Upcoming Detecting Trip - Georgetown?

[Mountaineer]

Dear members and gold aficionados,

My family (wife Allie and son Nazario) and I are about to embark on our school holidays trip, from Brisbane, heading north. It will be a 15 day trip and it will be on the usual rented campervan.
Now: this time, instead of spending the 10 available prospecting days all in Clermont, we were thinking of squeezing in a few days trying our hand in another area. The idea was Georgetown. (Obviously we could even spend there all the days available for prospecting - minus travel.)
Therefore I thought I'd first search the forum for all the available info on the place, and then I'd ask you guys for some tips/words of advice.
I didn't actually find much on Georgetown, and all the info basically point to Western Creek station. (I hope I didn't miss a thread dedicated specifically to Georgetown, in case could please the moderator move it to the right place? Thanks very much!)
I guess my main questions are:

1) Could the knowledgeable members familiar with the area please advice if it is actually worth driving an extra 900 ks from Clermont in order to get there? I mean, are there really better opportunities to find gold, or is it in the end pretty much the same as Clermont? (Even in Clermont I am aware that if you persevere - and have a decisive help from the capricious Blindfolded Lady - you can still find some serious nugget!)

2) Is Western Creek Station the best/"richest" place where one can pay and detect? Any other suggestion? (Flat Creek Station?)

3) Would any of the gold-bearing areas be accessible with a campervan and not a 4WD?

4) Last but I guess not least: how would we/you manage without a powered camping site, because of recharging batteries/devices? (Unfortunately we don't have a suited power bank, like a Bluetti or similar.) If I understand correctly, Western Creek Station has unpowered sites only.

I don't know my friends, I guess that any help from you would be much, much appreciated, as always.
We have not made our mind up yet, so in the end we may even skip visiting Georgetown all together - all that driving takes away time from detecting! And $$$ from the credit card...!

Thanks so much in advance for any input.

 

[grubstake]

For what it's worth, from what I've heard lately, you need to pack a Weedeater because the grass is long and lush everywhere in the Queensland goldfields after all the rain this year.

 

[Mountaineer]

For what it's worth, from what I've heard lately, you need to pack a Weedeater because the grass is long and lush everywhere in the Queensland goldfields after all the rain this year.

Thanks grubstake! It wasn't so bad a month ago, but probably it will be even worse now.
Actually, I wish I could pack something like this:

 

[grubstake]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/gemfields-qld.42322/post-679938

 

[Mountaineer]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/gemfields-qld.42322/post-679938

Ok, but trying to see the bright side: perhaps there will be less competition?

 

[RichardWest]

There are caravan parks at Georgetown and Forsayth. Stay at one of them so you can have power and do day trips.

 

[esros]

Dear members and gold aficionados,

My family (wife Allie and son Nazario) and I are about to embark on our school holidays trip, from Brisbane, heading north. It will be a 15 day trip and it will be on the usual rented campervan.
Now: this time, instead of spending the 10 available prospecting days all in Clermont, we were thinking of squeezing in a few days trying our hand in another area. The idea was Georgetown. (Obviously we could even spend there all the days available for prospecting - minus travel.)
Therefore I thought I'd first search the forum for all the available info on the place, and then I'd ask you guys for some tips/words of advice.
I didn't actually find much on Georgetown, and all the info basically point to Western Creek station. (I hope I didn't miss a thread dedicated specifically to Georgetown, in case could please the moderator move it to the right place? Thanks very much!)
I guess my main questions are:

1) Could the knowledgeable members familiar with the area please advice if it is actually worth driving an extra 900 ks from Clermont in order to get there? I mean, are there really better opportunities to find gold, or is it in the end pretty much the same as Clermont? (Even in Clermont I am aware that if you persevere - and have a decisive help from the capricious Blindfolded Lady - you can still find some serious nugget!)

2) Is Western Creek Station the best/"richest" place where one can pay and detect? Any other suggestion? (Flat Creek Station?)

3) Would any of the gold-bearing areas be accessible with a campervan and not a 4WD?

4) Last but I guess not least: how would we/you manage without a powered camping site, because of recharging batteries/devices? (Unfortunately we don't have a suited power bank, like a Bluetti or similar.) If I understand correctly, Western Creek Station has unpowered sites only.

