Yackandandah Victoria information and questions

[MJB]

Sitting here in 40degree heat today with nothing to do I was thinking of gold and realised I have not heard much on here about the Yackandandah goldfield. I lived in Wodonga for a few years and remember camping at Yack a couple of times and there were shafts and diggings all over the place. The creek was a beauty and I remember piles of cobble stones on the banks from the old timers and water races criss crossing the hills everywhere.

Surely there must have much gold won from here and although I was not a prospector at the time I wish I had a highbanker to hit that creek. Has anyone hear done much up that way? You hear about Eldorado a heap but never Yackandandah...I'm seriously looking at doing another trip up that way.

Cheers

 

[G0lddigg@]

A little google search shows promise
Looks like a ripper area
http://www.uniqueyackandandah.com.au/index.php?page_id=83

 

[PabloP]

Sitting here in 40degree heat today with nothing to do I was thinking of gold and realised I have not heard much on here about the Yackandandah goldfield. I lived in Wodonga for a few years and remember camping at Yack a couple of times and there were shafts and diggings all over the place. The creek was a beauty and I remember piles of cobble stones on the banks from the old timers and water races criss crossing the hills everywhere.

Surely there must have much gold won from here and although I was not a prospector at the time I wish I had a highbanker to hit that creek. Has anyone hear done much up that way? You hear about Eldorado a heap but never Yackandandah...I'm seriously looking at doing another trip up that way.

Cheers

I also lived in Wodonga for nearly 10 years and worked within a couple of kms (as the crow flies) from Yack. Plus Yack is where my fathers family lived originally, the graveyard is full of them and as kids we always were told yarns about looking for gold in the area.

Back to basics, the Yack creek is on the exempt list, so no working of it close to town, but I believe that there is an area upstream, where you can do some basic prospecting on a tributary. There have been reports of some of this creating damage that was causing the locals some grief. Likely that some of the other tributaries are also possible places to have a play. Like most gold bearing country in the east of the state, most of the gold is likely to be fine, so may not be suitable for using a detector.

Having said that I will likely go there for a "play" sometime in the next year or so as I still have relatives in the area, so would be interested in your experience, if you do give it a go.

Edit: I cross posts with GD and I forgot, Yack has a PMAV branch, so get in touch with them for extra details ([email protected]).

Rob

 

[Bacchus]

G'day MJB

We will be around the Beechworth area for about a week late next month , never used a sluice before but are looking forward
to christening it in Reedy Creek. Would be happy to drive over to Yackandandah for the day to say g'day if you do end up making it.

Cheers

 

[MJB]

A little google search shows promise
Looks like a ripper area
http://www.uniqueyackandandah.com.au/index.php?page_id=83

Yep..that map on the page GD provided is great and I remember camping at one or two of those camp spots. Anywhere up from the junction looks the goods and I think that creek goes all the way to Beechworth or there abouts.

I do recall seeing an underground miners hut, still remember how to get there too, where an old prospector lived and worked the creek. great to find this old stuff..

Apart from prospecting and camping the state forest also offers awesome 4x4 tracks and dirt bike riding is big there too.

Thinking about it I'm hanging to get back there and Beechworth for a few days....now to ask the missus :/

 

[G0lddigg@]

Yeh me too mate ... would love some mine time at Eldorado. ... spent some time prospecting but haven't had a good crack there yet.

 

[Guest]

Iv spent a bit of time at Yackandandah and done alright' tho I'm on private land.
The gold is very similar to Eldorado around the stanley forest and would recomend eldorado instead' I have heard Murtleford has slightly larger flakes more sutable to high freq VLF but can't comment as I haven't had time to try yet.

There is old diggings behind the sports oval in yack even tho you probably are not allowed to prospect there it's worth having a peek if your in town' and the Star hotel cooked me up a nice steak last time I was there ?

 

[MJB]

Yeah I reckon your right Zuke_Lynzy,

I remember there is a water race that has been dug through solid rock so they could divert the flow of the creek to get to the richest part. Having access to private land there would be awesome..very lucky indeed. Have you been detecting there only?

So GD, a trip up to the NE seems to be on the cards...cool bananas

 

[Guest]

Nar not detecting just panning. But maybe worth trying detecting at Murtleford.

 

[bourbon]

Hi guys I was up that way a couple of weeks ago in the nine mile ck area, using just a pan it was pretty hard going compared to reedy ck. Did find a few specks but nothing to brag about. Had a look around the junction but found nothing.
Hope you guys do better than me.

