Palmer River.

[Walkerbout]

I left today. Booked for 2 weeks ,left after one. Grass is 2-3 foot high so impossible to swing.12x8” is the biggest you could attempt. Deep valleys some 40degree slopes so easy to hurt yourself.take a GPS and mark your car. You won’t be detecting from cannibal creek if you think you could, you can but pointless.
You need to spend at least 1-1.5 hrs on the goat tracks to get to apparently better gold areas on the south side. North side only for season holders but not many access points close to camp area. Better be prepared for some sore back and necks on the road. 3 people detecting for a week for a grand total of 3 pieces around 0.3g each. Many km driven up many tracks. You need some good ground clearance on your 4WD for some of the wash outs.
There are no tours as said by the web/WikiCamps sites. At least there is a shared toilet shower to use and water is good.
Seriously save your money and stress on your car and go elsewhere.
One bloke left after 2 days and he spent $3000 on a season pass and travelled from NSW. Many people I spoke to were only finding small gold. It’s exhausting to work the areas and very demoralising. There is surfaced grounds but they have been worked probably more than normal because you can actually swing the coil and walk around it. Not sure about panning as didn’t try it.
As for the burn word is it’s starting at the southern boundary if it happens at all.
Hope this helps. I won’t be going back and intend on going to areas around Clermont and Forsayth on way home.

Good luck if you go.

 

[Simmo]

Awesome hands on review of your trip mate!
Please let us know how you go in the Forsyth area too.

 

[19.3]

It was a bit of a joke mate! I was using the Insta 360° X2 camera.

Wow - had me fooled! What a great piece of kit! (and well done!)

 

[user 22230]

The only registered buggies and quads kills the deal for me, using your means of transport home on station tracks can be an issue. Just staking tyres can become a huge hurdle to overcome in remote area.

 

[user 7268]

Lot of people currently around Forsayth. Think a detector club is there, not sure where their swinging but.

 

[Simmo]

The only registered buggies and quads kills the deal for me, using your means of transport home on station tracks can be an issue. Just staking tyres can become a huge hurdle to overcome in remote area.

Mate I understand the Rec Reg thing, as it would more than likely satisfy insurance acknowledgements.
However, when we were there, if you have ROPS on your quad, they would let you sneak out!!
Now, this is not a permission to do so, please check with Palmerville Gold for correct conditions!!

 

[user 22230]

Cheers Simmo, no pogo stick on the quad but they would probably ok the SBS as has full roll cage & seat belts. Will check with them as fully understand the insurance factor in the current climate of "find some one to blame' Noting several comments made, several factors some need to consider? Firstly with large areas in the southern states becoming less and less available, one hopes they do get support for making the area available to the public. Also they cannot control the climate, grass one season then perhaps barren as in non the next ? Plus no grass no feed for stock, no stock = no cattle station to detect on Current gold price as it is 10 to 15 grams is not a lot to find to cover the fees especially given your also camping free along with the fees charged. Just my humble opinion here.
Above all don't abuse the privilege whilst there, you abuse it you'll lose it.

 

[user 22230]

I left today. Booked for 2 weeks ,left after one. Grass is 2-3 foot high so impossible to swing.12x8” is the biggest you could attempt. Deep valleys some 40degree slopes so easy to hurt yourself.take a GPS and mark your car. You won’t be detecting from cannibal creek if you think you could, you can but pointless.
You need to spend at least 1-1.5 hrs on the goat tracks to get to apparently better gold areas on the south side. North side only for season holders but not many access points close to camp area. Better be prepared for some sore back and necks on the road. 3 people detecting for a week for a grand total of 3 pieces around 0.3g each. Many km driven up many tracks. You need some good ground clearance on your 4WD for some of the wash outs.
There are no tours as said by the web/WikiCamps sites. At least there is a shared toilet shower to use and water is good.
Seriously save your money and stress on your car and go elsewhere.
One bloke left after 2 days and he spent $3000 on a season pass and travelled from NSW. Many people I spoke to were only finding small gold. It’s exhausting to work the areas and very demoralising. There is surfaced grounds but they have been worked probably more than normal because you can actually swing the coil and walk around it. Not sure about panning as didn’t try it.
As for the burn word is it’s starting at the southern boundary if it happens at all.
Hope this helps. I won’t be going back and intend on going to areas around Clermont and Forsayth on way home.

Good luck if you go.

Grass 2 to 3 ft ? Currently that's just lawn around Forsayth Grass taller than the Roo

 

[Roofmark]

I was there about week ago when Ben was there and he was saying that they were going to ban quads because of the insurance. I would only go back there if they have done a burn off. Anything close to the the tracks have been done over repeatedly.

 

[user 22230]

I was there about week ago when Ben was there and he was saying that they were going to ban quads because of the insurance. I would only go back there if they have done a burn off. Anything close to the the tracks have been done over repeatedly.

As much as it's a bugger, understood as they are even under work care and safety now on the stations. I guess just another thing stuffed thanks to the "Safety Police"

 

[Roofmark]

There were a bunch of experienced guys with 4X4 quads and 7000 , 6000 and they were only finding sub grams every now and again. They were a top bunch of guys and very helpful. They tried to get me on the gold. I paid for 3 weeks and left after 2 weeks

 

[Sunshineo]

We’ve been here 10 days and found gold 8 days in different locations. Yes the roads are a bit rough in places, but we take it steady on the rough bits. Grass it pretty high in places but we have managed to find many great places that it is sparse enough to swing both our 6000 and 7000 detectors easily.
We were also here last year and found gold in 4 different places that we haven’t got back to yet this year.
The pieces are not massive, but enough to keep us smiling. Biggest so far 3.2grm.

 

[Jaros]

Did you keep the GPS positions of the 4 places?

 

[Simmo]

@Sunshineo
Is that 3rd photo, past the dam and old plant site on the right, down the hill to the bottom?

 

[HippyProspecting]

Looks like it's beautiful country
Congrats on the Gold also

 

[Sunshineo]

@Sunshineo
Is that 3rd photo, past the dam and old plant site on the right, down the hill to the bottom?

Nope, thats Sandy creek, out past Mount Jessop mine. we only went out there once as that road was a wee bit challenging with steep hills.

 

[Sunshineo]

Did you keep the GPS positions of the 4 places?

Sure did

 

[Sunshineo]

Th

Looks like it's beautiful country
Congrats on the Gold also

Thee country out here is amazing, and it is hard to believe how tough those old timers must of been to trek in here on foot, carrying all there worldly possession, or pushing them in a barrow.
Even though it is winter it can be damn hot, we usually head out at daybreak and finish up detecting by 1.30ish.

 

[grumpybum]

Just spoke to a mate of mine who went to the palmer stn reckons its a con paid for two weeks left after one nothing they said was right no tours no choppr flights and this is on their website no gold not anywhere close to where they camped,and as someone else has posted you would want to be a mountain goat as well they were very disappointed in the whole setup

 

[Simmo]

Where the camp is, is surrounded by tin and tungsten mines.
I used to work not far from there (a couple of k's) and used to drive past the cottages to work every week.
Trust me, we got heaps of gold, but it doesn't settle in the traditional manner in that area.
In my opinion, the larger gold is to the northern side of the area.
I've prospected down at Groganville way too and it was known for very fine Gold, untill you go further South to around Condaparinga.