I don't know my friends, I guess that any help from you would be much, much appreciated, as always.
We have not made our mind up yet, so in the end we may even skip visiting Georgetown all together - all that driving takes away time from detecting! And $$$ from the credit card...!

Thanks so much in advance for any input.

Hi there - we have been at Western Creek for 6 weeks and the Gold is not growing back lol!!!
We have found 5 subgrammers totalling under 2 gram!!! The grass is still a problem but unless you have a solar blanket to charge your detectors, there is no power here.
I believe Clermont has a new GPA now. And with so many GPAs at Clermont, you might be better off keeping the extra money to get here and spend it checking out the GPAs at Clermont. A lot of roads on W.Ck have been washed out so you will be limited to where you can go. Flat Creek is 15kms past W.ck and has similar situation but w. Ck has a camp kitchen.
Have a great trip wherever you go.

 

[Mackka]

Excellent report, thank you.

 

[XLOOX]

Excellent report, thank you.

Dear members and gold aficionados,

My family (wife Allie and son Nazario) and I are about to embark on our school holidays trip, from Brisbane, heading north. It will be a 15 day trip and it will be on the usual rented campervan.
Now: this time, instead of spending the 10 available prospecting days all in Clermont, we were thinking of squeezing in a few days trying our hand in another area. The idea was Georgetown. (Obviously we could even spend there all the days available for prospecting - minus travel.)
Therefore I thought I'd first search the forum for all the available info on the place, and then I'd ask you guys for some tips/words of advice.
I didn't actually find much on Georgetown, and all the info basically point to Western Creek station. (I hope I didn't miss a thread dedicated specifically to Georgetown, in case could please the moderator move it to the right place? Thanks very much!)
I guess my main questions are:

1) Could the knowledgeable members familiar with the area please advice if it is actually worth driving an extra 900 ks from Clermont in order to get there? I mean, are there really better opportunities to find gold, or is it in the end pretty much the same as Clermont? (Even in Clermont I am aware that if you persevere - and have a decisive help from the capricious Blindfolded Lady - you can still find some serious nugget!)

2) Is Western Creek Station the best/"richest" place where one can pay and detect? Any other suggestion? (Flat Creek Station?)

3) Would any of the gold-bearing areas be accessible with a campervan and not a 4WD?

4) Last but I guess not least: how would we/you manage without a powered camping site, because of recharging batteries/devices? (Unfortunately we don't have a suited power bank, like a Bluetti or similar.) If I understand correctly, Western Creek Station has unpowered sites only.

I don't know my friends, I guess that any help from you would be much, much appreciated, as always.
We have not made our mind up yet, so in the end we may even skip visiting Georgetown all together - all that driving takes away time from detecting! And $$$ from the credit card...!

Thanks so much in advance for any input.

1)Yes. Clermont is a bit more accessible but chance of gold in Etheridge Shire is signif higher

2) lornevale best, then WC then Mt Hogan, then Mt Talbot then Flat Ck. but there is still gold on all of them....just getting harder to find.

3) About 20% of Lornevale and WC gold areas accessible by a camper van. 0% of remainder of places

4) Forsayth/Georgetown/ Clermont Caravan parks. All of them book ahead this time of year.

Even if camping at WC you will prob be driving your car 30 min each way each day. that plus a solar charger might well do you.

 

[Mountaineer]

There are caravan parks at Georgetown and Forsayth. Stay at one of them so you can have power and do day trips.

Thanks RichardWest, excellent idea!
P.S. I am sorry I don't know how to quote your nickname directly in my reply...

 

[Mountaineer]

Hi there - we have been at Western Creek for 6 weeks and the Gold is not growing back lol!!!
We have found 5 subgrammers totalling under 2 gram!!! The grass is still a problem but unless you have a solar blanket to charge your detectors, there is no power here.
I believe Clermont has a new GPA now. And with so many GPAs at Clermont, you might be better off keeping the extra money to get here and spend it checking out the GPAs at Clermont. A lot of roads on W.Ck have been washed out so you will be limited to where you can go. Flat Creek is 15kms past W.ck and has similar situation but w. Ck has a camp kitchen.
Have a great trip wherever you go.

