Port Douglas / Cairns / Palmer River - Can anyone help??

[Checkers]

Hi all,

I'm hoping that all you knowledgeable people are able to help me out! I'm in Far North QLD (North of Cairns) and my father who is avid and experienced in all kinds of fossicking and prospecting for many many years is heading up here for a holiday in early September. He is and has been heavily involved with the Victorian Fossickers club and is always the first to take new members and visitors to his favourite haunts.

Mainly interested in gold - Panning and Sluicing usually - he is has a couple of requests of his visit to me.

1 - to attend a local prospecting meeting. Can anyone please tell me if there are any gold prospecting clubs in the area (Port Douglas, but I would say within 150km :| ) and if anyone does know if a club exists would you happen to know the meeting date for September?

2 - to head to Palmer River (Yep, we are Victorians, it's the only place we have heard of up here to hunt gold) if anyone has any advice on places that we should check out please let me know. We will probably only have a small 2wd

I also wonder if anyone would know where we could hire some gear or maybe cheaply buy some second hand stuff as it will only be used for Dads holiday I imagine.

I thank you in advance for your help or at least reading to the end and I promise if you are able to help that we would be very happy to return the favour should you ever find yourself in Outer Eastern Melbourne

Warm wishes x

 

[Nugget]

Welcome aboard Checkers,

For a short list of Clubs in Victoria, please check out this topic https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1261

There's a few guys on the forum from the Palmer River area so I'm sure it wont be long before someone will be able to provide some local knowledge.

In regards to the hiring of gear, I'm unfamiliar with Port Douglas so unfortunately I can't help on this one either. Again I'm sure someone will be along soon who could point you in the right direction.

All the best on your prospecting journey, and I hope you and your father have a blast.

Nugget.

 

[Checkers]

Thank you Nugget, just to clarify, I am in Port Douglas, Far North Queensland, and I'm looking for advice in this area, not Vic I know I can be a little confusing at times

 

[Nugget]

Ah sorry mate, I read it wrong

 

[TenOunce Tone]

Checkers, You will be struggling to get into the "Palmer" in a 2wd vehicle, you will get to the river but beyond that will come down to the skill of the driver..

As far as gear goes, talk to George Mayer at Norht Qld Miners Den in Cairns.. he will be able to help you out with a limited budget.

As far as clubs go, I dont know of any up north, there are a couple of forums, this one, North Qld Miners Association and another .. search the net..


Cheers

Tony

 

[bulldogqld]

hope I can help a little with this,townsville has a club with lots of friendly members,they are on the net so give them a call or email,i am sure they will give good advice ,the miners den (George) in cairns is also good value,no clubs north of Townsville to my knowledge,good luck with it,bulldog

 

[kemjak57]

Also google Mt Mulligan for another place to try as well as Tyrconnell. Cheers, Rick

 

[Kingsolomon]

Ill be up there about the same time , not the easiest to get info on the areas up there . I'm looking to find more out of the way , less touched( if that's possible) areas , it's gold so people don't talk to much. But hey .. You got to ask...from what I can find there is a bit there, or was, and is just as hard to find as anywhere else. Maybe see you there...

 

[TenOunce Tone]

The main issue with prospecting in Qld is we do not have the same access and "rights" as our southern brothers and sisters. There are very few permitted fossicking areas in the state and most of those are gemstone focused.

As 99.9 % of the land that is suitable is tied up either on private property or has some kind of lease over it, we as amateur and part time prospectors have a hard time convincing the land holders that we will treat their land with respect, not leave holes for cattle to trip in, not set fire to the land etc...

When you do find a spot that is accessable, holds gold and water, and not is on a lease or locked up then I am sure you can understand the lack of willing information.

Needless to say, there are spots, Mount Mulligan west of Mareeba is a good starting point, the fields around the Palmer region are a bit harder to access and you really need to know where to go to find the yellow. Be aware that all the areas are on private land, may have leases over them and therefore do not be surprised if you meet an irate cocky or lease holder asking for a please explain.

Have a chat to George at NQ Miners Den, he is a wealth of knowledge and can kinda guide yo to some areas where you may have some luck, he did for me when I started. he can also set you up with some pans and other essentials for not a lot of cash.
Have a look through the posts on the site for some ideas on where to go. I am sure you will find some places. Do a google search for North Queensland gold or Cairns Gold and you will see some good info come up.

Good luck

 

[Eugene]

@ checkers , when you buy gear and get out in the field with your dad be prepared to keep your gear afterwards because you will get addicting to prospecting. occupational hazard ,lol its called the fever ! :lol:

 

[Checkers]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I have a couple of work colleagues up in Atherton helping with this as well and it looks like they know some peeps on property which should be great for us to access. Access definitely seems to be the problem up here Kingsolomon. Between the dry (its really brown up here) crocs and crazy rugged and remote landscape, it's a pretty perilous place! If you are in the area at the time, be sure and let us know and maybe we can pool resources.

Eugene, I have been on a million fossicking adventures from day trips to 2 week father daughter camping trips all through the Victorian Gold Fields so I am aware of the addiction I spose, but it just doesn't afflict me

And please everyone keep in mind.. if you're in the area early to mid Sept and don't mind a tag along... please let me know.

Cheers

 

[bradmcrae54]

hi checkers. last school holidays i took my boys out to kingsbrough (i think thats spelt right) it was awsome there unfortuatly i had only one night there but i highly recommend it can have hot showers there to for only 5 dolla a night . i went there with no bookins and unanouced ( no one around dimbula could help with contact details) but we were welcomed and given permission to canp any where. ( higly recommend to camp near the home stead and get there before night fall. thats about as far as you can get in 2wd) lol i did make it to the back boundry in me old mans ford falcon statuon wagon but wiuld only di it in 4x4 now after that wild adventure. u will need tent or swag . hipe this help

 

[navieko]

I'll second bradmcrae54's suggestion of Kingsborough as an ideal place to go in your situation. I live in Kuranda and me and my little bro went there for the first time a couple months back. Really nice campsites right along a creek, me and my brother managed to pan just under a gram from within the creek right in front my campsite (over weekend). I'm sure plenty of places to explore around the area as well - it is very close to the old Tyrconnell mine - from which you can also camp (but I'd recommend Kingsborough). No 4WD necessary.

I'm still relatively new to the hobby but I am reasonably familiar with the area as I've lived here most my life - so feel free to shoot me a PM if you need anything.

 

[Toothpick]

Hay Checkers! Would your father happen to be the infamous Ollie!

 

[Checkers]

Infamous Toothpick?? Sounds like he's famous to me! Ha!

 

[Checkers]

Having trouble locating Kingsborough?? Google maps has nothing? Thanks again for your help What a great site! (Except someone PM'd me ages ago but I cant access it because of this 10 post rule and I don't want to fill up all the noticeboards with junk just so I can PM!)

 

[TenOunce Tone]

Google Tryconnel or thornborough.. or hodgekinson gold field

 

[Checkers]

HEY! that's great, thanks Tone, certainly looks like we may head Mareeba way on Sunday I reckon!!

 

[TenOunce Tone]

Also. Get in touch with either tryconnel or mt mulligan.. uou can camp and prospect at both places for minimal costs. ...

 

[TenOunce Tone]

How did you go Checkers?