First time using a metal detector

Gday guys I'm getting out for the long weekend heading to some known goldfields in east gippsland. Haven't really used a detector before but I've got a mates infinium ls. I was wondering where to begin looking I was thinking in dry creek beds and along creek/river banks. Is this a good place to start or should I be looking to get closer to the mines and diggings themselves up in the surrounding hills. Cheers guys

G'day Keeif.

Both places you stated are good,but you'll find both are associated with width,depth,and even more of a problem junk.Being new in the game of metal detecting for gold,I can only suggest you start your search in or on any worked for gold feeders,leading into the creeks or river.Likewise for their surrounding banks. If the areas surrounding the mines are found to be on undulating fairly flat looking ground without to much of an inclining descent,worth giving the surrounding flats a go.If the mines are located high up on steep gradient hill descents,don't bother,for the gold from the reef or load will have travelled to the bottom of the jar long ago,stopping only where it can be trapped by surrounding host rock or pockets of clay in between.

Cheers Kon.  

Hi Keeif, do a bit of research on the Infinium, watch a few vids, pick the owners brains and read a tad on the net.
Seeing where you live get out with the owner and go through the start up procedure, tuning and ground balance etc.
Bury a few pieces of splitshot and have a practice.
It is not a turn on and detect machine.
That will make your weekend that much more enjoyable.

Yeah you are sort of jumping in at the deep end for a first timer with the Infinium.
If you can get the 8 inch mono then that would be a good starting coil. The 10 x 14 DD will not find much small gold. The big mono is good but a bit large for bashing around in the Gippsland scrub.
Dig all targets so as to get an understanding of what the tones are telling you.
You should not have much difficulty with the ground balance because iron mineralisation is not severe in the Gippsland region.

SWEEP THE COIL VERY SLOWLY between one and two foot per sec.. If you sweep fast like a VLF then the tecta will respond weakly to all targets. You can test this yourself at home on various size targets.
East gippsland is not a nugget strewn area and most of the gold was reef gold. You will likely find the streams to be full of iron junk. Take a dish with you to try the streams

Thanks for the advice guys will be taking my sluice up too just really keen to give the detector a go