Hill End - No Detecting Zone

[user 4485]

is the issue access to these areas or the fact we are finding "their" gold?

are you allowed to walk / birdwatch in these crown land locations with mining lease?

cheers

jason (toecutta)

By rights they should only be able to stop you fossicking on these areas. The HEG bloke was quite adamant that we should not have been on there at all even though he did concede it was crown land. I didn't want to get into an argument with him & just agreed to leave but really my belief is he had no right to ask us to leave - only to stop fossicking.

You should be able to birdwatch, bushwalk, 4wd (although HEG have both access gates locked into this particular spot which I thought was also not on!!) or whatever in there - just can't find any of "their" gold which is crap. The NSW Resources website even says "The granting of an exploration licence does not give any right to mine, nor does it guarantee a mining lease will be granted within the exploration licence area." So by rights, apart from sampling, they have no rights to the minerals either until they step up to either an assessment lease or mining lease.

 

[user 1769]

Over here in Tassie, we need permission from the companies who own any kind of tenement (exploration, retention licence, mining lease) in order to prospect. However, the law states that the companies MUST give the prospector reasons - in writing - if they refuse. So companies that ignore requests might end up with prospectors in their land who deem their silence as permission. They can't kick you out, but they can stop you from prospecting, if that makes sense. I can't say I agree, as a prospector, but I can see that (for a company) the whole point of going to the effort and expense of taking out an EL is so that they have exclusive rights to explore that ground.

I've had relatively good success negotiating access in the past. Many exploration companies don't really have enough eyes on the ground, and if you're happy for an arrangement where you report what you find to the company, my experience has been mostly positive. As far as most are concerned, more eyes on the ground give better coverage.

 

[user 4485]

They're not really open to negotiations here in my experience. Its a flat out no mostly, that's if they bother to reply at all. Then you've got no recourse to appeal or enquire as to why. I've given up asking to be honest.
I can understand them wanting exclusive rights to explore an area but what they are looking for & what we are is like night & day. They want deposits that are large enough to support a financially viable mine. The majority of areas they find that may be prospective then fail at the feasibility stage anyway with a very small percentage ever making it through to the mining stage.
Our impact on their activities is minimal to say the least. A pimple on an elephants bum if you like. :lol:

 

[user 1769]

It's actually quite funny, the scale of what they're looking for vs. us is so different that they entirely miss small local enrichments. Imagine a company doing soil geochemistry at 10 feet intervals!

 

[user 4485]

I was thinking about staying at Hill End instead of Windeyer in a few weeks but this has turned me off.

Ill spend my money in Mudgee/Windeyer/Hargraves instead.

Hill Ends economy will suffer if we are pushed out of the area.

Thanks for the heads up.

Cheers RS

I wouldn't give up on the area mate - I'm not . Just be aware if you happen to stray outside the "fossicking area" then if HEG happen to come across you they will most likely ask you to move on.

 

[Guest]

Yeah your right.

I ll go over there and get some of that beautiful Hill End Gold.

 

[toecutta]

agree mbasko... and some stealth

 

[crustydog]

i worked underground at the mine for HEG. They are sitting on a literal gold mine where their current (shut down ) mine is located. we were mining good course gold day in - day out. at the then price for gold if they weren't making money it was through poor management not poor returns. Their drilling program was well behind, they also hadn't drilled near where the Holterman nugget was found ( that would've been the first place i would have drilled)
it has been sitting idle for around 5 years now as far as i know. their next big location is at Hargraves. which they would like to open cut mine. I am definitely no expert but open cut mining an narrow vein ore body doesn't seem like the smartest idea. the geoligists were incompetent ("just because you can see gold doesn't mean it carries") WTF?! and it just got worse the higher you went.
someone will get a bargain taking over HEG.
If they cant find it underground they've no hope of getting any on the surface.

 

[mick lachie]

Hi gentleman
new to the site but thank god im on it as I was heading to hill end in 2 weeks time to camp down the bottom of the bridle track on the river , I was pretty excited about doing some detecting as I'm new it all !

Would it be a good idea to find another place to swing the detector and do a bit of panning , if so could someone maybe suggest a place I could try ? (Please) .
Im from Sydney and any help would be grateful .

 

[Wally69]

I lost my wedding ring up there, could you please help me find it.

 

[silver]

Welcome ML, to the forum and beyond.

 

[silver]

Wally needs a lot of help People he's lost his wedding band of great sentimental value up there(god knows where),... he was all over that place,.. all you members close enough and all you that can afford the trip should Rally together and hit the ground on a treasure hunt to find Wallys wedding band and restore his home life to the happy one it should be(had he not lost that ring),.. be determined people , and never give up,... Do it for the ring(and Wally).

 

[Heatho]

That's a bit rough Matt. Not really fair at all being kicked off crown land if they are not presently mining it and probably never will. Lol at their share price.

 

[Guest]

Wally,

Fear not old Son.

I will take on this challenge as my citizen duty to scourer those hills and gullies at Hill End in search of "Your Precious" in 2 weeks time from today!

I will report back when said quest has been completed!

 

[Narrawa]

I'll be up there again this satdy & sundy coming doing the usual hunting...may have a few catching up with me while there.
Must say in all the years iv been working up there and taking my share, iv never been told to move on.

 

[user 4485]

Hi gentleman
new to the site but thank god im on it as I was heading to hill end in 2 weeks time to camp down the bottom of the bridle track on the river , I was pretty excited about doing some detecting as I'm new it all !

Would it be a good idea to find another place to swing the detector and do a bit of panning , if so could someone maybe suggest a place I could try ? (Please) .
Im from Sydney and any help would be grateful .

Mate it's still a top spot to visit & I would just go ahead with your plans. If you do no good down the bridle track you can always head up around Tambaroora. You'll get some fine gold panning in the creek & even though it's been worked over around there the odd little nugget still pops up detecting.

 

[Guest]

oh the joy of night detecting

 

[Varts]

Wally, post a pic up of the lost ring ,there is probably a good chance that a minelab coil has already picked up a signal and that sentimental we'd ring may just be closer to home than you think .
This ring may have already been found!

Small world ,you never know mate.

Treasure hunt ,yes ...perfect excuse to get out for a day.

 

[SCROUNGER]

No Varts, pretty sure it's still lost and Wally needs everybody to descend on Hill End and try and find it.
Not looking for gold mate, just looking for our mates wedding ring....

 

[Varts]

good luck ,hope you find it wally.