Just starting out - Canberra ACT

Hi all,

I'm just starting out gold detecting now that I have retired.
I recently purchased a used SD2200D which I hope to put to good use.

Can anyone advise me if there is a dedicated metal detecting club in the Canberra area I might join?
I spotted the Canberra Lapidary Club site but they seem to be more into gem stones etc??

Reading a lot of the posts on this site, there is obviously a lot that I am going to have to learn!
Hopefully joining a club might make it a bit easier on me.

Appreciate any assistance.

Regards
eric2383

That's a great idea
There is a wealth of knowledge here that would
Equate to many hundreds of years experience here
If you have a question just asked
As the only silly question is the one you don't ask
Good luck and welcome to this great addiction
Oops I meant hobby
I believe there are some gold fields not to far from Canberra
There is also a lot of info on the net
I'd start my search with google act or Canberra gold or the closest area to you

This is hosted by Kim? and runs out of
Canberra , could be your best bet.

No metal detecting club in canberra but several members of the Lapidary club use detectors and might know where to find detectable gold.
I have searched majors creek, Captains Flat, Mongalo, Tilba Tilba, Mogo, Araluen and have not been able to find other than panable gold.
Mongalo creeks near the foothills have been known to produce some nuggs big enough for a metal detector but the locals do not like people wandering around their properties and can become quite grumpy. I have not been anywhere near this place for years now so maybe you could give it a try for permission to detect.
Sofala, Gundigai Young, Bathurst, Hill End are not far away but here again the current nugget producing areas are on private property and I found obtaining permission to detect almost impossible.
There are some diggings near macks reef Road ( private property) just out of canberra (North side) that produced gold shed from outcropping reefs.
Also plenty of diggings along the old Tumit road on the West side of Piccadilly Circus in the Brindabellas that are worth a try but the road is not too flash. Last time I was there I had to reverse out for a few Ks before being able to turn around. This road is crap after heavy rain. Is an interesting area and probably worth a look at if you are interested in gold field relics rather than gold and don't mind climbing around Qtz boulders dug up from the reefs.

welcom to the forum mate and best of luck... the 2200d is a good detector you should do well with it.
cheers
stoppsy

Hi Eric
Welcome to the forum.
I tend to agree with Adrian - most gold in the Canberra region is alluvial although some nuggets had been found. Still, I keep trying in areas where it is allowed. You can pick up the odd interesting relic and coin.
Just a caution on the west side of Piccadilly Circus - there is quite probably gold over that way but again it may be on private property or in either the Brindabella National Park or Kosciusko National Park. Fossicking in NSW State Forests requires a permit and there is a charge for that.
There is a lot of info around on gold areas so have a hunt around and also look at a couple of other forums eg Alluvial Gold Prospectors where once you get a few posts up a library of information becomes available to you, and the Australian Metal Detecting and Relic Hunting Forum. There are other very useful Forums around too (as is this one which IMHO is one of the best).
Good luck

G'day Eric ,
As Detectist mentioned the agp site has quite a few members around that area who may be able to help. I have detected nuggets at bermagui, narooma, nerrigundah and mogo but it can be tough going in thick scrub. I have been meaning to try around bredbo as I have heard of some nice nuggets from there which is a bit closer, other than that head to the hill end area.
Welcome and good luck.

Diggerdude

Gday Eric,

Did you end up finding out any more info about Canberra and its surrounds. I am new too and looking at getting a GPX 5000 but want to see what the local area is like first


Mal

malb wrote:Gday Eric,

Did you end up finding out any more info about Canberra and its surrounds. I am new too and looking at getting a GPX 5000 but want to see what the local area is like first


Mal

Hi Mal,
I have read up a fair bit on the on some fields around Canberra. A lot of the historical stuff is really interesting. One place that has really got my interest is the old Cowra Creek field in the Tinderry Mtns just out of Bredbo. Diggerdude mentioned the Bredbo area in an earlier post. A fair bit of digging occured there back in the late 1890's, and seemed big enough for an application being made to have a school built there. Bredbo is a only a short drive out of Canberra, so the Cowra Creek area would make for a good day trip. I thing the Brindabella Ranges would have potential as well, but a bit more research would be needed on my part. I'll PM you and send you the stuff I 'Googled' on the Cowra Creek field.

