how to wreck Grabben Gullen for others

[Chewy]

Good work aussiefarmer. Very proactive, I like it. Always best to work with the locals.

 

[Karen]

That's awesome Aussie Farmer! Thanks for taking this on board.

I'm sure many other forum members will be right behind you! Fantastic!!

 

[aussiefarmer]

I willing to follow this through if we can get some feed back on the signs either pictures of other signs or link to a government body that can supply signs or what should be on them . If we can come up with a legit sign I hope more members will nominate to try and get some erected in there favorite spots . I haven't even fossicked at grabben gullen yet , I went trout fishing there 3 years ago and thought it was a visual gem but don't eat the trout they taste like cow dung.

 

[radar]

Hi every body cansomebody set me straight i thought that fosicking with powerd mechanical eqipment was elegal in nsw so is high banking elegal

 

[aussiefarmer]

Hi every body cansomebody set me straight i thought that fosicking with powerd mechanical eqipment was elegal in nsw so is high banking elegal

powered mechanical equipment is illegal , but a highbanker/sluice with a petrol water pump is ok. its ok to pump water but everything else needs to be done by hand.
if you use the search on this forum you will find all the rules

 

[shivan]

There are many posts about this and it is a bit of a grey area....
The wording of the guideline states"Power-operated equipment cannot be used on land or in waters for surface disturbance, excavation or
processing. Power operated equipment includes mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, battery and
electrical equipment or machinery"
The water pump is the piece of machinery that normally comes into question, but it is not being used for surface disturbance or excavation and the only thing it processes is water.
This in conjunction with the fact that the water act mentions pumps being allowed for the purpose of fossicking, is enough for most people to feel they are following the law.

Where they dig is a different kettle of fish altogether....

 

[radar]

Thanks ausy farmer just been reeding the fosicking rules on nsw foristry site and thay say no powerd equipment including processing cheers

 

[stevepie1]

Have not been back to the public area of GG for 3 years now..After seeing the senseless MORONS with there hi-bankers spending from 7am till midday digging piles of gravel running it through then packing and going ,Absoluteley destroying the place.Even 3 years ago it was starting to go bad.If you want to see what it looked like once upon a time, go to the bridge in streetview on google earth that view is from 08. I'm amazed it hasn't been shut down yet..Luckily (and god knows why)Owen still let's people on his land..

 

[Heatho]

That's not entirely true Steve, the big flood through there between 2010 and 2012 stripped a lot of soil away and caused massive errosion. Though yes I agree it is generally a bit of a mess there from rubbish left behind. Fossickers didn't do all the damage. Undermnining banks is a big no no though.

 

[Explorer385]

Yeah spot on Heatho,

No secret I am pretty annoyed about the recent damage, but, it's not all high bankers and diggers that cause all the damage, floods do a fair bit too.
However, undermining the banks makes it much easier for flood damage to occur.
The floods also do some good too - replenishing the supply of alluvial placements and clearing unwanted rubbish.

I am not against high bankers - in fact I use one. I am just suggesting that we should look after what we have, so we can continue our pastime without being branded as vandals.

Terry

 

[stevepie1]

I agree to Heatho, i also have a homemade hi-banker which has done ok at GG and it's so quick to fill in your holes ,and i agree it's only a finite amount of fossickers who stuff it up for us.Actually i wouldn't even call them fossickers.We even talking to a bloke who reckoned he was gonna get a dingo in there to move thing's along quicker,I don't think he was kidding .. You are right about the floods they don,t help..the huge floods in the 70's caused a fair bit too but nothing like it is now.. I feel the problem is that GG is probably one of the most road Accessible sapphire spots for all comers in the south and therein lies some of the problem..
All the best Steve

 

[richo966]

we need to educate new comers when they are doing the wrong thing most people will heed your advice we all started of as newbies but please use your brains fill in your holes take your rubbish and the trash you find when digging be help full if people don't listen to common sense they will be noted the locals will run them of think of others and have fun don't destroy what is a place of happiness for so many

 

[WalnLiz]

Have not been back to the public area of GG for 3 years now..After seeing the senseless MORONS with there hi-bankers spending from 7am till midday digging piles of gravel running it through then packing and going ,Absoluteley destroying the place.Even 3 years ago it was starting to go bad.If you want to see what it looked like once upon a time, go to the bridge in streetview on google earth that view is from 08. I'm amazed it hasn't been shut down yet..Luckily (and god knows why)Owen still let's people on his land..

