Newby

[spud1970]

Hi all my name is Dean and I just bought my new toy i just got the minelab van 540 I love to go camping with me dog spud I am 52 single I work full time in Aged Care maintenance so thought I would start a hobby wile camping I live in Traralgon Gippsland
I am looking for someone to go prospecting with and learn

 

[Simmo]

Welcome to PA mate!

 

[Hawkear]

Hi Dean. Welcome to the forum and I reckon you will get many honest suggestions.
Detectorists seem to be divided Into treasure hunters and gold prospectors. This divide is enhanced by the capabilities of detectors each has at their disposal.
Treasure hunters mostly seem to prefer VLF machines like the Vanquish because of the ability of those machines to discriminate targets eg into rubbish or valuable eg coins or rings and also because of the soil conditions In the areas where they work
Gold prospectors on the other hand generally prefer outright target detection capability and don’t worry about discrimination. Because of the nature of the way gold deposits occur, the soil in those areas where gold is also contains higher concentrations of the very things eg iron that make detecting difficult.
Separating true target signals from spurious ground noise due to soil conductivity and magnetics is an area where VLF machines like the Vanguish can struggle and ground cancelling PI machines like the GPX and SD series excel.
Finding gold with a VLF machine is not impossible and the early finds were all made with VLF machines but they were left behind with the development of ground cancelling PI machines. Given the concentrated effort by gold prospectors with the better equipped ground canceling PI machines over the nearly two decades since they were introduced the task would now be that much harder for you. The idea of finding an area which has “never had a detector over it“ can be largely dismissed now especially for a newbie.
My suggestion would be to initially concentrate on the treasure hunting aspect learning the capabilities of your machine to perform in that arena before you head off with high hopes in the goldfields which I am sure you would find a much more daunting experience.

 

[spud1970]

Thankyou Hawkear for that valuable info i am quiet happy in just having a go and have some fun wile out camping i am interested in the coins and treasures I also want to give panning ago too just get in touch with nature me and me dog

 

[WalnLiz]

Welcome to the Forum Dean...It's a great hobby you are taking up that will compliment your love of camping very well.

 

[Jaros]

Welcome to P.A. Dean.

 

[spud1970]

Welcome to the Forum Dean...It's a great hobby you are taking up that will compliment your love of camping very well.

I am so keen its just wet everywhere but looking forward to having ago

 

[Hawkear]

Yes a bit of a bummer with the big wet. Has kept a lot of us Victorian gold detectorists at home save for our bravest.
But maybe nice soft treasure hunting conditions. Sporting grounds (not playing areas), old show grounds, racecourses, play and picnic grounds etc.
As far as panning though, could be worth keeping an eye on some of the smaller creeks in the Gippsland goldfields like Walhalla, Latrobe river, Tanjil areas etc. as conditions improve. Often after a big storm flush, creeks can be worthwhile panning because overburden can be shifted to reveal bedrock cracks, and bank washdowns can leave their golden contents behind.

 

[spud1970]

Yes a bit of a bummer with the big wet. Has kept a lot of us Victorian gold detectorists at home save for our bravest.
But maybe nice soft treasure hunting conditions. Sporting grounds (not playing areas), old show grounds, racecourses, play and picnic grounds etc.
As far as panning though, could be worth keeping an eye on some of the smaller creeks in the Gippsland goldfields like Walhalla, Latrobe river, Tanjil areas etc. as conditions improve. Often after a big storm flush, creeks can be worthwhile panning because overburden can be shifted to reveal bedrock cracks, and bank washdowns can leave their golden contents behind.

Thankyou hawkear i am going to try tanjil river for some paning

 

[RM Outback]

Thankyou hawkear i am going to try tanjil river for some paning

G'day Dean welcome to PA. When it comes to fossicking or prospecting you need to research the regulations before making any plans for your intended area of interest.

Tanjil River is on the EXEMPT Rivers and Streams list and sadly any form of prospecting beit panning, sluicing or using a highbanker is completely off limits. To stay up-to-date with the regulations you need to visit the Earth Resources website and search Exempt Rivers and Streams, nothing is ever deleted just more added from time to time sadly.

Tried to share a link unfortunately this new format is absolutely F%$#ing useless for people like me.

@Gold (staff as you like to refer to yourself as ) how about you simplify the function of adding links. I am just about done with this crap.

Mod edit:
Just need to copy & paste the website address RM. The new software does the rest.
https://earthresources.vic.gov.au/l...ick/rivers-and-streams-where-you-cant-fossick

 

[Simmo]

Its pretty simple for most mate?
How is THIS for a link??

