G'day everyone, new to this and itching to get out & detect - where to go

G'day everyone,

I live in the Gisborne area, have purchased a SDC2300. I've had a few practise runs, and found plenty of junk (still fun), horse shoes, nails, buck shot etc. I know people won't tell me exactly where to go, but can someone point me in the right direction to start finding the real stuff. was up at Castlemaine last weekend, but it looks like every man and he's dog has been through the place. any help much appreciated.

Jonno.

G'day Jonno, welcome to the forum.

If anyone knew where the right direction to find gold was, I assure you they'd be keeping it quiet, cleaning it out themselves. Although gold is getting scarcer to find by each passing year, there are many a gold bearing locality in and around the Golden Triangle.  
Your nearest gold detecting/prospecting shop would have maps/books or other information, on where nuggetty gold has been found in the past. The rest is up to you in terms of research or ground time.
The alternatives are to join a prospecting club, or ask of who out there takes detectorists on planned/designated detecting tours. All of which are a great help/start, if you have never found gold before.
If you'v done any research on the Chewton/Castlemain belt, you would have read it to have been, as one of the most richest, prolific, nuggetty gold bearing area's, recorded in Victoria's Gold Discovery History. Unfortunately, like many of today's past rich gold bearing localities, Castlemain/Chewton has been thrashed by every detectorist/detector/coil combination under the sun. Still, one must not lose hope, for perseverance will eventually bring rewards.
One tip I can give you here, is to traverse over ground of where the few have walked over & not over ground of where the many have traversed, whilst at the same time, keeping an eye on & staying close to & within richly surfaced/worked ground.

Cheers Kon.

G'day Kon,

thanks for the great advice. I'll take that all aboard. I have an 8 year old daughter who's keen as mustard as well (she's been brainwashed by Aussie Gold Hunters and thinks it's easy to find gold), can't wait to post my first find. hopefully sooner than later.
Take care - Jonno.

Hi all ,I am from around Kal,I am heading out Leonora and murrin murrin way soon for a bit of a look ,any good advice on the area and the stations I would be on,I am a bit nervous about contacting the right people about access ,and is it a safe area to be on my own,as a single women,I also have a young dog,would that be ok.
Please help with some good advice.

Goldenlice,
You are taking a great risk as a novice going out alone, too many out there who may take advantage of your naivety. Best advice would to be to hook up with a tour or at least someone who can show you the ropes. Contact Gypsy in Coolgardie she would be a great help.
If you intend taking your dog with you it must be muzzled at all times to prevent taking a wild dog bait, however the muzzle doesn't prevent snake bite.
Go to the Mines Department in Kalgoorlie or Leonora, they will be able to give you some advice where you can and can not go detecting. Also they can supply maps.
It is unforgivable country out there, a reliable vehicle is a must. A range of safety equipment is advisable, GPS, radio and you can never have too much water with you.
Lost out there with out water you will be lucky to survive two days.
Having said all this it is a great hobby, the only downfall is he/she who gets involved invariably contracts "gold fever" an incurable disease.
BTW: Last but not least, become a member of APLA, this opens up many avenues for you.

Good luck.

Thanks Nightjar, I have been out prospecting before many years ago ( my mother was from coolgardie )I was in the goldfields for about six years, I was thinking of camping in Leonora for my first trip ,just to see if I like it ,very good idea about doing a course ,
One question can you get water from the stations if you need to,there seems to be a little confusion out there about this,also you must contact the station before you arrive ,and only go on pending ground if you haven’t got permission to go elsewhere.?    Cheers

Hi goldernlice
Welcome to the forum

There is water at leonora, at the information centre, on the left hand side just before town, also the caravan park

Goldenlice,
You won't be short of a laugh if you team up with this crew, Jon, Mono & Nan are top crew.

http://goannagoldadventureswa.com.au/

Hi Jen and nightjar thank you for the info ,sorry Jen about the Defamatory comments about Goldtalk business but these things are been said by other people not me ,I have heard it a couple of times also I read the incident between him and another form user ,it appeared to be a heated confrontation regarding the fees going up with apla.
It appears that apla have lots of members and there are benefits in joining.Maby I should join,I will go on a little look around Leonora and murrin first,see if the prospecting life is for me.
Cheers Goldern

