Here's why it's getting more crowded out there ......

[Teemore]

Article in todays Melb. Herald Sun ........ wonder how many wannabes articles like this bring to the goldfields.
Great for retailers and probably those after 2nd hand detectors once people realise it just ain't that easy ......
Cheers T.

Oh, and for those that know Cordell he's still not to and about, shop still shut ..... he advises the photo was staged, he only had to hobble a few yards so that they could get a photo.

 

[Dewalt]

Yes i think 2021 is going to be very congested out there, i see WA has issued 4500 new licences this year alone. Hopefully after that people will realise its far harder than they have been led to believe and will sell me a new in warranty 7000 nice and cheap.

 

[Goldchaser1]

I reckon the last 6-12 months ive never seen so many low klm gpzs advertised,the used detector market is slowly becoming a smorgasbord,articals as above and the gold shows and the price of course,there all over FB, i found my first patch,usually 2-3 nuggets for .9 of a gram.....

 

[Manpa]

I reckon everyone started out as a wannabe, some fade away, some put in the hard yards, some are successful, others arent.

Yes its good for retailers and the second hand market but its also good for the local bakeries, cafes, campgrounds, caravan parks, servos etc, lots of people benefit from people out prospecting, fossicking and enjoying the great outdoors, not to mention peoples own health and well-being.

 

[Teemore]

I reckon everyone started out as a wannabe, some fade away, some put in the hard yards, some are successful, others arent.

All of what you say is correct Manpa .... I also started as a "wannabe" BUT not because of the publicity and abundance of gold related shows that we now enjoy or loath .... they just didn't exist.

Big difference going in with expectations of getting rich quickly with multi ounce nuggets and a genuine love/enjoyment of the bush and goldfields history knowing the reality of how difficult it really is.

Too many readily accept what they see, as in the photo, or the abundance of TV shows ..... they're made to a formula as entertainment .... "we've looking for gold, oops major setback/hardship/disaster/etc then yeehaa look we came good after all", but yes the gold is always real.

 

[Goldchaser1]

I reckon everyone started out as a wannabe, some fade away, some put in the hard yards, some are successful, others arent.

Yes its good for retailers and the second hand market but its also good for the local bakeries, cafes, campgrounds, caravan parks, servos etc, lots of people benefit from people out prospecting, fossicking and enjoying the great outdoors, not to mention peoples own health and well-being.

Yep its a good thing there out an about manpa,get out there and live it up,where here for a short time....
From a wa perspective i do worry a bit about the long term effects of people not following the rules over here,most are ok but as an example i was talking to a bloke at work a while ago,he was gonna buy a detector,he said i can find gold,walk the dog at the same time etc etc,he said cant i go anywhere? we have a great system in wa but i can see things changing under the pressure of hoards of people flurting the rules,hopefully not.....

 

[Davent]

That plus shows like Aussie gold diggers and all the you tube channels.
I did a similar thing in the 80s and 90s with land based game fishing, we made some fishing movies land based addiction and marlin offthe rocks, made a complete zero as far $ went, and made an instant crowd because of all that had an interest in it, got even more interested!
And then the internet took off, Facebook and you tube, forums like this one. The forums went from 80-a couple of hundred members, to a few thousand members and then there are those who just read without actually signing up to the forums
Then things like 4x4 cars became affordable and common, then smart phones! Everyone had google earth/maps/gps in their pocket 24/7!
Thats why its getting busy out there!

 

[Teemore]

I did a similar thing in the 80s and 90s with land based game fishing,

Nice ..... Green Cape was the go to location late 70's early 80's .... never made it to WA but my Metro Fire mates used their generous shift leave to head there regularly.

