The best spots to start for a novice in VIC ?

Hi guys,

Would highly appreciate if you could point the best spots to start for a newbie. Of course doing researches and reading the forum (thank you very much administrators & contributors, you've made great resource), but based on my experience with fishing, only researches & theory worth nothing without real experience of someone's else.

Don't ask you to show the spots you get enormous nuggets, I'll be happy to find some golden dust Just need to find something & get some experience, don't wanna lose my interest at the first step    

Interesting in both metal detecting & panning. If you could point a place when I can do both will be the happiest person

Thanks

P.s. Please don't propose touristic attractions such Sovereign Hill, etc

OK fatdh Before anyone can help you we need to ask you a few questions. First of all where about in Vic do you live ? Second what do you want to do detecting or panning? Thirdly do you own a detector? Forthly are you willing to travel to different spots?  We need to know these thing to be able to direct you in the right direction. But you hit it first time up by saying research. That is the most important thing in gold prospecting. Find an area that you are interested in, places like Maryborough, Dunolly, Talbot, Chastlemaine and research them. These are only some of the areas that have gold. Not only for detecting but also for panning (if there is water in the creeks). John Tully brings out some great maps of these areas and many other places as will showing you the areas that have had gold in them. I would also recommend that you do a training day or weekend with people like Greckie from "Golden Triangle Tours" or Stoppsy of Aussie Gold Prospector (who is on this site). Coiltek Maryborough also have training days. Darren Kamp from "Gold & Relic Gold Prospecting Adventures" does day or weekend training. These people will show you what you need to know about how to find gold, mainly with a detector. If you can do this it will cut about 2 years of your learning skills otherwise it will take you many years to know what you are looking for. I have been prospecting since the late 1970's early 1980's and I'm still learning a trick or two.
wombat

Hi Fatdh,

And welcome to the forum.

Where to start? Always good to start where gold was found before.Well known goldfields, diggings etc.


But lets ask a few questions first.

Do you have a detector?
Do you have a miners right?

The best thing to do is to join a detecting club.They have monthly camping trips and sure you learn heaps from other members.
Good to go detecting with someone.If you are easy going, enjoy socializing with a group of same minded people with same goals/hobby there are always groups and few individuals who go detecting regularly.

You can always post here when you plan to go for a detect if someone is willing to take you with him/her.

Don't be discouraged to post cos there is always chance to go with a forum member.
Depend where you live and which places you want to go.
Most goldfields are 2 hours drive from Melbourne.(some less if on west part of city)


Long weekends lot of people go camping and detect together.So as i mention before if you are not PITA( my short name for u can figure for who) you are sure to find some members in the bush.

There are lot of places. lot of maps, lot of posts, and many places to go.
Its getting harder to find a gold but hobby is very rewarding in many other ways.

Enjoy and ask any questions gold elated.



GoldEN

Hi guys,

Thank you for your kind and detailed replies, I do appreciate.

Sorry that wasn't so detailed when I asked the question.
I'm in Frankston and got a metal detector. Because I like snorkeling & my limited budget I got Infinium LS. I'm pretty happy with it on the beach, but don't know how it goes on the field.
Interesting in both panning & detecting. I reckon it's like in fishing, when you're tired to cast lures you could swap it for a float. Also, got all necessary stuff for underwater detecting.
Don't have miners right, but will purchase it before i go.

Thanks Wombat for your advice, but i'm afraid my wife is gonna kill me if i spend another $400 for a trip with an instructor. Her opinion is that i already spent enough to find some gold ) Need to bring something to get her permission to expand my inventory, etc. )
Probably, someone from the forum agrees to swap his/her experience for my transportation & beer

Thanks Golden, will try to find a club close to me. Hopefully they don't charge, because already a member of 3 clubs & it's pretty costly

Thanks

The closest club to you is :-Dandenong - Victorian Metal Detector and Prospectors Assoc - ring Ken Skeats 0417 357 701
Give them a try. They have been around now for about 35yrs. If your up this way let me know I teach you a thing or too. Sorry but I don't think your detector will be suited for the triangle because of the mineralised ground up here.
wombat

Many thanks Wombat for the info and contact details.

Wombat wrote:If your up this way let me know I teach you a thing or too.

Would highly appreciate if you could

Wombat wrote:Sorry but I don't think your detector will be suited for the triangle because of the mineralised ground up here.

Sounds not good... spent a lot of time choosing an optimal detector for me, and one of the main pros of infinium was that it should work nice on highly mineralised fields. However, you're right. Was on the ocean last weekends and the detector noised a lot close to the black rocks. Put out a few stones (actually that was tough clay), when I cracked them there was some black bricks. Were those minerals and what sort of minerals? It noised like iron.

Ok, if the triangle not good for my Garrett, would Gippsland be ok for it? (I even like this area more )

Thanks

Ok, if the triangle not good for my Garrett, would Gippsland be ok for it? (I even like this area more )

Thanks[/quote]
I don't think Gippsland will be much better as most of our goldfields in Vic are mineralised.
wombat