Turon Gates

[Cuckoowaif]

Has anyone got advice for me about Turon Gates ? Considering a swing past on my way home from Orange for a little panning session on Sunday . What are the roads like ? Should I take the ute , or can my wife ride in the luxury in the XR6 ? What is access to the river / gold like ? Any fees involved ? Is the spot actually any good ? etc .....
Or should I drive a bit further and go to Tuena ( I see a lot of raves about Tuena!) ?
Thanks in advance .... Steve .

 

[Twapster]

Turon Gates access is quite good and 2wd is ok. Access is just past Capertee - where a 50kg nugget was found at one time. Campsite is good, a little more pricey than normal but the owners are really helpful and are always ok for a chat. Cabins are superb, my favourite is Hideway (on the other side of the valley) . Gold can be found all along the Turon theres no shortage of areas to investigate. Tuena is very similar but water levels a little lower. Trout in Turon but not sure about Tuena. Even the Abercrombie looked dirty. Certainly only Carp near the Tuena Campsite. Tried to hand net a big monster stuck in a little pool this weekend, lot of fun. Tuena also has a local store that sells grog! Bought several six packs of coopers and a few bottles of wine while camping. Turon only Wine and Honey from the owners lodge, otherwise a 20min drive to the pub.

I think both places worth a trip, I think Tuena has more easily accessed panning areas to get guaranteed colour right near camp...Turon is much more an exploratory adventure with many more km of accessible river but so far pan has been pretty uneventful. I still think there are big nuggets waiting to be detected around Turon, but Tuena as well. Access to detecting areas in Tuena a little more complicated with gates and fences etc. Having said that, side of the roads near Tuena look very exciting. A lot of quartz looks like "after a hail storm" so thats a good indicator.

Hope this helps

Peter

 

[Cuckoowaif]

Thanks Peter , this trip is really only for scoping out future visits . A couple of hours panning is probably all the time I can allocate at this time of year !
Steve .

 

[Twapster]

If u dont have much time Tuena a better option. Turon can take days to just explore.

Peter

 

[malau]

Thanks Peter , this trip is really only for scoping out future visits . A couple of hours panning is probably all the time I can allocate at this time of year !
Steve .

If you want to explore somewhere in south say Tuena next week I probably can come with you (after Tue)

 

[kingjim]

Hi, I was there a few weeks back. Stayed in cabin 5 right by the bridge on the Turon. It was my first ever go at panning and I found some colour right next to bridge around exposed tree roots. We have a Subaru Forester and was glad to have the AWD. The descent to river level is a little slippery at times on the dusty loose gravel road but as a track goes it was well maintained and no major pot holes. RWD may just make it a bit more fun but I would just creep down the steep bits in case a confident local with a 4x4 comes flying uphill in your direction.
We are going back for a week a Christmas, and I hope to find enough to actually register on my new digi scales!! Leaches inhabit the waters.
People pay good money for the peace and quiet so while panning attracts interested guests, I think any hi-banking would be most unwelcome.
Good Luck.

 

[Twapster]

Agree Turon Gates is almost like a private retreat, if u like trout fishing as well there are fish around but depends on water flow. Some years nothing to be seen, other years several hookups in succession. The amount of open bush areas make it great for exploration, and you can take the 4wd track to Sofala. Yep leaches there but doesnt stop everyone swimming in the waters. My secret tip is look at the map and consider the other side of the mountain where Hideaway cabin is. Not many go that way so its completely isolated so highbanking would be virtualy undetected by others, having said that you cant camp on that side you would need to get a cabin. Easy to book online at their website.

Peter

 

[Cuckoowaif]

Thanks again Peter , I love this forum ! I am kind of leaning towards Tuena .....
Hi Malau , My marriage would be at risk if I were to take time out next week to engage in something that I get joy out of ! ( hmmmmm.... )
And thanks to you too , kingjim ..... glad you had some joy on your first trip .... I think , from what you and Peter have said , that I should take the family out to Turon and stay in one of those cabins ....
Steve.

 

[Twapster]

I reckon the family has no reason to be "bored" at Turon Gates. The cabins are set with DVD players, with movies...books, games, fully equipped kitchen and fridge..plates, dishes , cooking pots etc...and the complimentary Mudgee wine and Honey is always a bonus. You are km from nowhere in deep bush yet all the comforts available if required. Wood supplied for fireplace etc. Kids happy to walk the river...bring a tyre tube or water toys if u like. They will be so pre occupied you can sneak away for hours...and I do mean hours... and no one will care. Wife will be happy to relax and read a book or do her thing in a relaxed setting. If you went to Tuena after a couple of hours it will be "where the hell did you disappear to!" lol

Only my advice, but I reckon i'm on the money with that.

