Reporting in from Canberra

[bundyjd]

Hi folks,

Just recently signed up here after buying a Garrett detector and looking forward to eventually being able to contribute something useful, although it might be a while.

Had my first outing yesterday. Packed up some gear in a dry bag, slung it on the back of the trailbike and headed out to the old Cowra Creek goldfields near Bredbo for a few hours of fumbling around.

Here's a few things I have learned so far:

- No matter how many times you read the owners manual and watch the Facetube videos you are going to be like a monkey trying to learn the art of knitting for at least the first few outings. I'm kind of glad there was no-one around to see my efforts.

- I am very good at finding rubbish. Very, very good.

- No matter what gear you take, the thing that you realise that you really need is going to be sitting at home in the shed. Or in a shop somewhere.

On the upside I did manage to find a small brass button. Well, I was excited....

If anybody in the Canberra area is ever looking for a sidekick to tag along on future outings (for entertainment purposes mostly) by all means give me a shout.

Cheers,
JD (aka John)

Here's a couple of pix. In the first one my bike is parked on the 1890's era cricket pitch at the old Cowra Creek sports reserve.

 

[Jaros]

Hi Bundyjd, welcome to the forum. That pitch looks as good as the ones we have to play on in India/Pakistan etc.
Good luck-we have a few Canberrites in the club.
Cheers
JAROS

 

[DrDuck]

Interesting, My mother was a kid on that goldfield (Cowra Ck) when BHP ran it, probably in the 1940's.

 

[WalnLiz]

G'day John,

There's a large number of fellow Canberra prospectors attending a Get together at Oallen Forde on the Shoalhaven in 2 weeks time.(22/23 Nov). It'll be run by myself and Terry from Detecta Den, and will be a great way to meet the regulars from the region. If you get a chance pop in and say hello.

Cheers Wal.

 

[bundyjd]

G'day John,

There's a large number of fellow Canberra prospectors attending a Get together at Oallen Forde on the Shoalhaven in 2 weeks time.(22/23 Nov). It'll be run by myself and Terry from Detecta Den, and will be a great way to meet the regulars from the region. If you get a chance pop in and say hello.

Cheers Wal.

That sounds great Wal, appreciate the invite.

I have an annual outing to the Adaminaby race day on the Saturday, but will be leaving there Sunday morning to head back to Canberra.

How long will you be around for on the Sunday do you reckon? I could probably take a detour and be there late morning.....

Cheers,
JD

 

[bundyjd]

Interesting, My mother was a kid on that goldfield (Cowra Ck) when BHP ran it, probably in the 1940's.

If you can get a hold of the book "Lost Mines Revisited" by Barry McGowan from the ANU, there is a chapter on the history of Cowra Ck and Cowarra (the BHP mine).

Your mother probably lived on what they called "The Ridge", I've got some hand drawn mud maps of that area showing where the various buildings etc where.

Very interesting place to scrounge around.....

 

[WalnLiz]

G'day John,

There's a large number of fellow Canberra prospectors attending a Get together at Oallen Forde on the Shoalhaven in 2 weeks time.(22/23 Nov). It'll be run by myself and Terry from Detecta Den, and will be a great way to meet the regulars from the region. If you get a chance pop in and say hello.

Cheers Wal.

That sounds great Wal, appreciate the invite.

I have an annual outing to the Adaminaby race day on the Saturday, but will be leaving there Sunday morning to head back to Canberra.

How long will you be around for on the Sunday do you reckon? I could probably take a detour and be there late morning.....

Cheers,
JD

Probably be there till around 4pm on the Sunday John.

Wal.

 

[bundyjd]

Thanks Wal, is there a thread somewhere about the get together or is it a club thing?

If I can weasel out of the race day I might be able to get there on the Saturday.

Or if these happen regularly maybe I can just wait for the next one.

Cheers,
JD

 

[WalnLiz]

Under the members section you will see the thread I started re the outing for the Canberra Connection. If you want to catch up with myself or Liz, this will be the last outing we will be organizing through PA. There will be other outings down the track and I can fill you in on them at the Oallen meetup if you like.

Cheers Wal.

 

[bundyjd]

Can't see the members section Wal, guessing I don't have enough posts yet...

 

[WalnLiz]

You need to have made 10 posts and then it will be automatically available to you John. You're already half way there so only a few more posts mate.

Cheers Wal.

 

[bundyjd]

Thanks Wal, maybe i'll have to bump my thread a few times to get there

 

[Keggs]

G`day Bundyjd,

Welcome to the forum, nice to see another Canberran joining the ranks. Cowra Creek is one of my favourite haunts as I have a mate that owns a property that we regularly camp at just 15 minutes up the road from from there.
No amount of reading instruction books or watching vids are as valuable as getting out there and using your detector as you have obviously found out. There is an awful lot of rubbish in the way of metal, wire etc out there , however, on occasion you will find some interesting stuff.

Keep at it. Maybe we will cross paths out there.

Good luck

Keggs

 

[SWright]

G'Day Bundyjd

I have prospected all over that area. The only nuggets are a way away from the old mine site but there is some decent alluvial to be found. I am also from Canberra and would be happy to show you around some time. Hope to see you at the Canberra gathering. We will be on the northern side of the road (downstream of the ford) surrounded by hundreds of tonnes of prospecting equipment if what I read is anything to go by.

Araluen

 

[bundyjd]

G'Day Bundyjd

I have prospected all over that area. The only nuggets are a way away from the old mine site but there is some decent alluvial to be found. I am also from Canberra and would be happy to show you around some time. Hope to see you at the Canberra gathering. We will be on the northern side of the road (downstream of the ford) surrounded by hundreds of tonnes of prospecting equipment if what I read is anything to go by.

Araluen

G'day Araluen,

Would definitely be keen to tag along on a trip out there sometime, or pretty much anywhere else for that matter.

Hopefully I'll be at the Oallen get together, so I will try and track you down there for a chat.

Cheers,
John

 

[bundyjd]

G`day Bundyjd,

Welcome to the forum, nice to see another Canberran joining the ranks. Cowra Creek is one of my favourite haunts as I have a mate that owns a property that we regularly camp at just 15 minutes up the road from from there.
No amount of reading instruction books or watching vids are as valuable as getting out there and using your detector as you have obviously found out. There is an awful lot of rubbish in the way of metal, wire etc out there , however, on occasion you will find some interesting stuff.

Keep at it. Maybe we will cross paths out there.

Good luck

Keggs

Keggs,

Thanks for the welcome, and I definitely know what you mean about the junk lying around out there. Spent 10 minutes untangling the remains of an old wire fence from the back wheel of my bike, didn't even see it lying there until it was too late.

Maybe we could organise a little excursion out there with ^ Araluen sometime. I noticed a small camp spot just above the dam, also a larger and more recently used site across the creek near where Dowling, Old GoodGood and Inaloy FT's intersect.

Cheers,
John