I'm not a millionaire yet , but I got 14 nuggets at Tibooburra .
Submitted: Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 00:42
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Willie
Had a great time on the detecting tagalong run by Gold Prospecting Australia . I got 14 nuggets , the largest of which was 5 gm .
For nine days , the fourteen people in the group found approx 230 nuggets for about 66 gm . The nuggets were very small and were more "pieces" or "flakes" than nuggets . It was a real challenge to "hear" such small targets - especially for me , as I'm a bit deaf . One lady managed to get 40 pieces and she was really talented .
We detected in a different area every day , so it was very interesting . I took my 16' BT , and there was a Trakmaster and a "something or other" expanding type van . Most of the campertrailer people went fully catered ( food , dunnies , showers etc ) , but I cooked on my own campfire every night .
Drank too much and stayed up around the fire too long .
On the way up there I went into the Mt Grenfell aboriginall rock painting site which is about 40 km west of Cobar . What a beautiful spot . National Parks are doing an exceptional job with beautiful tracks made from local rock etc . Then I thundered up to White Cliffs to have a look around . It's a fascinating place which makes you feel welcome - unlike Cooper Pedy where you feel you might end up down a mine shaft . I also went to Peery Lake - never bother to do this - it's an ugly mud hole .
Cheers ,
Willie .
Reply By: Leigh & Mita - Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 01:12
Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 01:12
At $31 per gram, won't be long before your ordering a new BT
Happy prospecting
Leigh
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Follow Up By: Willie - Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 04:46
Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 04:46
Hi Leigh,
You have to be kidding ! If I ever covered my petrol costs , it would be a big win .
I have renewed most of the old BT so I will not be parting with it for a while - unless I can find a 14 footer for sale - that would tempt me .
Cheers ,
Willie
FollowupID:
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Reply By: TripnTaps - Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 17:25
Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 17:25
Willie -
Sounds like you had a fine time.
Have spent some time round Cobar ourselves & Mt Grenfell is a very easy drive to see those rock paintings. The birdlife out there is very plentiful.... we saw swathes of budgerigars, cockatiels and groups of Major Mitchell cockatoos all in that short drive from the main highway to the rock painting site.
White Cliffs is the go after rain. Quite a few prospectors get some good colour in Sapphires after rain
events in the river beds.
Cheers,
Helen
AnswerID:
575895
Follow Up By: Mobi Condo - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 06:00
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 06:00
Howdy Helen,
Thanks for the Info re Mt Grenfell. We have tried to get there two or three times now, but the roads got closed by rain! As we seem to go Adelaide - Gold Coast region fairly regularly to see the off spring and my sibling and his wife, we should get there one day in the next X years.
Cheers - Ian & Sally
FollowupID:
850112
Reply By: Deleted User - Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 19:44
Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 19:44
Hi Willie,
Congratulations! You'll be updating to the latest minelab soon? Sounds like you had a great time and I'm just trying to understand what went wrong!!?? I got stuck on the ""and" she was really talented" - not sure what that meant.
Kind regards
Theo
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Follow Up By: Willie - Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 21:30
Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 21:30
Hi Theo ,
I was crazy enough to sell my 4000 and get a 4500 , so been there , done that .
That lady was Mary and she is one talented detector operator . Mary got 40 bits of gold and in the same number of days , I got 12 ( I got another 2 after the others had left ). The average operator got around 16 pieces .
Mary found more than double what the average person did and she can hear things on her detector , that others don't even hear as a faint whisper. I have a third of what Mary found , so I am a pretty hopeless operator . This is because my hearing is very poor .
This afternoon , my future daughter in law is doing some hearing tests on me to find out what frequencies I have lost , and which are still strong . Then we are going to set up the detector to make use of that info . This should be an interesting exercise .
How are your plans progressing ?
Willie .
