Cold gold

[Paydirt]

I was lucky enough to be taken to a friends property bordering the Kosciuszko NP yesterday for a bit of fossicking. There are historical alluvial workings in the vicinity and Kiandra is only a couple of ridgelines away. After openning many gates and admiring some healthy beefy beasts (I'd rather be one of my Angus beasts on the north coast of NSW than a high country cow - brrrr) we got down to some extremely cold water sieving and panning, well my mate dug and I got wet (hands only). We tried a few likely looking places with limited success (fly poo), checked out a derilect Miners hut and were heading out when I suggested we just
check a pissy little creeklet/boggy crossing where I'd spotted some juicy looking clays on the way in - bingo - the GREY/GREEN CLAYS did it again holding nice colour. It was getting late in the day but we got the Walbanker into action for a quick couple of shots (mainly just to show off its capability to the landowner).
Anyway had a rilliant day scoring gold above 1500m altitude in some of Australia's most iconic scenery - no brumbies to be seen but plenty of piggy damage.
Enjoy.

And we scored some yellow

 

[G0lddigg@]

very nice looking country there Paydirt looks liuke ripper outing.

Did you do any sampling behind those big rocks? rocks like that make me drool aggggggggggg big rocks big gold aggggh

 

[Bazz]

OK, so who's jealous? that would be ME!!!!!

I thought that my favourite spot was pretty good in the scenery stakes but WOW!

In my previous job I would do the Cooma to Wagga trip through Kiandra very regularly and I often thought about getting into the streams and big rocks to dig and find the yella stuff..

Thanks for sharing

Bazz

 

[MJB]

That looks like an amazing part of the country Paydirt.

Is that a mix of feral cats and dogs on the tree? Good to see someones doing their bit to keep the population down.

That creek looks very promising, and yes those boulders look gooood

well done

Matt

 

[Paydirt]

Cheers guys,
didnt sample behind the big rock - went for the lowest profile area (note to self - go back to spot and investigate further). Its only a dog tree (and not to scare other dags). Amazing the difference in localised geology(go 200m and around a ridge for a change) and correlation between grey clay, black sands and gold in some nondescript areas.

 

[Tige]

Well done paydirt, I bet your itching to get back there ... love the title " cold gold" lol !!

 

[Tathradj]

Well Done Mate.!!!!
Wish I was there as I love that country.
Going back to suss out that crack this comeing weekend.
I will post the findings.
I am keen on using my new Miller Table as I ran the cons from last weekend over it.
Needs a few tweaks but working very well.

 

[Heatho]

Well done, ripper spot. Can't wait to get down there in Spring for a look around.

 

[Twapster]

Looks like good trout waters too, any fish around?

 

[Goldtarget]

Travelled through this part of the world many times, the NP won't allow prospecting at Kiandra, but I've had a look around without digging, its amazing to think just how far people during the last century and a half have been chasing gold. Its a cold pursuit up that way, even when the rest of the surrounding country is sweltering it can be cloudy and raining up there, so I applaude your efforts. I'm planning a gold seeking trip for next year starting from the tip of the GT heading up through all the goldfeilds, thinking Eldorado, then corryong, through Adelong and the Snowies, then onto bombala delegate and Bendoc way, and possibly them further north. The aim will be to hit gold in all these places and record the trip. With any luck local knowledge like this will work in to put me in the right spot. Thanks for the share Paydirt, these little posts keep me dreaming.

 

[Goldtarget]

12 months ago

Last summer...can't wait to go back.

 

[Paydirt]

Looks like good trout waters too, any fish around?

Trout fisherman's wet dream, miles of rarely fished waters.
GT - I also take my hat off to our pioneering forefathers in both stinking hot deserts and freezing cold mountains, all done with rudimentary knowledge and technology. Maybe one day KNP will look at the fossicking model at Abercrombie and realize the areas they control also contain MINING heritage and aren't actually that pristine or unique. Happy to give visitors to area the local heads up, as Jindygold says - these mountains are full of gold

 

[Twapster]

Looks like good trout waters too, any fish around?

Trout fisherman's wet dream, miles of rarely fished waters.
GT - I also take my hat off to our pioneering forefathers in both stinking hot deserts and freezing cold mountains, all done with rudimentary knowledge and technology. Maybe one day KNP will look at the fossicking model at Abercrombie and realize the areas they control also contain MINING heritage and aren't actually that pristine or unique. Happy to give visitors to area the local heads up, as Jindygold says - these mountains are full of gold

I cant think of anything more appealing than prospecting around trout waters! Rod in one hand, detector in the other and pans in the backpack. My fave camping spot is thredbo diggings however never prospected there only fished....not even sure if prospecting is allowed there but beautiful country.

 

[Paydirt]

Didn't look so inviting last time I camped at the Diggings. Blizzard, snow blowing sideways at 140kms per hr. Tent didn't survive and the bale out option - the car, rocked all night

 

[Redmanti]

There are diamonds around the edge of the KNP as well.

 

[Guest]

Mate, that's a great place to be - weather permitting of course
That's glacial gold up there.

 

[Goldtarget]

There are diamonds around the edge of the KNP as well.

Shhhh, good knows we don't need Todd poking around!

 

[Paydirt]

Found these stringers on the side of Mt Mueller (north west of Kosi) about 2100m on Saturday. Didnt bring any home for dollying for 2 reasons - national park and too bloody far to carry



Kosi in back right of last shot

 

[TTKooAu]

Brilliant shots of the stringers Paydirt, you sure get around the high country.

 

[Paydirt]

Gotta love the mountains, sliding and digging