Grabben Gullen information and questions

[richo966]

I will grab the next one I see and demand he give me a big sapphire or I eat him haha :lol:

 

[Quickey]

Geez guys I'm heading out there again next week! Gonna have to find me some steel leggings 8.(

 

[Palmer9999]

Haha yeah mate good luck in the ring with the snakes!

Palmer

 

[Palmer9999]

Please if anyone that goes to the creek soon can you please take a picture of the creek so I get a idea of how the creek has been recently.

Palmer

 

[stevepie1]

Taken sunday 5/10/14

 

[Greg&Nat]

Hey Heatho

Was the road still closed after the fossicking area?

 

[Palmer9999]

Ahh thanks where abouts in the creek was that???

Palmer

 

[stevepie1]

On the private property,downstream from the bridge.

 

[Palmer9999]

Ok cool, I'll try it out.

Palmer

 

[blayke]

hey guys so im in one of the worst areas in Aus for fossicking/prospecting (sunshine coast QLD near brisbane)

usually head to Sapphire to have a week on the gemfields a couple weeks of the year and to see my mum spend some time digging but i really want to try somewhere new.

so i am going to plan a week/10 day trip to GG for both gold and gems using a Walbanker. i would love some advice from some locals of the area specifically on the best times of the year to make the trek down. temperatures/water level etc etc.

was planning to just stay at the camping area but open to suggestions also

any advice and tips are much appreciated, would love to meet up with some members down that way for a couple coldies while im there also.

 

[Heatho]

Plenty of great spots much closer to you mate. New England area has heaps of Sapphire and Gold. Glenn Innes/Inverell area for Sapphire and Drake area for Gold. Torrington for Emerald/Beryl, Topaz, Sapphire, Garnet. Bingara for Gold and Gems also.

Highbanking at GG you will need to have a chat to the property owner or you'll just be digging mostly tailings at the public area. Not much gold there either. Good Sapphires there but you need to get away from the public area. Tuena is just up the road too, nice spot with good gold.

Either way hope you have a great trip.

 

[blayke]

Ah Ye but I'm keen to get some tuena time in aswell plus I'm keen to dig sapphires with a banker...no equipment allowed in qld so makes for very slow digging plus the whole history of the area I wanna check out Ophir and spend a day sightseeing some of the historical areas
If anyone has contact details for the landowners or could contact them for me would be great. I am More than happy to share my findings aswell with the landowners and abide their rules but any help is amazing

 

[Twapster]

I think GG is about washing the right layers, if you sieve around you will always get something but its finding the band of sapphires that isn't discussed much. You can high-bank all day for bugger all if you are in the wrong spot. Sieving is guaranteed fun!

 

[blayke]

mmm yeh i enjoy sieving but i can do that up in the central QLD gemfields whenever i want....i enjoy highbanking but cant do it in qld but yeh with the history in the area its extremely appealing...really just need to know the best times of year and if people would like to catch up or join me for a weekend either GG or tuena but i will go to GG just for the experience and change of scenery i guess haha

 

[Lefty]

hey guys so im in one of the worst areas in Aus for fossicking/prospecting (sunshine coast QLD near brisbane)

That's what I think about Gladstone as well but in both our cases it might just be that what exists is not officially listed, is only on private property etc - it may be far more interesting than we know.

Given that the geology of pretty much the entire eastern seaboard and subcoastal areas of Queensland should theoretically be favourable to the formation of gemmy materials - a mass of igneous rock, both intrusive and extrusive that stretches the entire length of the state - I would not be surprised if gem materials do exist in your area. The Sunshine Coast region was clearly very volcanically active at some stage, as is demonstrated by the extinct volcanic plugs that dot the area.

I have heard that a type of opal - a volcanic substance different to the stuff that comes from out west - exists in your area. I think I have actually seen it for sale at the Anakie gem fest.

Even though gemstones are officially non-existent in my area, I know of the existence of agate 5 minutes drive from where I live (and access is barred of course ) and there is amethyst and smokey only an hour's drive away (see KTman's post about digging at lowmead). In a bit of a broader area (within 2 hours drive), I can confirm the existence of almandine garnets, petrified wood, carnelian and sard and thundereggs. I have found turquoise very close to home and although what I found was too thin to cab, it's likely that thicker nuggets are there somewhere. And geologists have identified that the potential precious opal-bearing geology intrudes into this region as well.

Historical records regarding gemstones were not kept by 99% of those who came through the region digging in the dirt 100 or more years ago. They were after one thing and one thing alone - gold. Gemstones were of little or no interest to them for the most part. Where records were actually kept they are sketchy at best but they record the finding of garnets, zircons, topaz and sapphires - this is not the Rubyvale field, this is much closer to Gladstone and Rockhampton.

So you never know what might be around, especially when the geology is potentially favourable. An old member of our club told me the other night that a mate of his found a volcanic bomb in a spot that is now practically an outer suburb of Gladstone and that when they cracked it open, it contained peridot crystals although none were big enough to facet. Members of your local lapidary club might have some ideas.

If only miners rights still existed we could all be out combing the back blocks.