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Follow Up By:- Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 21:51
Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 21:51
G’day Willie,
I have yet to get mine(lab) but the bride would find it somewhat of an extravagance right now. I have just wandered back into shooting and the costs have also been unbelievable to her! Don’t be too hard on yourself as I’m sure the detecting takes some experience to become really good but in the meantime it is just fun and an excuse to get out there.
Everything is a bit slow here for my liking as the main attention unit remains work and that leaves me short on time to do most of the things I would really like to be doing. My hearing is also quite woeful and I wear a couple of hearing aids to make life bearable so I’m interested in how you go on the frequency check. I understand this is sort of an individual result for you but I’m keen to explore the setting up of the detector part because I’ll be coming home empty handed otherwise.
I have a week in Peak Hill at the end of this month to shake down our BT and fine tune our packing etc. This is moving forward our long term travelling plans and that is a good thing!
Kind regards
Theo
FollowupID:
850114
Follow Up By: Noosa Fox - Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 22:57
Monday, Sep 08, 2008 at 22:57
Willie,
Many of us have hearing frequency losses. I lost a range of frequencies way back in the Vietnam War and cannot hear a lot of electronic noises that my wife and others can.
We used to have discussions about noises that she said were there and I said she was imagining things until I had the hearing tests done and they told me that she was right all the time. Cannot argue with a woman can you!
A few years ago we tried detecting over in WA with some friends. They all found some but we found none, so now I can blame it on my hearing.
I found out after the Veteran Affairs hearing test that they do two types of sounds. One is electronic and the other are words and they both use the same frequencies so you cannot put it over them by saying that you can hear some and not others. Theonly trouble is that once you have lost some frequencies, you cannot get them back.
Brian
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Follow Up By: Willie - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 01:54
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 01:54
Brian ,
I know what you mean . Our conversation the other night when we were sitting on the couch watching TV
Wife What's that noise?
Me What noise ?
Wife Your kidding . Can't you hear that loud buzzing noise . It's coming from the speakers
Me Nup
I go over and put my ear to the speaker and I can just here a faint buzzing .
Not true about not getting hearing back . I was given a very powerful antibiotic called Gentamyacin (spelt ?) about 5 years ago . I lost 50 of my hearing , but a lot of it came back . I will find out just how much when I do my test tonight .
Cheers ,
Willie .
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Follow Up By: Boystoy - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 05:21
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 05:21
Hi Theo,
A week in Peak Hill! thats remarkable. Peak hill is my old hometown. I left there in 1959, but still get back there occasionally.
I would be surprised if there is any gold there now since Peak Hill is now "Peak Hole"
Hope you enjoyed the stay.
Neil
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Follow Up By:- Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:33
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008 at 17:33
Hi Neil,
Looks like an interesting place and the only gold activity for me is the mine tour! I guess I'll get a good look at the "hole". The plan was to take a camper trailer but the BT came along a litter sooner than expected so it will be a special trip for me either way.
Kind regards
Theo
FollowupID:
850118
Follow Up By: Willie - Wednesday, Sep 10, 2008 at 00:19
Wednesday, Sep 10, 2008 at 00:19
Theo ,
I think that is Alkane's old mine and there is a current wrangle there over waste storeage .
What van did you end up getting . All the sordid details please !
Willie .
FollowupID:
850119
Follow Up By:- Wednesday, Sep 10, 2008 at 01:02
Wednesday, Sep 10, 2008 at 01:02
G'day Willie,
Bought TrevC's van - located at Boreen Point (North of Noosa). A 19' fairly traditional layout. Ensuite, Queen Island bed, Air Con, Wabasto, Oyster Sat system, Ausie Awning + annex, extended A frame, dual water system in 3 tanks, 3 x 125 watt panels, 3 hybrid batts, 40 amp regulator, (no invertor), 50 amp charger, 180 litre fridge/freezer.
I hope 3 panels and 3 batteries will be enough? I plan to travel with my Honda 20i for those moments I need some extra power. Also I will need to store that and the outboard and am working on ideas with those.
Kind regards
Theo
FollowupID:
850120