 

[silver]

Still just dreamin of being a wannabe has saved me soooo much money, and I'm too far ahead to quit now.
:rainbow:
:goldnugget:

 

[Davent]

Did an epic trip to greencape once. No epic fish for us, but a steady catch of salmon, black drummer, bream and coota. Stayed at bitangabee bay, great trip, great place. Water was cold while we were there. Stayed there a week or so, fished Tathra on the way home, had an epic session on bonito off the headland, must have spun up hundreds of them between the 4 of us and one nice 4 kg snapper.
Great memories. In fact a really funny story about that trip, it was before mobile phones were common, but too long to tell here now. Another time and place..... might do a funny fishin stories thread later!

 

[Goldchaser1]

Cmon silver,brand new 79 series with all the fruit,kedron caravan,cuppla gpzs and 30 coils,about 1/4 of a million all up,first time in wa ya might get an oz,i dont understand your logic :lol:

 

[nucopia]

We met a couple last weekend who drove into the camp sight we were staying in and asked is there gold here abouts :lol:
they had a gold monster and a panning kit they had never used and unreal expectations from watching Aussie gold hunters and you tube videos ..
Still they were nice enough people so we took them panning in the creek with us and helped them find a few specs..
They really thought they could pay for their travels by finding gold ..I hope they do and if they dont at least they enjoy the adventure.

 

[Heatho]

I met a bloke at the beach a couple of months back who asked to see what I had found. We got to talking and he said he had a Zed and was a bit upset because he had been to Hill End a couple of times and had found no gold, he said that he "thought he would have found a few ounces by now".

I just said "keep at it mate, you'll get some eventually".

 

[Nightjar]

It is great to see, people getting out and about and soaking up a bit of Vitamin D and trying their luck. Like all of us we started out completely naive.
Fortunately we didn't take unnecessary risks and always had safety in the back of our minds.
No GPS, Mobile, only hard copy maps, AM handhelds and a compass. We had to take note of any windmills in the event of breakdowns and wanting water for survival (and our solar shower bags.)
I always made a point of dropping in on the Pastoralist and letting them know where I would be camped.
Can recall the Belelee Station owner buzzing me with his plane and we had a conversation via radio. (Memories of him saying he'd put the plane down if he could and have a cuppa. (Those were the days.
Once a week, would drop into the Meekatharra Police Station and leave my campsite with them.
Did very well with the Garrett Deepseeker and upgraded to the Groundhog.
Fickle game, later prospecting, a six week trip as far north as Nullagine back through Wiluna to Leonora with the Groundhog I didn't find one speck of gold. Enough lead though to keep me in sinkers for my new hobby.
Met many others who became life long friends, most of which are now residing on a great patch in the heavens.
These prospectors, some new, some experienced hands were always willing to share "genuine" experiences.

Returning to the subject heading of this thread is concerning, stories and "TV bull oop: " is putting the wrong message out there.
Take care, each and all, one simple mistake can and does cost lives every year. How many newbies do we see posting they are heading out into the goldfields in the middle of summer?
Have posted this personal experience on another thread years ago as an example;
Couple in shiny new 4WD, dressed up for Melbourne Cup day, the latest detectors in the 4B, bogged on a remote sandy track. Checked his vehicle and discovered he hadn't locked his front hubs. Engaged the hubs and he drove out, kept going didn't even stop to say, "Thank you."
AND, they did not have a drop of drinking water with them....................
The perfume the "Madame" was wearing sure overwhelmed my bush BO. :lol:

 

[A-team]

I think Aussie gold diggers wasn't so bad....IF you excluded the Poseidon crew - completely, what a joke. Almost embarrassing! At least some of the others gave you an insight to the fact "it ain't that easy". People hear "gold rush" and suddenly think - wow, more gold is starting to appear everywhere. I pity those newbies in WA as Nightjar has mentioned. At least in VIC you are never to far away from help and without the desert extremes, maybe the odd snake, spider and drop bear.

Also, never have i seen such a selection of second hand coils on Gumtree and eBay - even cash converters has them now? ...and have you noticed the downward trend in Coiltek prices lately? What's up with that.....?

Prospecting has become more of a commercial industry rather than a lifestyle, but without the industry, there wouldn't be the lifestyle - can't win...or lose?