Regards
Eric

Thanks Eric

Much appreciated. I havent purchased my detector yet but will very soon. I will also let you know anything I find

Mal

Hi, I am from Canberra as well and am looking at getting into the gold prospecting.

I did a tag along trip a couple of years ago and had a great time, but am VERY new to all this.

Before going to the expense of purchasing a detector I want to make sure I will get the full use of it, so am interested in how you guys are going in the Canberra area.

I am also interested to see what detectors I can abet/afford, need to do a lot more research on that one. I have good reports of the Whites Pro OZ series.

Richard

Hi Richard,

Just starting out myself. Bought a second-hand Minelab 2200D in September and have only found a few one and two dollar coins at Uriarra while trying it out (paying for itself already!). Have not chased any gold to date. What I have done though is a heap of research and reading (thank God for the internet and sites like this), and there appear to be quite a few gold areas around Canberra.

Canberra is also lucky in that it is centrally positioned near to quite a few of the bigger NSW goldfields. It is the lesser known/unknown areas that are of more interest to me. I am sure that some worthwhile areas of the Tinderry Mtns and Brindabellas have not seen a detector.

Dont know what you mean by 'get full use of ' the detector you are going to purchase? I suppose that at the end of the day you get out of it what you put into detecting?
Can't help you on the Pro OZ, but I am sure that if you ask on this site, others will offer you heaps of advice/assistance/recommendations.

Will let you know when I go out and give it a decent bash.

Regards
Eric

Gday Richard.

Detect A Den Batemans Bay have a range of detectors for hire. They also have a bloke who will take you out for 4 hours prospecting training. I have chatted with him. Unfortunately he has buggered his tendons in his leg and is unavailable for 4 weeks. Once he is back up and available I intend to go down on a Saturday and have a days training with him. I will let you know how it goes

Mal

malb wrote:Gday Richard.

Detect A Den Batemans Bay have a range of detectors for hire. They also have a bloke who will take you out for 4 hours prospecting training. I have chatted with him. Unfortunately he has buggered his tendons in his leg and is unavailable for 4 weeks. Once he is back up and available I intend to go down on a Saturday and have a days training with him. I will let you know how it goes

Mal

Mal,
That sounds great. Send me a message. Many thanks.

I have done a tag along a couple of years ago and had a great time and did find some gold. I have wanted to do it again since then. I enjoyed just going out looking around as much as finding the gold (we were up near Tibooburra).

Richard

eric2383 wrote:Hi Richard,

Just starting out myself. Bought a second-hand Minelab 2200D in September and have only found a few one and two dollar coins at Uriarra while trying it out (paying for itself already!). Have not chased any gold to date. What I have done though is a heap of research and reading (thank God for the internet and sites like this), and there appear to be quite a few gold areas around Canberra.

Canberra is also lucky in that it is centrally positioned near to quite a few of the bigger NSW goldfields. It is the lesser known/unknown areas that are of more interest to me. I am sure that some worthwhile areas of the Tinderry Mtns and Brindabellas have not seen a detector.

Dont know what you mean by 'get full use of ' the detector you are going to purchase? I suppose that at the end of the day you get out of it what you put into detecting?
Can't help you on the Pro OZ, but I am sure that if you ask on this site, others will offer you heaps of advice/assistance/recommendations.

Will let you know when I go out and give it a decent bash.

Regards
Eric

Eric,
Looking forward to see how you go. From what I have read the 2200D is supposed to be a good one. I cant afford one of the top range GPX models at this stage but dod not want to buy one that does not do a reasonable job.
I will raise some questions to see what others think.

Richard

Hi
I just want to see how much potential there is around this area to go for day trips around the Canberra area, so am just wandering how the local people are going.

Have you been able to work out where you can go detecting.

I am not sure where to start.

I still have not bought a detector yet but am looking and doing as much reading and research I can.

Thanks for any help,
Richard

Gday Richard

I am in the same boat. I will let you know how my day trip down and Mogo goes with renting detector from Detect a den