 

[spud1970]

G'day Dean welcome to PA. When it comes to fossicking or prospecting you need to research the regulations before making any plans for your intended area of interest.

Tanjil River is on the EXEMPT Rivers and Streams list and sadly any form of prospecting beit panning, sluicing or using a highbanker is completely off limits. To stay up-to-date with the regulations you need to visit the Earth Resources website and search Exempt Rivers and Streams, nothing is ever deleted just more added from time to time sadly.

Tried to share a link unfortunately this new format is absolutely F%$#ing useless for people like me.

@Gold (staff as you like to refer to yourself as ) how about you simplify the function of adding links. I am just about done with this crap.

Mod edit:
Just need to copy & paste the website address RM. The new software does the rest.
https://earthresources.vic.gov.au/l...ick/rivers-and-streams-where-you-cant-fossick

Thankyou RM i appreciate the in put and I will be definitely looking at the exempt rivers
May I ask why are they not allowed to be paned
I will be definitely looking into it as I am very interested in learning the history of Gippsland and the high country just love learning about the old towns and the way it all started like Traralgon been looking into my town and it is so fascinating how it began

 

[Hawkear]

Don't let that daunting list of prohibited streams put you off. There are many small creeks and even unnamed ones that are normally dry that are not mentioned.
Personally I would take that list of banned fossicking streams to mean just stay out of the main bed of the stream not any tributary streams unless that is generally specified or such tributaries are listed by name.
The greater Tanjil goldfield covers a large area and extends much further than just around the Blue Rock dam area that currently covers the heart of the goldfield and the old Tanjil township site.
Further North the goldfield extends up through Hill End to Icy Creek and to the east across the dam to Bull Beef creek and even to the west of the main road on the fall down towards the Latrobe river.
Russells Creek just north of the map area at the end of the attached Bulletin was a significant gold field in its own right and multi ounce nuggets were found in its vicinity. It is not mentioned on the banned list.
Have found gold in even the smallest of gullies, ground trickles, road culverts, drains etc so long as there has been enough water puddled up to pan in. Now would be the time to explore and look for those opportunities.
I have attached a copy of Bulletin 38 for your reading. Most of the area talked about would be under the water of the blue rock dam although I have found that some of the more elevated leads are still above the water line.
Bulletins like this one are indicative of what you can find with a bit of research and from then on it is time to go and have a bo peep to see what is accessible on the ground now..

 

[spud1970]

Don't let that daunting list of prohibited streams put you off. There are many small creeks and even unnamed ones that are normally dry that are not mentioned.
Personally I would take that list of banned fossicking streams to mean just stay out of the main bed of the stream not any tributary streams unless that is generally specified or such tributaries are listed by name.
The greater Tanjil goldfield covers a large area and extends much further than just around the Blue Rock dam area that currently covers the heart of the goldfield and the old Tanjil township site.
Further North the goldfield extends up through Hill End to Icy Creek and to the east across the dam to Bull Beef creek and even to the west of the main road on the fall down towards the Latrobe river.
Russells Creek just north of the map area at the end of the attached Bulletin was a significant gold field in its own right and multi ounce nuggets were found in its vicinity. It is not mentioned on the banned list.
Have found gold in even the smallest of gullies, ground trickles, road culverts, drains etc so long as there has been enough water puddled up to pan in. Now would be the time to explore and look for those opportunities.
I have attached a copy of Bulletin 38 for your reading. Most of the area talked about would be under the water of the blue rock dam although I have found that some of the more elevated leads are still above the water line.
Bulletins like this one are indicative of what you can find with a bit of research and from then on it is time to go and have a bo peep to see what is accessible on the ground now..

that is so interesting reading thank you for clarifying that for me
all i have been doing is researching and its amazing on what you learn love the history and the info i get from fellow members on here
big thankyou

 

[grubstake]

Thankyou RM i appreciate the in put and I will be definitely looking at the exempt rivers
May I ask why are they not allowed to be paned

I understand that the primary reason modern prospecting is banned, is the turbidity (cloudiness) of the water caused by mining activities in waterways. This degrades the downstream water quality, causing harm to aquatic animals, including fish and platypus, and also the various small creatures that are their primary food sources. There is also concern about increased riverbank erosion resulting from the digging of soil/clay/gravel alongside waterways.

A further issue is that streams and rivers mined for alluvial gold in the past, usually contain dangerous mercury residues from old-time gold recovery methods and this dangerous material is apparently best left undisturbed.

 

[Hilux]

with nature me and me dog

I detect along the river here in Perth. Three or four times now I've had dogs come up and let a paw digging a target.