Peter

 

[malau]

Thanks again Peter , I love this forum ! I am kind of leaning towards Tuena .....
Hi Malau , My marriage would be at risk if I were to take time out next week to engage in something that I get joy out of ! ( hmmmmm.... )
And thanks to you too , kingjim ..... glad you had some joy on your first trip .... I think , from what you and Peter have said , that I should take the family out to Turon and stay in one of those cabins ....
Steve.

LOL no worries if you change your mind without risking your marriage before 24/12 please let me know.. just my family will be here on 25th.

 

[Cuckoowaif]

Cheers Peter , I am in Orange as I write this .. snuck away for a few minutes to myself .... you know family stuff to be done at this time of year ..... even more to do over the coming weeks .....
Will be in Tuena tomorrow. Looking forward to it after a hectic week . Only chance I'll get this year ! But thank you for the invite , I do need to spend some time with others in the field - it's the best way to learn .
Steve .

 

[Cuckoowaif]

OK , so I'm new at this ! My trip to Tuena turned out to be a fairly quick one , only got a bit over an hour on the creek , but the differences between there and Oallen are vast ! I think that Oallen is a good place for beginners in most ways - except one ...... It spoils a newbie ! I have pulled between 3 and 11 flecks ( albeit very small ) out of almost every pan down there , But Tuena had me stumped ! I must have panned about 8 pans , to come away with only two pieces ..... larger flakes than I'm used to .... but only two ? Sure , I need more time than an hour to get the feel of the place ..... will remedy that as soon as practical !!!
I also need to ask .... is Tuena better suited to high banking because of the overburden and soil types you need to get through before you get to suitable pockets where the gold is ?
Steve .
p.s. I have a photo , but need to work out how to put it up .....

 

[Twapster]

Best the experts answer that one. I think Tuena requires walking and scoping out different spots and test panning along the way. A 10 gram nugget I heard came from a spot I would have ignored, gold is where you find it. Tuena certainly has a plethora of dig activity with high bankers. The test pan that yielded the Hand of Tuena was right in the middle of old high-banker workings. My gut feeling was there was pockets of flood gold in cracks and crevices but a lot of the ground there had been worked very hard.

Second pan gave me this little beauty so the gold is there somewhere!!!

 

[headbut]

Tuena has had 2 floods in the last 4 years. Both floods deposited gold bering wash which is generally found in the top 6". Most of that top 6" has now been worked through but couldnt imagine all of it. If you are geared & prepared to walk , you should find some unworked areas with nice colour. Or even some tailings have been found to contain nice gold , as per post from Goldrocks

Cheers Paul

 

[Cuckoowaif]

Thanks Paul . I agree , a walk would have helped , but I needed to stay within earshot of my wife how was waiting for me back at the car ..... She was nonplussed about not having any reception out there as it was !
I will definitely re-visit and spend few days , but not until the Christmas chores are complete !
Steve .

 

[Cuckoowaif]

Hopefully this time ...Trying from my laptop .....

This picture shows the 2 pieces I picked up at Tuena in just over an hour on Sunday on the left - versus the many tiny flakes I managed to pickup at Oallen in just on two hours on the right . Admittedly I have been to Oallen a number of times and have a " feel " for the place ....

 

[Jimmyjamesc]

Hi guys,
I'm going for a camping weekend very soon with the family to Turon Gates. I plan to do a bit of panning and or sluicing for some gold straight from the river. I've never been to Turon gates before but I hear it is lovely. How far from the campsite are you allowed to fossick before you hit private land? Also, is there enough water flow to set up a small sluice like an Angus Mackirk Grubbstake or similar (I'm keen on purchasing one and trying it out)?
Thanks for your help!

 

[Guest]

ask the manager when you arrive

 

[mbasko]

Fossicking is one of the activities they advertise so it should be ok to sluice. I wouldn't go barreling in there with a highbanker & pump though Haven't been up there for years but after the recent rain in the area you should have more than enough flow for an AM.
You'll have to get them to point out boundaries etc. when you get there. They may also have preferred fossicking areas?

 

[Flash_crusoe1]

That place is great you can fossick and it's such a great place for a camping weekend with the family