 

[blayke]

OK to be more specific there isn't anything I am currently chasing in my area. There are agate and a few low grade material within an hour or two however I am hoping to do a gemmology course in the next year or two (funds permitting) with the intent to start learning faceting, cabbing etc and once finished the two year gemmology course getting into diamond grading. However I am extremely interested in corundum and really would love to start cutting them so I need to start stockpiling some gem quality specimens for later haha that and the appeal of gold in the area.
All I need is some tips on the best time of year to head down really and if anyone would like to catch up....I'm only a young bloke and been fossicking for a couple years but I can see it definitely being something I spend my life chasing

 

[Dedicated luck]

Gday again lefty! I was just having a browse through the site and seen this post here from you. I havena couple quick questions and your a very helpful man! 1st I was wondering what these clubs are I keep hearing about? I live in gladstone and would love to get a hands on insite into how things are done and maybe even do a trip with some new friends witch leads me to my next question! I see you mention these closer fields and the chance of anything showing up! Maybe if its not to much to ask (im sure its like fishing and you keep the good spots close to the chest) possible for some more local spots for a look. Im heading to lowmead on saturday for my first attempt
Cheers nath

hey guys so im in one of the worst areas in Aus for fossicking/prospecting (sunshine coast QLD near brisbane)

That's what I think about Gladstone as well but in both our cases it might just be that what exists is not officially listed, is only on private property etc - it may be far more interesting than we know.

Given that the geology of pretty much the entire eastern seaboard and subcoastal areas of Queensland should theoretically be favourable to the formation of gemmy materials - a mass of igneous rock, both intrusive and extrusive that stretches the entire length of the state - I would not be surprised if gem materials do exist in your area. The Sunshine Coast region was clearly very volcanically active at some stage, as is demonstrated by the extinct volcanic plugs that dot the area.

I have heard that a type of opal - a volcanic substance different to the stuff that comes from out west - exists in your area. I think I have actually seen it for sale at the Anakie gem fest.

Even though gemstones are officially non-existent in my area, I know of the existence of agate 5 minutes drive from where I live (and access is barred of course ) and there is amethyst and smokey only an hour's drive away (see KTman's post about digging at lowmead). In a bit of a broader area (within 2 hours drive), I can confirm the existence of almandine garnets, petrified wood, carnelian and sard and thundereggs. I have found turquoise very close to home and although what I found was too thin to cab, it's likely that thicker nuggets are there somewhere. And geologists have identified that the potential precious opal-bearing geology intrudes into this region as well.

Historical records regarding gemstones were not kept by 99% of those who came through the region digging in the dirt 100 or more years ago. They were after one thing and one thing alone - gold. Gemstones were of little or no interest to them for the most part. Where records were actually kept they are sketchy at best but they record the finding of garnets, zircons, topaz and sapphires - this is not the Rubyvale field, this is much closer to Gladstone and Rockhampton.

So you never know what might be around, especially when the geology is potentially favourable. An old member of our club told me the other night that a mate of his found a volcanic bomb in a spot that is now practically an outer suburb of Gladstone and that when they cracked it open, it contained peridot crystals although none were big enough to facet. Members of your local lapidary club might have some ideas.

If only miners rights still existed we could all be out combing the back blocks.

 

[Lefty]

Hi Nath.

I'm a member of the local Gladstone lapidary club. The clubhouse is located in the Gladstone showgrounds - it's one of those sheds along the Scenery st side. If you want to learn cabbing, faceting and silversmithing then the club is the place to go to.

I haven't got Neil or Joan's (the secretary and the treasurers) phone numbers on me but if you go to the Scenery street entrance to the showgrounds there is a large sign for the club with the phone numbers on it.

Make sure you drink plenty of water if you're going for a dig anywhere now, easy to get dehydrated and cooked. If you go down to Lowmead, I have found that the crystals seem most numerous up close to the road. The sand is deeper (about a metre before you hit the hard basement) and is often tinted orange. That area is very heavily dug over but if you keep digging you will usually hit the thin band of sandy gravel. Inspect it carefully in the sieve - it's sand but there can be a very thin coat of clayey stuff on the gravel, disguising the crystals to an extent.

Drive a bit slower once you are on Clarke's road and have gone past the timber milling set up on the left side of the road - you will see old diggings and mullock heaps everywhere.

Remember that the productive gravel is comprised mainly of quartz - if it's all little brown bits of broken granite, dig in another direction or move to another hole, there's seldom anything in the broken granite.

Good luck.

 

[Lefty]

Oh, forgot to mention - the floor of the clubhouse is being resurfaced so it will be closed until next Wednesday at least. Friday is the evening that most people turn up.

Cheers

 

[UFO]

Been trying to look at which was the best thread to post this on so chose this one as it seems to have had the most interest over a period of time.

I am looking to go to Grabben Gullen early in the new year with my daughter and her friend and was looking for the contact number of the farmer near the bridge that I could visit to prospect along the creek. I understand he charges a small fee and would be happy to oblige. any help would be appreciated for the contact details and or protocol to do this.