Golden Triangle or Clermont?

[Bazzwaldo]

I have just organised 4 weeks off from mid July to mid August...this has taken an unreasonable amount of begging, promises that I can't keep and a fricken kidney!
So my next issue is where to go?????
I live on the Mid North Coast of NSW, roughly halfway between Victoria's famous Golden Triangle and Queensland's rejuvenated Clermont (well 2 new GLA's)
My gold prospecting escapades is one year old, making me a newbie.
Bit the bullet last year and did a lap around Australia fruit picking and gold'n gem prospecting ticking off a bucket lister
If we ever do it again, I'd go anti-clockwise....hitting the northern part our Australia in late August till early November was just a little too much for me!
Spent some valuable prospecting time in Tassie building until mid May, so much so that I drove straight from Melbourne to Kalgoorlie missing the Golden Triangle all together
The heat ran me out of Halls creek, so I stopped off at Kunanurra for a week then worked the gem fields in Rubyvale for 3 weeks
I met up with a Tassie fulla there who said he'd done well in Clermont and was next heading down to the Triangle, we showed each other our finds and convinced me it wasnt too hot to swing the 7000 next door in Clermont
Only spent a week there and recovered 15 bits all up, however on my last day I started getting deep lead-shot on the outskirts of a flogged to death patch
Got me thinking that anyone would have dug those signals....so figured they'd been missed. If they'd been missed, what else has been missed???
The bugger about the Golden Triangle is Ive never been there and don't know who to ask or where to start swinging, at least at Clermont, I could start off where I left off and then try my luck on the new GLA's
Where would you go or what would you do if it was your 4 week trip?
Bazza

 

[RM Outback]

G'day Bazza at that time of year if it were me I'd be going to Claremont 1 weather 2 you've got some bearings to get started without any delays 3 the GT can be very cold and hard going at that time of year 4 the new GPA's that haven't had every man and his dog crawl over it for the past 40 years.

The best time for a venture to the GT imo is now Autumn generally mild days with cool to cold nights and crisp mornings.

 

[LONEWOLF]

Clermont would be my choice too... Then, when you have found enough Gold, it's only a short drive to the Gemfields...Win Win I say...

And if anyone thinks that the 2 new areas opened up haven't been done over... People have been jumping the fences for Years up there...

LW....

 

[lordo.1]

GT will be really cold that time of year and can be wet.

 

[user 7268]

Bazzwaldo by any chance did the Tassie chap have a slide on camper on an extended Tray ? Could be a bloke I know ?
Funny thing about Clermont ............. on trips north I drive straight thru it ................ don't even stop They talk of the new GPA's that have been opened, but as has been mentioned they have already been flogged for years. New GPA maybe, but it's certainly not new ground. One leaseholder there was a happy chap, as he scraped the ground to detect and before he got a chance to detect it himself, someone else had done it for him
If they really want the tourists back they need to open a free camping area closer to the GPA's. Theresa Creek dam is a top spot but only problem is you clock up some huge K's along with a fuel bill to match travelling back n forth to the GPA areas daily. A good option is Wolf's lease, as you can prospect on and also is a top place to camp, so one can always base ones self there and also do the GPA's. Cheaper and much more friendly an environment than the park in town, plus your camped on the gold so to speak :Y: Wolfs lease you can also run a quad or bikes unlike on the GPA's being another plus. Free camping at the BP coming into Clermont but can be dodgy leaving gear there during the day, plus being a truck stop, is very noisy thru out the night. But very friendly and generous owners giving free use of showers and toilets also:Y:

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=23242

One advantage of the triangle being, is it gives you a heap of options regards where you go ?
At the end of the day it's always nice to have choices ............... happy hunting :Y:

 

[LONEWOLF]

I have heard on another Forum that camping at the Dam can be risky too... :| I don't like to travel too far from my camp... 8)

LW....

 

[RM Outback]

Your right about the GT options Bogger :Y: it'd have to be in 10 times area in excess of Claremont but can be real nasty weather wise at that time of year. Mind you there are some days even weeks in the Vic winter if your out doors can be an experience to be remembered. Regards to area size the other plus is if it's ordinary in one place it's bearable in another but to far apart for anyone to pick up stumps and relocate because the next day can be horrible where it was nice the day before. That's why it's Gods country ] :Y: ya know your alive. All said and done if I were to have a months holiday I'd prefer predictable weather if it was an option.

 

[Bazzwaldo]

Firstly thanks to the responders, all the comments are greatly appreciated!
Its given me the advice I needed, Ill turn my attention on heading North as the weather down GT way can be a bit dodgy that time of year (didnt even think of it!!!)
Hi Bogger, from memory, the Tassie fulla (top bloke) has done this trip a fair few times, going way up north into QLD then down to the GT in Vic, he reported a dream run on a recent back-burnt patch (Ill keep the location secret) and had some very respectable pieces to show.he had a slide on camper on what looked like an extended tray. We sat across the road from the Sapphire Caravan park and petrol station, I was in a Ford Transit van
Actually I met heaps of prospectors on our travels, some who do the circuit year round, (hi Gary and Irena, Eric, Kate and Tony), the legends who do the trip to Sandstone each year (hi Max, Jacko and Brian), the Laverton crew (Hey George and Peter, thanks heaps for the tips), I could go on, every group we met up with were great, from sharing tips on how to tune my GPZ, spots to try or other advice like best places to get good drinking water, cheaper petrol, decent camping sites etc.
I actually bought my GPZ from a bloke who lives in Clermont, was trying to catch up with him last year but unfortunately he was out of town getting shoulder surgery at the time I was there.Id like to catch up with him too and get out for a swing, hopefully this trip!
I like the sound of that private gold lease, sounds like my cup of tea, anyone have any luck out there?
Im gonna try my hand on the way up stopping off in Warwick, itll take a week of solid swingin to get my ear back in!
Cheers and thanks for the advice so far!
Bazza

 

[user 7268]

Tassie bloke sounds like the same guy ............... he wasn't happy in Clermont last as was waiting for a new screen or handle of the Z. Wolfs lease is probably best option camp wise in Clermont without doubt, and now you don't need GPA fee's to be paid basically pays for your time there plus give you a top camp spot. Last I was there a full time caretaker was there so no problems leaving gear during the day. Have heard a few have done alright on the lease, but like anywhere ya just gotta walk over it
Good luck and happy swinging