Nundle NSW information and questions

[Ben78]

Hey guys, thinking of heading up to Nundle soon for the first time but first I got a few questions that people may be able to answer for me which would be greatly appreciated.

1) This image I have added has a road that I highlighted that Google Earth calls Nundle Road. What I want to know is what is the condition of this Road. If I access it from Topdale road will I manage to make it to Nundle. I do have a 4wd but it would most likely be loaded with gear.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/2408/1396141853_untitled-2.jpg

2) I do like hiking around so I will likely do a bit in the State Forest. Is there any creeks in there that I can Prospect (don't need locations if you dont want to give them out just a yes or no ), I see a lot of people talk about Peel River and Detecting in the State Forest but nothing about working these creeks and streams which I'd enjoy doing.

3) What exactly does Nundle have there? Does it have a shopping center for food and a petrol station to fill up? (maybe seem like a silly questions but I'd like to be sure).

4) What are Chaffey Dam and Sheba Dam like in the wet? Will it be damp, boggy? I'll most likely hit one of the two up so just curious.

Any help that may result in me having a more enjoyable time will be fantastic

Thanks guys when I work out a date I might throw something up asking who will be around there.

1) Run of the mill forest road - can usually do it in a commodore
2) Any creek in the vicinity of Hanging Rock has gold, sapphires, topaz and zircons in them.
3) Basic food and fuel. Pub, Caravan Park town pool etc no shopping centre at all. Tamworth is <45 minutes from Nundle township
4) Sheba is boggier than Chaffey in the wet but still not a boggy place. Sheba will be a LOT cooler than Chaffey this time of year.

Throw a date up there are a few of us around!

 

[Daniel]

Thanks mate, Absolute legend! I swear I'd be lost without everyone on here and there knowledge!

Yeah I've been told by a few people that they preferred Sheba so i'll most likely end up there.

Yeah when I got a date I will, I was thinking Tuesday but I got some new gear coming (a smaller sieve, a snuffer bottle and jar) so I may wait for it to come.. If I can wait that long!

Cheers Dude thanks for the info!

 

[Ramjet]

Chaffey is $5 per day per car. Hot showers $1.
Turn left out of Chaffey ( away from Nundle) a couple of ks down the road is a general store with fuel and a bit of everything.

 

[Bernsey]

Heading out to Nundle on Thursday (3 April) or possibly Friday if I get my camper back from the shop, had problems with the water pump and having another tank fitted. Staying at the van park as its only new and I don't trust all the off road gismos yet. I have a golf challenger and it looks a bit like this pic. Happy if you care to contact me.

Cheers
Bernadette

 

[Ben78]

Yeah when I got a date I will, I was thinking Tuesday but I got some new gear coming (a smaller sieve, a snuffer bottle and jar) so I may wait for it to come.. If I can wait that long!

Cheers Dude thanks for the info!

I use a 1/4" sieve up there as there is always a chance for nuggets larger than fine sieves and also sapphires etc. I don't find it impedes my panning speed at all. I'll probably have a day free on Wed at this stage but not 100% on that - depends on what my wife decides I have to do on my off week

 

[Daniel]

Thanks Ramjet I might go check that site out as well and just see what looks good.

Bernsey: Sweet might see you around then if I am still there, not sure how long I'm going to go for. Probably until my money runs out

Ben78: Yeah well the smaller Sieve is actually a 1/4 all I got at the moment is 1/2 never catched gems before but 1/2 seems kinda big for them and not sure if the Grubstake will pick them up. I was thinking of knocking up a bigger river sluice tomorrow as the Grubstake is small but I really want to go and look around at the moment.

Depending when I get up there I would be willing to go shovel with someone for the experience tho. I'll make a post tomorrow anyway.

Cheers.

 

[Ben78]

experience lol - I have none of that when it comes to wet. I can pan and find gold but that is about the extent of it

 

[weeg]

G'day all,
I have been looking around Nundle and Hanging Rock,wondering up and down very steep hills and through gully's,around old mine shafts and mullock heaps for several months now.
I have found every kind of metalic junk known to man,but nothing even vaguely resembling the yellow stuff!
I have a Garrett AT Gold.I know it's not a a minelab,but it's all I could afford.
I have tried many experiments with my detector,like burying very small pieces of gold up to 300 mm in the dirt and I have been able to pick them up without any trouble.
I have tinkered with settings in the field until I almost go nuts,but still no yellow.
Can anyone offer any advise,or am I just not looking in the right places.
I love getting out in the bush and scratching in the dirt,a wonderful way to spend time.Though just a little colour would make it so much more fun.
Thanks for listening.
Cheers,
Larry.

 

[Nugget]

I too have wondered for hours around Hanging Rock with the AT Gold finding nothing but junk. I've also detected the Pine Forrest but unfortunately a VLF has no chance of penetrating through the thick layer of pine needles, so it's probably best not to waste your time there.

I know of several small gold nuggets (<.5gram) being found in the Hanging Rock area in recent months, so there it's definitely there. In saying that, the guys who found them were all using a GPX5000. At least one of these nuggets was a sunbaker, so easily detectable with the AT Gold.

