shoalhaven adventure, but about someone else

I have tell this story about an old bloke ,,Mick simmons, or simpson,, I met mick in 1974 , gold panning the Shoalhaven river at the crossing between Golbourn and Neriga and Nowra., Mick was an old age pensioneer about 70 years old. His life was gold , or he lived from gold paning. I admired that old man becouse he was so persistant and so fit. I did try to pann for gold next to him, but my back could not cope with that, despite I was only 35 years old. Mich had real consistancy and a pattern that never filed. He had a small gass like a medicine tube and he had a mark on the side of the bottle screatched with a nailfile, that indicated the quantity of the gold dust to be one unze or close. It would take him about one week to 10 days to make 1 unze of gold. Than the wiry next morning he did walk 42 miles, or 42 kilometres across the country to Golbourn. He would leave very early so that he arrive in Golbourn while the bank was still open. The gold peize at that time was around 200.00 dollars per uz. That after he has sold hie gold, his next stop was across the road to the Pub. His mates would ba already waiting for him, and he would selebrate until the Pub cleses at 10 pm, but generaly he would wake up outside the pub, with two flagons of plonc tied to a belt that he would carry over his shoulder, one flagon in front, the other at the back and he started walking the long way back. Very seldom he would carry some selfrising flour or some foodstuff. He was surviving on rabbits and becouse he was an Identity at the shoulhaven crossing, most people left some unused foodstuff after picnick foe Mick. Well I admired that old man, and I have visited the are often for hunting rabbits and foxes at the time. But I could not live like him becouse I came from europe in 1973 with a wife and 3 kids. So I had to work. I wonder many times what happened to old Mick, and how old he was, before he passed away. Or he would not be still alife. Is there enyone who knew Mick ? cheers

We must have bumped into each other at that time..I used to be there most weekends trying out the latest "Gold Device"
I knew Mick well, we used to go up to Grassy gulley, around the ningee nimble creek..he found some nice stuff there, I dredged the ningee & got some nice nuggets.
Mick told me his stories, he was a prospector with his Dad in New Guinea before the War, boy could Mick dig! One weekend on Grassy he put a tunnel into the bank, by the next week he was in10 foot...the grog & pneumonia got him eventually, about '78 I think. I met his Daughter who lived in Mittagong, she came one weekend with her family, she found a beautiful 1/3 ouncer on that big reef near the river, Everyone must have walked over it.There was also an old,83, ex policeman by the name of Quince used to come down & camp. Now he had some great nuggets, found most of them near the Welcome house, below in the creek..he had a pump to clear the enormous holes he dug..He also showed me a 5 ouncer he detected up above Grassy..was a beauty.. I have a photo somewhere...He showed me a spot to dredge on the end of that creek as it hits the River..he reckoned "There is a fortune there, in that hole" Well, me & a mate dredged that hole for a month with a 10" dredge....but that's another story

Yes I know of one of these men and the area well I have dredged and detected nuggetts close to these spots
I have a photo of Quince holding his five ouncer I know the spot where that nugget came from Tony Mills and i found two small ones
with minelabs 20 odd years later at this spot. ABC done a short story on him at this spot Tony Mills has a tape some where??
it is all locked up now but I did walk in last year for a look and a quick swing no gold
then I hear of a 32 ouncer ??coming from this place as well I dont know the right spot but close good spot that Grassy gully and dead horse gully I found gold with my old A2B .
keep in touch you guys this gold field is masive and very rugged you need a donkey or helicoppter to get down the gorge.
I will be posting a new movie soon on this place I am going down the gorge with my two sons this year I hope .
have a look at my link below

TWO BOYS Mhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwe18tlpWc0&feature=youtu.be

(link doesnt work - Jeff)

Easter 1981, was dredging near a place called the Tram Tracks,found a 1" white quartz reef running from the bank into about 3 foot of water..got several pea sized nuggets..then later I got a hell of a shock, I suddenly saw my reflection on bedrock...there was a large pool of mercury lying there....so much for the pristine Shoalhaven..

Just to show you that you don't have to go to Vic to find a big one..the mizzus found this Kilo one "in the general area"

G'day muduck that is a very nice specie your mizzus has got there. Congrats to you and your mizzus.

Cheers.

Mike.

G'day Mike, Yep, biggest one yet..was melted, got 25 ounces...I was within 2 feet of it..she followed behind me &