Mr and Mrs Mouse

[Mouse]

HI All,
We are a retired couple from Brisvegas. We have had an interest in gems and minerals for some years but I would like to get into some of the gold stuff. I took a Minelab Eureka Gold to Mt Isa and managed to get out a few times. Found horse shoes, boot tacks, bullets and the like so I know the machine worked but I am still a gold nugget virgin. I recently purchased 2nd hand a Minelab GPX5000.
1. Miners Den hold beginner courses out past Warwick @ $150 for a 3 hour course which I think is fairly steep. Has anyone done the course and if so do you think the outlay was worth the gained knowledge?

Our next trip is to FNQ at the end of May to Agate Ck, O'Briens CK, for agate and topaz for about ten days each, then Cairns where we will meet up with a Pradopoint convoy and head to the Cape. For those who don't know, Agate Creek is about 100km south of Georgetown past Forsayth. I am keen to lose my virginity (gold nugget that is) on this trip.

2. I'm aware that there is gold around the Georgetown area and some stations have opened up their properties and a lot of the Cape area also, in particular the Palmer River, and would appreciate guidance with any contacts/directions to put me or more so my 5000 within range.

Look forward to your responses and to many chats on this forum.

Regards

Mouse

 

[dam it]

Welcome to PA

 

[Jaros]

Welcome Mick and Minnie to P.A.
Good luck with the cape trip etc. The wet up there should be over by July/August--don't go too early.
Jaros

 

[Mouse]

Thanks for the welcome Dam It and Jaros.
In ref to my first post do you know whether the GPX courses are worth the $150 or not??

Regards
Mick

 

[rotor]

G'day Mouse ....... I havent done the course but, IMHO if you havent detected much there is a wealth of knowledge at your disposal for three hours! Which I might add may just save you months of trying to get it right I reckon you'll get more than your $150 dollars worth - even if you just confirm what you already know (only just scratched the surface me thinks)

 

[user 7268]

Welcome and dare I say it ..................... there's a mouse in the house . Hope to also get up FNQ very soon.
:lol:

 

[PabloP]

HI All,
We are a retired couple from Brisvegas. We have had an interest in gems and minerals for some years but I would like to get into some of the gold stuff. I took a Minelab Eureka Gold to Mt Isa and managed to get out a few times. Found horse shoes, boot tacks, bullets and the like so I know the machine worked but I am still a gold nugget virgin. I recently purchased 2nd hand a Minelab GPX5000.
1. Miners Den hold beginner courses out past Warwick @ $150 for a 3 hour course which I think is fairly steep. Has anyone done the course and if so do you think the outlay was worth the gained knowledge?

Our next trip is to FNQ at the end of May to Agate Ck, O'Briens CK, for agate and topaz for about ten days each, then Cairns where we will meet up with a Pradopoint convoy and head to the Cape. For those who don't know, Agate Creek is about 100km south of Georgetown past Forsayth. I am keen to lose my virginity (gold nugget that is) on this trip.

2. I'm aware that there is gold around the Georgetown area and some stations have opened up their properties and a lot of the Cape area also, in particular the Palmer River, and would appreciate guidance with any contacts/directions to put me or more so my 5000 within range.

Look forward to your responses and to many chats on this forum.

Regards

Mouse

There is still lots of gold through the middle of FNQ and while some of the properties have opened their gates to prospectors, around and south of Georgetown for a variety of reasons (ready cash being one), others have taken the opposite approach with locked gates, etc. and only allow known people to detect on their run, due to problems with some in the past. So if you can get onto one of the ones that are not commonly promoted with prospector access, in a known gold region or historic mining area, you are more likely to come across some reasonable finds.

There are some ways to break down the barriers, but sneaking in is not recommended, as it makes it worse for the rest of us. If you do get access to one of these places detecting around old mining sites is usually hard yakka as there is literally tons of old metal rubbish, so best to venture a bit further away, but in the same local area/geology. Patches and decent sized finds have been made for several years in this way by a few that I know and have seen, unfortunately not much by me, as I have spent more time helping them out in tough times, than swinging the machine.

The main message is it is hard work and you have to spend lots of time at it to get decent rewards.

Rob