I have no doubt the AT Gold would find Gold at Hanging Rock (within it's limitations), my advice would be to swing slowly and make sure you're overlapping your sweeps, and don't forget to dig the low numbers 20's-40's because that's where the smaller gold sits on the target ID. Also if you're not already using it, make sure you play around with the Ground Balance Window as it'll help to quieten it down a fair bit.

In terms of coil selection I find the stock 5x8 DD to be best suited to that area, just keep in mind it won't penetrate as deep as a larger coil would so you're essentially only looking for very shallow gold. I have tried a couple of other coils but they couldn't handle the mineralisation.

Send me a PM once you've reach 10 posts.

Cheers,
Nugget

 

[weeg]

Thanks for the advice Nugget.
I will find a bit of yellow one day... :/
I have a great time poking around in the bush anyway.
I think I'm about up to 10 posts now, You beauty!
I'll check and if so I'll PM you.
Thanks again.
Cheers,
Larry.

 

[detecta2]

Gday gents, Its the old mystery, gold is where you find it, very true about the Nundle area, you just need to find new spots ,but saying that I've been to a few old spots this year and have still taken plenty of targets that should not be there such as brass buttons, lead ,bullet casings etc, this shows that gold is still there, otherwise these targets that sing like the yellow would all be gone.I've given these spots to people before and was surprised this year that so many targets are still undug.
First of all around the pine forest at Hanging rock, if you take the high dirt road from the chinese cemetery ,drive until you come to a fork in the road, past this point I've taken gold on the slopes many times,often it has been even in the road,when you come to this intersection take the high road and go on the road until you come to a dirt track to the left, now before you reached this point ,on the high side of the road theres many shafts and old activity, give this a go, still plenty of targets. You blokes might already know this spot. , another post shortly for Bowling alley point, phill

 

[Twapster]

Just keep looking, its there just not easy to find. I was there at Nundle when SirDigsAlot found his first nugget at the PA meet. Awesome to see the smile on his face. Priceless.

 

[detecta2]

Taken around 8g at Nundle this year,mostly below 0.4g,couple new spots,but tried a few old spots still wth good targets,driving towards bowling alley point along the peel river from Nundle look to the high side of the road and you'll see an old brick church, you can drive up to the church,plenty of nuggets came from this area, didn't get any gold there this year but still dug plenty of good targets, definitely still a good spot,pill

 

[harro]

Penfooey and I are here at Nundle for a short visit and had a panning session this morning....nice little picker! Plenty of black sand too. We tried detecting but so far no joy. Will give it another bash though. Saw a black snake baking on the rocks next to the water. A timely reminder to keep an eye out. We've seen 3 at Bingara and now this one. They usually are ok if you don't scare em or annoy em. We do wear our gaiters but didn't today as we were in the water a bit. Now sitting at Nundle Pub having a couple of coldies.

 

[TTKooAu]

Hiya Harro,
That's a nice little picker there... envy is green too :lol:

 

[GaryO]

Good stuff Harro.. without giving to much away where abouts in Nundle , close to the van park or else where ? Some great spots up there , and some good fishing as well

 

[harro]

Good stuff Harro.. without giving to much away where abouts in Nundle , close to the van park or else where ? Some great spots up there , and some good fishing as well

Ha ha tell us some good spots and I'll tell u exactly where :lol:

 

[GaryO]

Fair enough. . But I wasnt asking exactly where. Not sure how u misread it to mean otherwise ?
Edit ... sorry I misread or misinterpreted your reply.. so sorry I didnt realise you meant the fishing.

If u are familiar with the van park .. looking at the river follow it to the left and if things havnt changed the water will drop of into a deeper hole/pool , the last time I was there that area was loaded with Estuary Perch ( well what I believe they were ) I didnt fish for them but seen them while working under water there.

 

[bazza2210]

Penfooey and I are here at Nundle for a short visit and had a panning session this morning....nice little picker! Plenty of black sand too. We tried detecting but so far no joy. Will give it another bash though. Saw a black snake baking on the rocks next to the water. A timely reminder to keep an eye out. We've seen 3 at Bingara and now this one. They usually are ok if you don't scare em or annoy em. We do wear our gaiters but didn't today as we were in the water a bit. Now sitting at Nundle Pub having a couple of coldies.
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...1764/1414557970_nundle_gold_004-optimized.jpg

Nice!!

btw are you guys going to come to Oallen 22/23 November.

Cheers

Barry

 

[penfooey]

Penfooey and I are here at Nundle for a short visit and had a panning session this morning....nice little picker! Plenty of black sand too. We tried detecting but so far no joy. Will give it another bash though. Saw a black snake baking on the rocks next to the water. A timely reminder to keep an eye out. We've seen 3 at Bingara and now this one. They usually are ok if you don't scare em or annoy em. We do wear our gaiters but didn't today as we were in the water a bit. Now sitting at Nundle Pub having a couple of coldies.
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...1764/1414557970_nundle_gold_004-optimized.jpg

Nice!!

btw are you guys going to come to Oallen 22/23 November.

Cheers

Barry

Well we r heading that way. Couple of places to stop at on the way. Want to go back to Tuena before Chrissy too. You might want to join us again, would be good to catch up again. You going to Oallen? Regards Harro