Xmas Gold trip suggestions

[SteelPat]

I am planning on having a few days away just after Xmas and cant quite decide where to go. I want to try to get away as far as I can from the usual spots I hunt (Ballarat through to Maryborough) and the associated Xmas crowd with their new toys. Unfortunately I dont have the time to travel to WA so I am limited to Victoria.

Any suggestions bearing in mind I only have the 2wd van?

 

[DrDuck]

Mate, there is a get together at Tuena, maybe not too far away, from Dec 30. Good location for 2wd.

 

[SteelPat]

Unfortunately I will only have 2 or 3 days. I want to spend at the max 5 or 6 hrs driving so I can get plenty of time to dig my fortune.

 

[SCROUNGER]

Maybe you should check out Maldon/Castlemaine area mate? Still in the GT but a change from your usual haunts. Gunna be hot though mate, it's already warming up over the divide.

 

[SteelPat]

I don't mind the heat. Besides if I stay a cpl of days, I will hunt early morning and late evening.

 

[DrDuck]

Unfortunately I will only have 2 or 3 days. I want to spend at the max 5 or 6 hrs driving so I can get plenty of time to dig my fortune.

Yep, Tuena would be 9 hours or so from down Geelong way according to Google Maps.

 

[SteelPat]

Yeah to be honest 9 hrs is stretching it a bit. Would realistically only give me a few hrs detecting.

I haven't prospected Castlemaine or Maldon so it's certainly an option.

Living in a tourist town, Xmas is a bit of a pain. No parking at shops, people driving at 20kph... the older I get, the less tolerant I get with it all. So I like to get away for a few days.

 

[nuggetino]

Wedderburn is another option. Found a few nice bits on the roadside coming in from the eastern end about 5 kms out of town. This time of year you should be able to negotiate most tracks with a 2wd

 

[SteelPat]

I have been out to Wedderburn but didnt have much luck. I may need to give it another look.

 

[Marauder]

There's always Linton!

 

[Diggertom]

Check out bucksland gap south of beechworth, probably 4 hours from you and have eldorado pretty close to that as well.

 

[GypsyGoldAu]

Yeah to be honest 9 hrs is stretching it a bit. Would realistically only give me a few hrs detecting.

I haven't prospected Castlemaine or Maldon so it's certainly an option.

Living in a tourist town, Xmas is a bit of a pain. No parking at shops, people driving at 20kph... the older I get, the less tolerant I get with it all. So I like to get away for a few days.

If these are deemed options, then as close as an additional hour would have you in Bendigo (Whipstick, has camp area), Heathcote, and others for your consideration.

Getting late in the season to be booking accommodations though and many 'free' camping area's fill up. At least around the S/W of Bendigo allows 'bush camping'....

Keep us all informed where ya end up, and more importantly, please post your finds (i don't care where from, i just wanna see it )

Gypsy

 

[SteelPat]

We have a block of land up at Bendigo (well cousins do anyway) that we all hit at Easter. Has old diggings but they have been all filled with rubbish. The block is bordered by state forest on 3 sides.

But I was looking at trying to get as far away from towns/people as I possibly can (can be a little anti-social at times, esp xmas. lol) while still having a chance at finding gold.

As I have a Vito van, I can just sleep in that so I dont need an official camp site.

 

[scottlucky]

good luck with your search

have you tried Talbot area?

 

[SteelPat]

Yeah spent a bit of time around there. Found lots of little bits.

I think I just want to try somewhere new. For me its not just finding the gold. I love exploring new areas and finding evidence of earlier prospectors (except all the lead pellets/bullets lol).

 

[Moneybox]

We just picked up three little nuggets in an afternoon within a stone's throw of the Welcome Stranger monument. I'm sure there'd be plenty more nearby but you will get a lot of lead and bullet shells :/ We were working on a ratio of about 10:1 and some of them were quite deep but the gold was on top.

 

[GypsyGoldAu]

How about out around Ampitheatre & Point Hut?

A combination of hilly reefs mixed with deep lead allluvials....best of both worlds and double your chance of a find or two?....Also being in the hills (Point Hut) is well away from the rabble....

Gypsy

 

[SteelPat]

Where is Point Hut? I didnt see it on my maps.

 

[AtomRat]

If you like greenery n snakes you can trott my way ( east ) or further to thompson or gipsland? Actually..further east won't be nice on the van. Therea some stuff about here though or closeby

 

[old hand]

Have look from ST Arnaud down to Lamplough not to far to travel there are many spots to go detecting regards john