No excuse for some of the antics displayed out there in the public area, but that google image of 08 has nothing to do with what it looked like since the floods as Heatho explained. I've prospected that creek for 50 years, and the day after the first flood the creek was completely unrecognizable. I was there a couple of days after the first flood, which washed a caravan on Owens property, 50 feet up the bank, into the creek.

The creek for the first 400m upstream from the bridge was only about 2m wide with grassy banks to the creek edge. After that first flood the banks were completely stripped and all those boulders you see now were exposed. The creek bed went from 2m wide to15m wide in a period of just 3 days...and that was only the first flood.

Owens' a patient man, but if the creek isn't looked after I can guarantee his patience will run thin. Some common sense in where, and how, you dig is what is required and your rubbish taken home and not dumped is all that is required, and... "DON'T"... dig around the bridge pylons like some imbeciles do. One rotten apple is all that's required to spoil the whole basket.

 

[WalnLiz]

I fully agree with the sign idea, if anyone has pictures of signs at fossicking sites that we could use as a reference and maybe even a government body that might supply such signs I might be able to follow this up as I have contacted my friends in the grabben gullen area and they have mentioned there is a grabben gullen progress association and a hall committee that both deal with tourism.

On a happier note, my friends are going to get some information and contact details regarding camping at the hall , which has hot showers toilets and cooking facilities and as a bonus its next door to the pub , so once I receive the details I will post the information for the use of members.

So if anyone has any information regarding signage pass it on to me and I will forward it to the committees to see if we can get it erected atleast the un educated will be aware of the rules and the ignorant greedy buggers might think twice with any luck.

Signage on Crown land areas is well and good....but there is only a 200m stretch of crown land at GG.
, the rest of the creek is on private property, and signage won't get you access to that. Signage in the past hasn't stopped those intent on vandalism of property....education via sources such as forums and personal discussions on etiquette with fellow prospectors on the stream is a better avenue for getting the right approach from prospectors.

Council has on two occasions that i know of reprimanded imbeciles digging and undermining the bridge pylons, and I've personally spoken to fossickers under the bridge, explaining that what they're doing will only get council to close the small amount of crown land that's there. The majority do the right thing and everybody out there talks to each other when fossicking......just use common sense and treat the area like its your own back yard.

Wal.

 

[jimnyjerry]

Well said Wal.

Have not been down to GG for over a year. When I do I will watch out for vandals. Do not want to lose another fossicking spot.

 

[Jukebox]

I was at GG 2 weeks ago - words cannot describe the damage that was done - to me it looks like it was aided by some sort of loader or rock hammer.
Its one thing to sluice all day but to move that amount of material is crazy.

Honesty it almost look commercial.

 

[elbowgrease]

Still on my bucket list of places to visit.

Havent done much prospecting in the last 12 months due to the arrival of a new family member but still really wanting to get over that way for a dig!

Unfortunately digging banks and leaving giant holes happens all to often, few bad apples will ruin it for everyone!

 

[Druley]

How about we change the topic to "how to save Grabben Gullen for others!"
The council has spent a lot of time looking after the area and is keen to make sure it is not trashed.
Regular fossickers have reported details to authorities and it is being followed up.
Thank you!
Keep an eye out.
Report any idiots.
Enjoy
Druley

 

[Mungoman]

G'day people, after reading about what's been happening to GG, I decided to go and have a look for myself and take a pic. The flow of the creek has been improved, but, this nice little area where we were guaranteed to pick up the odd one or two sapphires is a bit crook at the moment -see for yourself.

 

[Explorer385]

Thanks Mungoman,

When was this photo taken?

You can clearly see the two piles of larger gravels from the high banking in the middle of the stream with a large amount of smaller debris just behind.

Terry