Hi everyone; I have been out for a run to murrin murrin,just a bit of a look this time so I am ready to gear up and get back out there,I am still a little confused about a few rules
In the department of mines booklet it says you must not take a dog or take a firearm unless you have written permission from the cattle station people ,also you are not allowed within 400 meters of the pastoralists water points ie Wells, tanks ,troughs, so I contacting the pastoralist,and ,I realise you must try to contact them before entering the property,Ishe said that if people are doing the right things and contacting them,but no dogs ,guns ,or taking there water from water points or cutting fences or locks of shead gates,and she also said if any genuine prospectors see any problems please contact them,or the dept mines,which I can see her point,as my god there are lots of people out there already .
I came across people living in vans permanently, which I dint think we could they had dogs and they said they have guns for there own protection,from what I asked,they didn’t really answer that question,they also told me they were APLA members so they can do what they wish as they have different rules,and the local West aust people just have to put up with it.
So I am a little worried about all of this,I believe they may not really be APLA. Members and they might be just doing the wrong thing and saying this type of things to chase genuine prospectors away.
Please help me out a little with this..
Happy Easter to all .
Cheers Goldern.

Goldernlice wrote:Hi everyone; I have been out for a run to murrin murrin,just a bit of a look this time so I am ready to gear up and get back out there,I am still a little confused about a few rules
In the department of mines booklet it  says you must not take a dog or take a firearm unless you have written permission from the cattle station people ,also you are not allowed within 400 meters of the pastoralists water points ie Wells, tanks ,troughs, so I contacting the pastoralist,and ,I realise you must try to contact them before entering the property,Ishe said that if people are doing the right things and contacting them,but no dogs ,guns ,or taking there water from water points or cutting fences or locks of shead gates,and she also said if any genuine prospectors see any problems please contact them,or the dept mines,which I can see her point,as my god there are lots of people out there already .
I came across people living  in vans permanently, which I dint think we could they had dogs and they said they have guns for there own protection,from what I asked,they didn’t really answer that question,they also told me they were APLA members so they can do what they wish as they have different rules,and the local West aust people just have to put up with it.
So I am a little worried about all of this,I believe they may not really be APLA. Members and they might be just doing the wrong thing and saying this type of things to chase genuine prospectors away.
Please help me out a little with this..
Happy Easter to all .
Cheers Goldern.

G'day Goldern

APLA members have to play by the same rules as everyone else that are set up in your WA miners right, people who say they can do as they want are the very ones that give the rest of us doing the right thing a bad name and will eventually get everyone kicked out.

There are some mining companys that will give permissions with their rules attached t go on their mining leases if you are a member of APLA that part is true, but you cannot do as you wish.

To take dogs onto a pastoral lease you should be getting the permission of the pastoral lease holder. To take guns, well obviously you will need a gun license for starters and also permission from the pastoral lease holder.

You cannot camp within 400meters of wells or dams or tanks, these are stock watering points, if you want water from a tank or well then do the right thing and ask the pastoral lease holder, we have never been told no you may not get water. And also there is a certain distance from there buildings as well, they like there space same as we do, it's just common sense.

A 40e permit gives you permission to camp and prospect on an Exploration lease, so in effect someone could be camped in the one spot for a bit over 2 months.

If you have permission from the mining company then you could well camp and detect in the one spot for as long as they give you permission.

Good luck with your prospecting and detecting.

cheers dave

Hi Dave ,Thank you for the info, you have made it clear for me,I just wish that more people were better informed or stop interpreting the laws to suit themselves,I do feel for the genuine prospectors,and I certainly feel for the poor station people they must be up against so many people coming and unfortunately for the rest of us some people are doing the wrong thing,which would make relationships very hard with the pastoralists,I wonder is there a better way of informing people of the laws, so we can all enjoy our time out in the bush.
Thank you again Dave you have been a great help .