Goldpick
Chris Johnson
I remember roaming around Mt Crawford in my 20's detecting and gem fossicking, and there was free access to drive just about anywhere. Of course areas of harvesting activities were temporarily signposted, though you could literally drive up to any of the marked mineral/gem localities on their pamphlets with no troubles.
I think one of the main issues in the area aside from the waste dumping and stolen car bodies, was the ruining of wet tracks by week-end warriors in their four wheel drives. Some of the roads would become impassable due to ripping up of those real slippery clay tracks during the winter months, making access very difficult for the forestry guys as well as prospectors. I feel that this where costs blow outs exist on repairing and re-dressing the tracks vs the odd car body or dumped waste. There is also the issue of asset management, espsecially with regards to fires in the plantations. Closing off these areas obviously limits the possibility of deliberate or accidental lighting of fires.
I must admit I was surprised in more recent years visiting the area, on how many of those favourite spots are now locked up, requiring a hefty hike to get anywhere near them. Whilst I don't have an issue of packing a detector and roaming around the area, I do feel for the older generation who have now been effectively limited to where they can go, especially with medical or physical issues. Not to mention how far you would need to hike if bitten by a snake, injured, or faced with a bushfire (yes they do occur on none fire ban days).
Sometimes I would park down near Sailors Gully, and hike all over the area, with the unnerving knowledge that my car was prone to break in and theft, not to mention the expensive gear that prospectors typically have sitting in their vehicles. Having to walk everywhere does severely limit the amount of time you have to prospect, not to mention having to be back at your car before the main gates are closed for the day. To avoid this I would usually stick to Rocky Creek Road/Watts Gully Roads which are permanently open public gazzetted roads.
Not sure what can be done about it, nor what could be a practical solution, though I'm sure it will be very hard to reverse such decision once implemented. At least fossicking is still relatively unhindered, aside from direct access, though unfortunately the areas that are easily accessed, are the ones that get a regular hammering.
I think one of the main issues in the area aside from the waste dumping and stolen car bodies, was the ruining of wet tracks by week-end warriors in their four wheel drives. Some of the roads would become impassable due to ripping up of those real slippery clay tracks during the winter months, making access very difficult for the forestry guys as well as prospectors. I feel that this where costs blow outs exist on repairing and re-dressing the tracks vs the odd car body or dumped waste. There is also the issue of asset management, espsecially with regards to fires in the plantations. Closing off these areas obviously limits the possibility of deliberate or accidental lighting of fires.
I must admit I was surprised in more recent years visiting the area, on how many of those favourite spots are now locked up, requiring a hefty hike to get anywhere near them. Whilst I don't have an issue of packing a detector and roaming around the area, I do feel for the older generation who have now been effectively limited to where they can go, especially with medical or physical issues. Not to mention how far you would need to hike if bitten by a snake, injured, or faced with a bushfire (yes they do occur on none fire ban days).
Sometimes I would park down near Sailors Gully, and hike all over the area, with the unnerving knowledge that my car was prone to break in and theft, not to mention the expensive gear that prospectors typically have sitting in their vehicles. Having to walk everywhere does severely limit the amount of time you have to prospect, not to mention having to be back at your car before the main gates are closed for the day. To avoid this I would usually stick to Rocky Creek Road/Watts Gully Roads which are permanently open public gazzetted roads.
Not sure what can be done about it, nor what could be a practical solution, though I'm sure it will be very hard to reverse such decision once implemented. At least fossicking is still relatively unhindered, aside from direct access, though unfortunately the areas that are easily accessed, are the ones that get a regular hammering.
