Got keen and headed up to a mates place at Orange from Jindi Friday avo. Saturday morning saw us at Bunnings just after 7am to gather the materials needed to construct a simple sluice. Picked up a few bread crates from the local servo. By around 9 had this contraption built and ready for a try
Set up down river from the crossing and proceeded to muck out behind a rock bar. Sluice seemed to work ok but we also did a bit of panning so are'nt really sure if it worked or not, colour was thin. Got a couple of seeable flakes. Rained constantly for most of the day and we called it quits about 3 - fully drenched and fully shagged.
Back out there again Sunday morning to find the creek had come up a couple of feet - had to pick another spot as our workings from Sat were a raging rapid - no go for the sluice. Again we excavated lee side of a rock bar with about the same result - a spec or two in every other pan.
(toothpick in top left for size comparison - laugh as much as ya want)
Anyway had a good weekend, saw a place my long dead relo's lived and mined, saw green grass again and constant rain so all good in my world.
Next weekend I've got permission from landowners adjacent to the Snowy so will be trying my luck a little closer to home, might even to able to build another sluice - MkII.
ps hope the images come thru
pps loving this forum and the attitudes expressed, in the words of a great/not so great Australian - Love yas all
Set up down river from the crossing and proceeded to muck out behind a rock bar. Sluice seemed to work ok but we also did a bit of panning so are'nt really sure if it worked or not, colour was thin. Got a couple of seeable flakes. Rained constantly for most of the day and we called it quits about 3 - fully drenched and fully shagged.
Back out there again Sunday morning to find the creek had come up a couple of feet - had to pick another spot as our workings from Sat were a raging rapid - no go for the sluice. Again we excavated lee side of a rock bar with about the same result - a spec or two in every other pan.
(toothpick in top left for size comparison - laugh as much as ya want)
Anyway had a good weekend, saw a place my long dead relo's lived and mined, saw green grass again and constant rain so all good in my world.
Next weekend I've got permission from landowners adjacent to the Snowy so will be trying my luck a little closer to home, might even to able to build another sluice - MkII.
ps hope the images come thru
pps loving this forum and the attitudes expressed, in the words of a great/not so great Australian - Love yas all