 

[MJB]

Interesting Bourbon,

I have heard that the gold in the upper nine mile is supposed to be fairly chunky but the country is steep and rough.... I'm still keen to have crack at it though

 

[PabloP]

Interesting Bourbon,

I have heard that the gold in the upper nine mile is supposed to be fairly chunky but the country is steep and rough.... I'm still keen to have crack at it though

The map says to not go past the Yack water supply on the nine mile. I wonder if this area is fenced to protect the water supply and how far up to the "chunky" area as I wouldn't mind doing some detecting there, if there is yellow to be found using a detector. Google maps doesn't appear to be of much help and the roads and creeks don't really match well to the Yack map. I am happy to contact Yack PMAV if you think that would help.

I have 4WD if needed to get into a bit of rough area.

Rob

 

[Guest]

Your not allowed in the upper 9mile as its Yack water supply and I believe wallaby mine area is still closed and of limits even for bush walkers' the "junction" or clear creek areas will show Colour but honesty no better than ELDORADO and ELDORADO gives you many areas to check out for crevicing.
Where my sister lives is on the otherside of town and I do ok.

Sorry I don't want to be a buzz kill but iv sent many up to Yack and they have been disapointed everyone thay goes to Eldorado always goes home with a smile....
Don't get me wrong Yack/stanley does produce nice colour but iv spent many years sampling creeks up that way and not prepared to give up my good spots' same goes for Eldorado but at Eldorado (reids creek) you will find gold the whole lengh all the way to the old dredge' also Mt pilot bush does let go chunky bits if you have time for detecting.

 

[PabloP]

Ok, thanks. My Grandfather was said to have believed that there was gold in the hills just of the Beechworth road, where they had a farm, but he seems to have made his living from farming rather than mining. He apparently did find a large chunk of Wolfram in the area, but regarded it as a useless rock.

I also had a close relationship with Eldorado as a kid, as I traveled through it on the way to and from school in Wang on a daily basis, and can remember the dredge during its working days. Its years since I have been their though but it would be worth a visit, or up to the Mt Pilot Park.

Rob.

 

[MJB]

Fair enough Zuke, As I am miles away from the area I was not sure if those places where allowed or not. I remember going to the Wallaby mine and you say its closed to bushwalkers too, is that because of fire risk?

Its still on my to do list and I am planning on spending a few nights at Eldorado and Yack just to get it out of my system

It may be interesting Rob what the PMAV branch tell you, they may help out heaps or try and steer you clear so you don't get near their hot spots.

Cheers

 

[bourbon]

Interesting Bourbon,

I have heard that the gold in the upper nine mile is supposed to be fairly chunky but the country is steep and rough.... I'm still keen to have crack at it though

You are right MJB about the gold, it is larger than reedy creek plus steep and rough. The only problem at the moment is the blackberries making it tough to get to the water.
Might as well give it a crack what have got to lose
As least if you don't find anything you've at least narrowed your search down to where the gold might be

 

[Guest]

Wallaby mine was clossed for rehab' apparently! But never reopened' "as far as I know" I think you will find it has something to do with the town water supply.
The dam is fenced off in a sort of roundabout way' but if you saw this dam you wouldn't go anywhere near it let alone drink from it.
200m up from the junction the creek is overgrown with scrubs and blackberries so access is close to none if any at all, the area from the junction to the water supply dam is old hydrolic sluice workings so... If you have a good way of sorting through large cobble stones to fill your pockets with mining trash good luck!

The sections of the 9 mile are just plain hard work' I was camping up that way one week and we had a huge storm for 2 days well' I got some good photos of the creek flow and went back that summer and did samples of likely spots compared to the half dozen photo I took well I did find a few nice flakes but hard work shifting all that creek stone and haven't been back since.

I have sent a few forum members to a area there that always showed colour but I never heard how they went... So if they would care to post up how they did last year that might help you guys out.

My advice "enjoy Eldorado" and don't forget the goggles and snorkel... There's plenty of hard to reach areas just waiting for you!

 

[PabloP]

It may be interesting Rob what the PMAV branch tell you, they may help out heaps or try and steer you clear so you don't get near their hot spots.

Cheers

Request for info from N/E PMAV (Yack) sent. I will provide feedback on their response once received.

Rob.

 

[MJB]

Thanks Zuke for your advice and opinion, it all helps piece together a plan of attack.

Great stuff Rob, will be interesting what they have to say.

Cheers

 

[NJJ]

Hi can anyone tell me if there is any yellow still in Yackandandah creek Victoria? Is it fine or more coarse?
Any suggested area to highbank around Yackandandah Victoria?
Is it a good area for detecting nuggets?
Any help is gratefully appreciated as me and the missus are headed to beechworth soon and want a different area then Reedy creek.
Thanks guys,
NJJ