Creswick and surrounds Victoria information and questions

[Teemore]

Evening all,

Although querying specifically in regard to the Creswick (Vic) area the same probably applies in many other areas.

There appear to be a vast number of Pine plantations that have effectively forever altered and removed any trace of what in many cases were late 1800's prospecting sites.
When the pines are growing access to old ground is limited to the rows between the trees.
However when the fell the tress they usually go in afterwards with bulldozers and totally rip out the left over stumps exposing, on occasions some deeper ground.
2 general queries if I may .....
Are these areas worth a going over with a detector (my second preference) or ...
is it worth taking samples from some of the gullies that wash downstream after severe rainfall periods.
My assumption is that if plantation area = old prospecting location then definitely worth a go.

Has anyone, here or elsewhere had experience in these 'transformed' areas.

Thanks, Tom

 

[the duck]

They can be of great benefit especially when the bulldoze the area, i have had some success around castlemaine from pine trees uprooted with a detector
I dont pan a lot but i don't see why there wouldn't be finer gold there as well

 

[G0lddigg@]

Hey teemore

I would say yes to both, I always take a sample from any area that I can asses gold would likely travel if gold exists and there are many areas around Ballarat and creswick that have recently cleared and turned over. I also use the detector to walk a few lines as a signal will be far easier to locate if the soil has been loosened. Some of the areas I've tested have black sand but very little gold. The other consideration is that tree roots will bring gold to the surface so it's always worth a crack.

 

[jethro]

Yes I believe there was some good gold found in the plantations just out of creswick but you had to know where the old leads were, as they have been almost totally obliterated by the dozers.

 

[loamer]

Tom

Good questions. Pine plantations can be quite problematic. Oddly enough, the older and bigger the plantation, the better for detecting. there are several areas in there that I did well on. Went back over the same area and was shocked to see the pines are gone and the tree litter (pruning and cutting operations) pretty well meant I was not a chance - it was just too deep, too many cut up branches etc. Spent most of my time climbing over things. A couple of general observations on Creswick.
1. Like most pine areas - it is wetter. Dayelsford is the same. Dunolly and Maryborough are drier. This has affected the erosion cycle, ground mineralisation etc.
2. The reefs tend to be ironstone and quartz and are harder than the sandstone and slates. What does this mean? - it is called erosion imbalance.
3. Ridges and hills are steeper and better defined as a rule. You will note that using topo maps around Creswick the contour lines are well defined - places around Dunolly etc are not. Sandstone and slate erode quicker leaving shallower gullies.
4. I have found that the erosion imbalance can mean reefs may run along ridges and over hilltops in the area. the plus here is that the pines in these places tend not to be as healthy - ground is harder.
5. The rows of trees are excellent for gridding - pretty hard to lose where you have detected.
6. Constantly check the layers of pine needles etc to get a gauge of the depth. The loam can get quite thick and a loss of depth.

People can get quite daunted by pine plantation detecting but it can be rewarding. Remember that Creswick is close to Ballarat and has had some attention. Also, in the last couple of years 'no detecting' signs have popped up on what is crown land - this must be a local rule and I have yet to check with the PMAV as to what the legality is of these forestry signs. It is also worth checking the harvesting schedule as tracks will be closed in several areas.

 

[Teemore]

Thanks heaps,
A lot to digest and consider.
Really a shame I'm not more technically minded as it would be great to use technology to overlay some of the old maps/charts with what today's mapping shows to get more accurate GPS coordinates and such.
Will approach some of the tracks with "new" eyes.
Cheers

 

[Blinky Bill]

Hi Guys!

If anyone who detects Creswick and knows any hot spots to swing the coil over would be a massive help..
I've searched a few small spots in Glen Park like;
Codes Forest Rd
Glen Park Rd
Shuttleworth Rd
Slatty Creek Rd
James Hill Rd
And came up empty! Not sure if these areas are well picked or none in these areas I'm searching.

 

[G0lddigg@]

sorry Bill don't expect anyone to tell you where their hotspots are mate because they are working it themselves

 

[Mickybees]

Iv been detecting around creswick for a while now and only seem to find small nuggets biggest is a 0.5 and normally 0.1 is most common has anyone ever found a large nugget in creswick or know of any large nuggets found there ?

 

[AU Fever]

Hi Micky, that's a whole lot more than I've found at Creswick

According to Doug Stone's Gold Atlas of Victoria there was a 14oz and a 20oz nugget found on the western edge of White Swan Reservoir.

Personally I've only seen sub-grammers there, that was from a guy with a 3500 and a 6" sniper coil.

Au Fever

 

[Mickybees]

I normally go around that area only get tiny bits ..what machine do u have mate?

 

[AU Fever]

I've got a Eureka Gold. I only just bought a couple of new coils for it, but haven't been out to try them out yet.

 

[madhatter]

Hey Mickeybees,
I don't detect yet but I do like to find alluvial gold with my highbanker and super sluice pan in the creeks.
I personally was talking to some locals there 3 weeks ago and I was informed that a local prospector whom lives there had highbanked his way to 1oz for the year there and apparently he came across a 26g nugget too!!
I know it doesn't answer your question completely but in my opinion there there!!
Somewhere!!!
From personal experiences heres some pics of my running tally so far this year

 

[SteelPat]

Yes there have been bigger bits found at Creswick but you do have to work for them. Being close to Ballarat means that every man and his dog has been through there so good nuggets are a little more difficult to find. Just have to keep trying.

 

[maxwell4]

There is no gold near Cresswick. I have it on good authority that a bloke with a vac by the name of Scrounger won't even bother going there now and is even thinking of moving out of Ballarat with his trusty 2300 for greener pastures. Lmao

???????

Apparently the " far southern edges of the gt" is where the big ones are hiding, so go south young man. Lmao

 

[bjarvie]

Just got back from Creswick... set out to test the new Croc Gold Trap... but the place was bone dry

These two photos are taken from me standing in the middle of the Creek at the camping ground 1 (end of Slaty Creek Rd) - this is after the heavy rain we had today... The access to camp round 2 onwards is blocked as they are repairing the road from the last floods.

Thought id share just incase someone was planning on heading down thinking to trial some new gear... still great time to swing a machine around...

 

[Filthgrinder]

Thanks for the pics I was considering driving up for the first time next week but I might hold off!

 

[Whisp]

That's a creek is it? Looks more like a bush track at the moment.

 

[Haydos]

Bugger it says on the BOM creswick has had 25ml this weekend, I was hoping for something Haha oh wells thanks for the update :Y:

 

[bjarvie]

Thanks for the pics I was considering driving up for the first time next week but I might hold off!

Yeah was my first time heading out to this spot.... we got smashed with rain that day but as you can see by the pics it was dry as a bone within a hr and along way away from having any sort of flow...