Casting for TV show: Aussie Gold Hunters

Prospecting Australia

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They can show me having a real job and family :Y: busting me ---s- to get time to go , then try and do 3 days detecting in one day ,slaving like a man on a mission , then dancing a jig when i get 0.3grams and drive home feeling like i shore 200 sheep but didnt get paid cause lunch and feul cost more than the golds worth .
But that might kill the ratings :lol: :lol:
 
Hi OP, I wish it was that contrived :) but in reality it has more to do with the Discovery Channel's schedule of commissioning of AGH. And please bear in mind that the gold hunters we film with are generally hard-core prospectors who work all year round: winter through summer.

Kind regards

Diana

Occasional_panner said:
Hello Diana, can I ask why you particularly want to film at that time of year?
Is it to make the show more dramatic by involving searing temperatures that the prospectors have to face?
Not trying to be a smart ass here just a simple question.
Click to expand...
 
I can see Dave's point of view here, although I am not sure if the shows attract 'new' prospectors. Maybe there would be an influx in 'weekend warriors' who head out with their ALDI or sub $500 detectors and have a bit of fun, or for the fun of the kids.

The other side of the coin is more people looking means more information on conditions in various locations.
For example I being a newbie might go to an area and write that I have only found 0.5 gram nugget after hours of scanning a 1 Km Sq patch. Seasoned prospectors might read this as 'where there is smoke there's fire' and go to the same spot and find several nuggets due to their much more advanced skills.

There has always been a plethora of detecting type presentations on YouTube, I don't think TV shows are going to cause a deluge of people taking up prospecting. Let's face it, it is not a cheap hobby either way you look at it. Sure you can enter into it at the $1500-2000 mark like I am, but for a good gold detector you really need to be laying out around the $3000-7000 mark - not a lot of people these days have that kind of disposable income. Then there is the research involved in finding a patch to work, and then the actual getting there. Buying a detector is only the start of it.

Personally I do like the shows, especially AGH as it is Australian made and orientated (I like gold rush to!). Unless your a total dill and a compulsive dreamer, most would know these shows are heavily edited and it isn't as easy as it appears on the show. It also gives a bit of an insight on the costs involved for the teams on show.

The show aside, prospecting as a hobby is on the rise, there are detector shops popping up on a regular basis now. Maybe that is a result of such shows, hard to say really, as these shows are cable/satellite broadcast only (as far as I am aware).
 
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One has to ask, Are they having a problem finding people for the show? and, more importantly, Why?

My response, the adverse reaction among those of us that go out and actually prospect. :)

The few regular Youtube posters, such as Minelab Gold, Shano and ilk, do a far better job than the commercial "providers", in my opinion. :pickshovel:
 
condor22 said:
The few regular Youtube posters, such as Minelab Gold, Shano and ilk, do a far better job
Click to expand...

Can't disagree with that ........ From the face that only a blind mother could love to a face that nobody ever sees, they both provide me with a bit of entertainment, and that's how the Gold Rush type shows should be treated .... entertainment.

Shano would work "my target is 350oz, Oh my cars blown up, oh my dog shat in my swag, of bugger I've been struck by lightning, oh I forgot to Yee Haa that last find, hey director can I paint this piece of rust gold, etc etc" ...... expectation, drama, reward .... it's the Gold Rush formula.

Just taking the pi55, Shano is real (in a weird sort of way) and entertaining.

Cheers T.
 
Love Shano, an ozzi icon. He puts the hours in, knows his craft, and is hilarious to watch at his REAL excitement of REAL sized gold. He can go out camping/prospecting for two days, come home with 2 pieces less than half a gram, and is a satisfied beyond belief. I don't think he'd make good TV because he is too honest and truthful about his finds, including finding plenty of shot gun pellets. The man works hard for his gold, good for him! :playful:
 
It's all just entertainment & should be treated as such.
I don't mind it but then I also understand that it should be taken with a grain of salt + realise there's a lot more to running even small scale operations than is shown.

Too many people see these shows or watch YouTube & take it as gospel.
Rarely on the TV shows do the small scale full mining regulations & rules get discussed nor do you see the rehabilitation required.

There are some very good YouTube channels but also a lot that don't stick to rules, explain your responsibilities or even appear to know them correctly themselves.
This year alone I've seen YouTube videos showing:
- highbankers in the middle of creeks causing turbidity. Mostly minor but still not a good look.
- large unfilled holes left in or near creeks
- fossicking in a NSW State Conservation Area (off limits)
- machinery use in NSW & other states where it's not allowed
Etc. Etc.
These were all popular YouTube channels.
People watch this & take it as gospel that you can do these things without doing their own due diligence on their state regulations or local area laws.

This is probably a reflection of Australia in general today though not just for prospecting/fossicking. It seems if you've got a YouTube channel or 50,000 followers on Farcebook you're more factually correct to some people than highly qualified professionals.
 
condor22 said:
One has to ask, Are they having a problem finding people for the show? and, more importantly, Why?

My response, the adverse reaction among those of us that go out and actually prospect. :)

The few regular Youtube posters, such as Minelab Gold, Shano and ilk, do a far better job than the commercial "providers", in my opinion. :pickshovel:
Click to expand...

Can I get a link for "Shano and ilk" please, souinds interesting to check out.

;)
 

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