Thank you so much for your informative reply, full of good points that I will take into serious consideration!
You know what? I guess I considered them already, and in fact I'd probably just stay in Clermont this time!

 

[Mountaineer]

1)Yes. Clermont is a bit more accessible but chance of gold in Etheridge Shire is signif higher

2) lornevale best, then WC then Mt Hogan, then Mt Talbot then Flat Ck. but there is still gold on all of them....just getting harder to find.

3) About 20% of Lornevale and WC fold areas accessible by a camper van. 0% of remainder of places

4) Forsayth/Georgetown/ Clermont Caravan parks. All of them book ahead this time of year.

Even if camping at WC you will prob be driving your car 30 min each way each day. that plus a solar charger might well do you.

Wow, thanks so much, I really appreciated the info! You make me want to go to this Lornevale place and try my hand at it!
I do make solo gold detecting trips, without my family and with a different vehicle than a campervan (lately an SUV), so perhaps Lornevale or WC Station could be my next destination when alone and better motorized.
Yes, I have booked a spot in the caravan park in advance!
Thanks again for your imput!
P.S. I am slowly getting better with my replies, perhaps next time I'll manage to list all of them in just one reply...

 

[backcreek]

Hi Mountaineer, we stayed at western creek station in 2021 and Georgetown and Forsayth in 2022
Here's some info you might be able to use.
https://prospectingworld.com/blogs/news/land-access-for-north-queensland
In 2022 I did western creek station and Long Gully station.
If worried about power you could hire a generator.

 

[Mountaineer]

Hi Mountaineer, we stayed at western creek station in 2021 and Georgetown and Forsayth in 2022
Here's some info you might be able to use.
https://prospectingworld.com/blogs/news/land-access-for-north-queensland
In 2022 I did western creek station and Long Gully station.
If worried about power you could hire a generator.

Thanks so much for the info, hiring a generator surely is a good idea, something I could really use in unpowered camping grounds.
I must definitely try my luck in Etheridge Shire one day, though better perhaps if on a solo trip.

 

[bicter]

Thanks so much for the info, hiring a generator surely is a good idea, something I could really use in unpowered camping grounds.
I must definitely try my luck in Etheridge Shire one day, though better perhaps if on a solo trip.

A couple of points..... I understand Kev at Dells Hole has ceased allowing detectorists on his property.
If you end up hiring a generator, please consider other campers and minimise the noise impacts.

 

[Mountaineer]

A couple of points..... I understand Kev at Dells Hole has ceased allowing detectorists on his property.
If you end up hiring a generator, please consider other campers and minimise the noise impacts.

Thanks, I have never used a generator before and of course the noise impact on other campers would have to be taken into consideration - for me, a good Bluetti power bank with solar panels would be the preferred choice.

 

[Mountaineer]

I thought I'd write a short report on how our family trip played out.
After all we decided to go just to Clermont, where we stayed for about 12 days.
In the end the grass wasn't too bad, and, except for the first 4 days of rain, the whole trip has been a delight, thanks to a great friend with whom we detected most of the times and the other detectorists we met at the Commercial Hotel (by the way, a great place where to stay!).
As for gold: it would have been a good trip - 13 subgrammers for a total weight of 2.6 gr - if it wasn't for the very last swing on the very last day, which turned it into a fantastic trip!
Just before returning to the car to head back to Brisbane, I got this very faint yet somehow crisp signal, which made me stop to give it a good foot scrape. In the end, just a couple of inches down, the signal, now a strong one, became inverted, and at a depth of around 350 - 400 mm there was this 22 grammer (21.21 after cleaning it by just removing all the soil with hot water and a toothbrush).

Well, I guess we have been very lucky this time around and I am sure that the next trip won't be so successfull... yet I am already getting organized to go back up there! There's a lot of work that still needs to be done in that patch...!

 

[grubstake]

What a beauty - congratulations!
Very pleased to hear the whole trip went so well, both in the field and 'after work'.

 

[Mountaineer]

What a beauty - congratulations!
Very pleased to hear the whole trip went so well, both in the field and 'after work'.

Thank you! I was - as you can imagine - stunned when I finally heard that rock hit the bottom of my scoop... what a magnificent sound!