tick Hill were progressing a lot better because of the current market.
"In normal gold price environments, a lot of these deposits wouldn't get mined," Mr Watkins said.
man with metal detector
Third-generation explorer John Walton says the gold price is exciting for Cloncurry.(ABC North West Queensland: Kemii Maguire)
"But with the gold price having gone up so much in the past 12 months, it's completely changed the dynamics now."
The company recently signed a deal to process the gold in Cloncurry and Mr Watkins said the aim was to move into production before the end of the year.
"It's pretty exciting times and I think we might be at the start of a big gold boom," he said.
Prospecting requires a licence from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08...nsland-as-prospectors-comb-cloncurry/12518732
"Prospectors have flocked to north Queensland to comb the hills for gold after the precious metal reached unchartered territory last week.
Key points:
Prospectors have been combing north Queensland gold fields in recent weeks, looking to capitalise on record prices
The gold price reached more than US$2,000 an ounce last week for the first time
Prospective explorers are being reminded to get a licence from the Queensland Government before searching for gold
For the first time in history, the gold price has climbed above US$2,000 an ounce this week.
Third-generation Cloncurry explorer John Walton said the rising price was good news for the north-west Queensland town, which had experienced boom and bust over the years.
"There's a lot of hardship and hard drilling that produces nothing," Mr Walton said.
"But it's good if you know that the price of gold is that high."
There is only one public fossicking area in the Cloncurry Shire, and Mr Walton, who enjoyed having the hillside to himself until recently, said tourists had been flocking there since travel restrictions eased in Queensland in early July and they were asking for advice.
"They all wanted to know where the gold is and they don't want little bits of gold they want the big bits of gold," he joked.
"You tell them the best place to go is a place called wild goose creek so you send them off on a wild goose chase."
Find more local news
Tell us your location and find more local ABC News and information
Metal detectors running out
metal detector in grass
Although finding rare metals is the objective, a lot of fossickers find other pieces of scrap like tin and horseshoes on the hills in Cloncurry.(ABC North West Queensland: Kemii Maguire)
The gold rush has also been noticed closer to the east coast and Frieda Berry-Porter from Outback Prospector in Clermont said prospectors were buying up metal detectors.
"We have trouble some days supplying detectors for our interested customers," Ms Berry-Porter said.
"The huge demand is across not just Australia but other countries as well."
Ms Berry-Porter said while gold prices were playing a part in the renewed interest in prospecting, she also suspected people were looking to go outdoors after the recent lockdown.
"For some physical and mental stress relief in responding to the coronavirus, I think it's good therapy for a lot of people," she said.
"We've seen a lot of new faces and people who have really never had an interest or tried the activities before."
Chinaman Creek Dam Hill at sunrise.
The hills of Cloncurry are a popular destination for gold fossickers looking to capitalise on record prices.(Supplied: Cloncurry Shire Council)
Exploration companies revive old mines
The record gold prices have also been a boost to exploration companies looking to start larger-scale mines in the area, like the Tick Hill mine that has been dormant for more than two decades.
Carnaby Resources managing director Rob Watkins said the company's plans to reopen Tick Hill were progressing a lot better because of the current market.
"In normal gold price environments, a lot of these deposits wouldn't get mined," Mr Watkins said.
man with metal detector
Third-generation explorer John Walton says the gold price is exciting for Cloncurry.(ABC North West Queensland: Kemii Maguire)
"But with the gold price having gone up so much in the past 12 months, it's completely changed the dynamics now."
The company recently signed a deal to process the gold in Cloncurry and Mr Watkins said the aim was to move into production before the end of the year.
"It's pretty exciting times and I think we might be at the start of a big gold boom," he said.
Prospecting requires a licence from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
