Detecting Old Timer's Shallow Workings - is it worth it?

[Goldfield Joe]

I would be interested to get other people's views on this.

In My area around Avoca, there are lots of shallow workings from the old timers.

I have tried detecting these sorts of areas with no success at all, Mullocks, creek beds, washes etc.

Both of my nuggets to date have come from areas that are not already marked (I'm using Geovic Maps) as having workings but when I found them, existing workings were nearby in both cases.

So perhaps more will come from the areas surrounding old workings?

Bear in mind I am quite new to this...

 

[Oldfella]

Hi Goldfield Joe,
If there's a lot of shallow diggings it usually means that they found something. Its always worth looking, also if on a slope, make sure you work the area below the diggings. Gold has the uncanny ability to be where you least expect it

Cheers

 

[scottlucky]

Hi Joe
I am new to is as well and would be interested in the feedback for this post.
How long have you been trying?
I have never tried the Avoca area. Wineries being the exception.

Scottlucky

 

[old hand]

Hi Joe there are many spots close to Avoca that are worth trying Homebush, Mount Hut, Amphitheatre, Redbank and Landsborough these are just a few to mention .Between Maryborough and Avoca there are many areas worth looking at , have a look at BUNG BONG work the slopes work slow and check all signals regards john

 

[Drbean]

Hey mate used to think the same but hey I got 2 X .15 grams on fathers day.The boys are right go slow and check out around diggings. What machine are you using and coil size ? The old timers new there stuff so there was or still is gold in these areas.Dr

 

[joao garimpeiro]

Hi Joe,

Here in Brasil if there's a lot of shallow diggings it usually means that they found something
but here the gold is not only on the surface, sometimes found gold nugget with 2 meters deep dug and then we throw the gravel out of the hole and spread it for about 10cm and then there passed the detector across the gravel so not lose even the smallest nugget of gold. gold here in Brazil usually from top to bottom

Joo garimpeiro - Brasil

 

[Goldfield Joe]

Well I went out for a few hours again yesterday, tried some existing old timer's workings. Got some Fuggets but no gold 8.(

For those of you who have found gold in these types of spots, do you specifically work only old diggings areas or do you look for new areas as well?

A bloke I know who is quite successful said he's always on the lookout for places the old timers didn't dig in known gold bearing areas. He told me to look for Quartzy gravel in places.

The trouble is, just about everywhere I go is Quartzy and gravelly. But this looks suspiciously like areas that have been Surfaced down to bedrock.

I would hate to spend day after day looking only to find I'm wasting my time.

 

[Metamorphic]

Thats the nature of our business Joe,

Never yield to despair mate!
Gold is hard to find in the best of locations, and sometimes found where you would least expect it.

Wasting your time would be sitting home watching TV......If your out there swinging the coil, your in with a chance my good man!

No one can tell you where you will find it, do a lot of reading and research of your intended area, always have a plan of attack and tread your own path

Regards

 

[Sa_bogan]

Thats the nature of our business Joe,

Never yield to despair mate!
Gold is hard to find in the best of locations, and sometimes found where you would least expect it.

Wasting your time would be sitting home watching TV......If your out there swinging the coil, your in with a chance my good man!

No one can tell you where you will find it, do a lot of reading and research of your intended area, always have a plan of attack and tread your own path

Regards

i agree with you mate, id rather be out there detecting than sitting behind a computer thinking about it. You can only find it if your lucky enough to work out where it is and to walk over it!

Good luck

 

[nuggetino]

It's always exiting to find a heavily worked area of shallow diggings. Least you know good gold was found in these areas. Chances are that more often than not a hundred or more people have been to these spots before you and already carefully worked over the diggings. It's possible this is why you may find the gold further away from the diggings where people have been detecting with less efficiency.

 

[goldtruck59]

Most of my finds have been from the edges of surfaced areas or surfaced areas themselves. I have never found a nugget in a mullock heap.
I like the sound of nearby worked areas and new ground, but it is where you find it as they say.

 

[PhaseTech]

It's always exiting to find a heavily worked area of shallow diggings. Least you know good gold was found in these areas. Chances are that more often than not a hundred or more people have been to these spots before you and already carefully worked over the diggings. It's possible this is why you may find the gold further away from the diggings where people have been detecting with less efficiency.

Exactly, but try a thousand people or more! The diggings are the obvious spot most people try - and with good reason - a lot of gold has come off them! My best luck off old diggings has been where there are patches of dense vegetation, or surface litter and get right in there! Why? Most people are just lazy and can't be bothered, so that's where there's targets left behind.

Nenad

 

[Goldfield Joe]

Yes I am concentrating on the areas close by to them now. In my area there is dense vegetation almost everywhere so I guess I am in with a chance!

I am now carrying my trusty rake every time I go detecting. It makes such a difference to remove that surface layer of leaf and stick litter!

It's actually how I found my second nugget, old diggings not far away and I raked a 3X3m spot, nugget was in the first one and I gridded out from there.
Thanks for the good info.

Joe.