New member

[Robbbo]

Hi all,
Andrew from the Yarra valley married 57 years old
Always had an interest in having a bit of a play with a pan and happened across this site lots of great info for us newbies
Looking forward to contributing to this site in the future.
I will apologise in advance for any stupid questions that I may ask that seem like no brainers to the more experienced.
My first bit of kit that I have purchased is a cheap pan from Aussie disposals
I know its nothing fancy but will at least let me have a bit of fun. Any bits I should be looking at accumulating or keeping an eye out for(is there a section in the forum that has this?)
Thanks for such a great site.

Andrew

 

[cecc]

Hi Robbbo good to see you and welcome, hey, there are no stupid questions, after quite a few years at this hobby I still ask people with lot's of experience questions and their all too happy to help.

Mate nothing wrong with a pan from the Aussie Disposals handy little pan that, still use it for my clean ups, i would say it's my favorite and I have 5 different pans. Robbbo there is a search button up the top of the page and you can search for things there, like, "finding alluvial gold" you get the point. It's very useful indeed.

Cheers

Len

 

[Jaros]

Welcome Andrew.
Jaros

 

[AtomRat]

Gday Andrew and welcome to the forum neighbour

If you would like to meet up sometime I can throw down the basics and get you on your way. The local gem club is undergoing a building change but active. I just passed down treasurer position as family life is getting busy!

 

[dam it]

Welcome to PA . the fever only gets worse .There is still plenty out there.

 

[Macca50]

Welcome Robbo,

 

[aussiefarmer]

Gday and welcome aboard, as for stupid questions its better to be a fool for an hour than remain a fool for life. Trust me i ask my share.

Start with a pan and a half inch seive that will halve the time spent panning and get a snuffer bottle to suck the gold specks up that will have the basics covered .good luck. .................................then if your real good at it get a wheelbarrow to carry all your nuggets :lol:

 

[silver]

Welcome Robbbo,... top site here !

 

[Robbbo]

Thanks all for the warm welcome, AtomRat would really appreciate that I will send you a PM through the week if that's all good.
In my opinion its people like yourself that makes these sites what they are.
Belong to another site that has people like yourselves and its because of you blokes that these sites continue to grow.

Regards Andrew

 

[AtomRat]

Sure mate you can send me a pm. You nees to make 10 posts on the forum to write and read PMs, but you can also access my email or ph number from my profile details page instead

There's a lot of freindly blokes in the prospecting world who have a thesaurus of information of what and how to do it

I see your in warby, have you spotted the tall bloke swinging a metal detector by any chance?

 

[Robbbo]

No personally I haven't but my wife has made comment about a bloke having a detector,
Will have to keep a better eye out .

As per the PM,s I believe that if I subscribe I can then access them.
Will be subscribing this coming payday as I like to support sites which would not be here if not for the people which put all the work in behind the scenes

I am not to hard to miss around the place I work for a company that removes those furry little possums from your home

Regards Andrew

 

[AtomRat]

No, you wouldn't have to subscripe for PMs ( from what I know? ), after 10 posts you should be sweet to go!

Sounds like your wife spotted me ill possibly be out there today for a short time detecting again. I've got a family of 5 or 6 in my roof at the moment...brushytails...

You can drop into the yarra valley gem club which at the moment resides behind the y.j football grounds ( yes..that little hut ) and members are there most wednesday and saturday mornings till 2pm roughly. Ill be heading back there shortly once my girls are back at school

Black Snake Productions is very close to me

 

[Robbbo]

Working this Saturday morning but if I finish early enough will call in on the way home.
Looking forward to it

Regards Andrew

 

[AtomRat]

Excellent mate

Just so you know, we cannot prospect in the Yarra River. Ill reccomend that you grab a sieve and long handled shovel from bunning for a quick start kit too mate. There's lots of items you will need. Here's my basic kit:

Spear and Jackson long handled gravel shovel - this is blue, wide and has a pointy tip. You don't want a rectangle shaped shovel as you won't be able to break through the rock as easily. The long handle saves your back. A lot. Bunnings.

Sieve - you can order or buy official sieves online and from Miners Den in Mitcham. Its your choice if you want metal or plastic. Steel will rust so you need stainless or alloy etc. I use a black plastic leaf filter for watertanks from Bunnings again, its not the one with fine metal mesh..its 1/4 hard plastic. They come in black and green and Bunnings always have them.

Pan - order online, MD in mitcham again or at Millgrove Nursery has a couple for sale too for close buying, but the riffles are not the best. I use a blue blan with large and fine riffles, as well as several other plastic and steel.

Storage - you need somewhere to hold your gold when your down the creek. I take a sealable plastic container like an icecream tub or yoghurt container, but many use what's called a sniffer or snuffer bottle. ( MD mitcham again or online ) and these suck your gold into a tight container which cannot escape. We have a lot of what's called 'black sand' or heavies, which makes the snuffer bottle use time consuming. I tend to clean up at home..not down the creeks.

Insect repellant.

To find goods you gotta like the water. Be prepared to be knee deep in a hole and getting wet unless you like waders, which can cause safety issues, but if your careful, work fine. ( until they rip ). I know a few blokes who use wetsuit pants to keep warm. I just go in my shorts n thongs half the time.

Always take 2 sets of footwear, one for walking that you keep dry, the other to protect your feet from the glass, crays and to get grip on the slippery rock.

I know a lot about the areas history of gold mining and can take you straight to goldfields not many get to see in this area.

 

[cecc]

Good on AR you share such good advice, love it mate.

 

[silver]

Keep the good bits in pms fellas or they'll be going straight from the airport to your spots.

 

[AtomRat]

Nothins been mentioned silver that hasn't before

 

[silver]

Move forward a decade and good money will come from bus services between the airport and the geological tourism spots. (Maybe). :lol:

 

[Fishing and gold pan man]

Any good spots in the Yarra valley for a beginner to try for panning and detecting

 

[SC75]

Sorry mate, i don't know the Yarra Valley area but try posting a topic on the Alluvial Gold Prospecting section and im sure someone will help you out and if not just PM me and i know a couple of spots you can pan in the Wombat state forest but its a bit of a drive from east Melbourne.