wanting to go to mooralla :)

[Rose :)]

Hi guys, this is my first post .... I live in South Australia but planning on a fossicking trip to mooralla Victoria, i was wondering if there is anywhere else i can go within the vicinity of mooralla to look for other stones too. this will be my first trip out of s.a so I was also wondering if we need a 4 wheel drive to access mooralla and surrounding areas..and what things are a necessity to have ? hope someone can help thank you

 

[zirconaus]

Hi, I was at Mooralla last friday - live about an hour away. It was wet muddy clay that turns your boots into 'snow shoes'.

There has been a lot of digging and noodling since the gemboree at Horsham at Easter. Suggest you contact the Hoersham Lap club who can give you more info. I have been advised not to drive in (4wd) once the rains come or you might not get out. Also check out the cfa web site and it will list if there are any bushfires in the area -Beear Hallam Road area.

The nearest place to this is Mortlake which you have to visit on a Friday when they are doing maintenance. Also you need to check in at the council and show your miners right and sign an accident waiver. Am looking forward to going to Mortlake myself soon.

 

[Guest]

So would this time of year be a no go for mooralla? I was thinking of a short trip in a months time...

 

[zirconaus]

I'm a relative newcomer to the area but there were people digging there. They had slung a tarp over the hole to keep the rain out and were about a meter down. They thought they would have to dig a lot deeper to get to the good stuff. I did not have to use 4wd but there was one slippery section across the creek bed no flowing water though. Hope someone with experience in conditions during june/july can give you a closer picture.

 

[Rose :)]

Hi, I was at Mooralla last friday - live about an hour away. It was wet muddy clay that turns your boots into 'snow shoes'.

There has been a lot of digging and noodling since the gemboree at Horsham at Easter. Suggest you contact the Hoersham Lap club who can give you more info. I have been advised not to drive in (4wd) once the rains come or you might not get out. Also check out the cfa web site and it will list if there are any bushfires in the area -Beear Hallam Road area.

The nearest place to this is Mortlake which you have to visit on a Friday when they are doing maintenance. Also you need to check in at the council and show your miners right and sign an accident waiver. Am looking forward to going to Mortlake myself soon.

thank you for the reply Zirconaus i have heard that its only the size of a foot ball field is this true and if so does this make it scarce to find anything without digging deep, you would think with all the ppl going and digging it would be reducing in productivity ? you say there has been alot of digging and noodling does this make it a bad time to go ? sorry to pick your brain

 

[Btye]

Hi went to mooralla yesterday (Tues 7 july), only did noodling as it was our first real fossicking visit. Was quite a bit of toilet paper littered around the place, bit of general rubbish chip packets and such which i took home and put in the bin. The road in wasnt too bad i drive a ford territory and did scrub a couple of times .

are people allowed to camp there? Id love to do that there lovely area. How manages the area?
Definately worth a look.

B

 

[Dughug]

There is no problem camping there. Many Gem Clubs and lots of others regularly camp there. You may be lucky enough to have it all to yourself or it might me as busy as Bourke Street. There is no doubt about it, it's one of the best gem fields to camp at-

 

[Dughug]

Through the hard work of the VGCA and some individuals the area was designated many years ago as a "declared fossicking area". Legally only hand equipment is allowed and holes are restricted to max 2 metres - although some of the regular visitors often mine there and have very deep holes some even have drives off them. One of these "regulars" may represent himself to you as the mining warden or an appointed delegate - this is not the case. I have been going to Andersons Gully Mooralla collecting since I was at school over 45 years ago - when I first went there we were collecting crystals from the Gully/Creek.

Just enjoy the place while you can.

 

[AtomRat]

thanks for all the mooralla info, im heading over that way sometime soon as well. Shame if its been flogged out but you get that.

from what I know, theres not heaps on that side of the gramps'

 

[Cherokee]

Hi Btye, I went to Mooralla just a couple of days after you. The clay was very sticky, came away 3 inches taller.. LOL
I did get some nice pickers of Smokeys on the surface, though only small. Some of the eggs I found mainly had clear quartz crystals in them. One had lilac crystals, which was good to see. I cant wait for the warmer weather to go back there again!
I am also from Mt Gambier.
Cheers,
Sheryl

 

[Bigbarra]

Hi Newbie,

I haven't been to Moralla for ages as I'm lucky to have bucketloads of Moralla crystal! Mortlake is definitely worth a go, as zirconaus said Friday is the day due to OH&S restrictions but will need to report the council office first where you sign your indemnity form but you DON'T need a miners right for there. Enjoy!

 

[Rose :)]

also is there any places around to pan for gold ?