Nullagine gold 2018

For the last three years I have been working the ground around the Nullagine region, always finding enough gold to head back the following year. I have always had an affinity for the Pilbara and over the years have grown used to the heat, the flies and the remoteness. Some people never cope well while others just thrive. Next year will be my tenth season straight detecting in the Pilbara, so I thought I would share some of my experiences.

It's been a while since I last posted here so forgive me if I do something wrong.  There seems to have been some changes, as well as being noticeably quieter. Maybe this thread can liven things up a bit.

I thought I would begin with a little bit about Nullagine first, so if you already know the place well than you can skip this section.

The town of Nullagine is really small, so don't expect too much. There is a general store, a pub, nursing post, a caravan park, a cop shop that's pretty much it. The pub serves counter meals and takeaways, which I would describe as pretty average, but after six weeks of bush camping it can be a welcome relief at not having to cook for a change. Surprisingly cartons of beer are not too steep considering the remoteness of the place. The caravan park is small with very few bays, but rarely jam-packed as most visitors prefer to camp out at Mosquito Creek, some 60 or so kilometres away. At peak times there could be 40 or more vans camped out there, can you believe! Water should not be a problem, as you can fill up the caravan tanks and any other containers from a mains supply just outside of town. If you have plenty of containers you can top up as needed without having to drag the van back. The only other thing I would advise is to carry enough food for the duration of the trip. If you are planning on spending a whole season here than you will need plenty of freezer space, otherwise you will have to take regular trips down to Newman (192 km one way). You might be able to stretch out your supplies by topping up from the general store, but be prepared to pay a whole lot more for basic items.

 

No doubt the ground around Nullagine has been hit hard with all the visitors season after season, but it is still out there if you are patient enough. Although there is gold about, it can be hard to get to. Not everyone does well and that's usually because they are doing something wrong. Some people are stubbornly set in their old ways and unable or unwilling to adapt to the changing times. For them nothing will change the calculus.



Once you get out of town to do some detecting the first thing you notice is the amount of spinifex. It pretty much covers everything. Gaitors are essential, even if you plan on detecting only around the old workings close to town. Spinifex being what it is always grows back, especially after a particularly wet summer season. Because of the grass, big coils can be a real handicap. Something like a 14x9 oval (or smaller) are the go, unless you are on deep ground, then the larger coils can help snag the bigger bits further down.

Spinifex is not only a problem for prospectors but also for mines and stations owners. That's probably why there are so many spinifex fires in the region. Despite this, I don't recommend anyone take the chance as penalties are severe and DMIRS field officers regularly patrol the area.  


A spinifex fire just outside of town.


Glow from a distant fire.

If you come across a recently burnt area, it may pay to give the area a go. The people who like to burn usually work by stealth, quickly detecting the area and then moving on before being noticed. Not all burnt areas are worth checking. Some loosers burn after finding only a single nugget, expecting somehow that a tiny run of gold can conceal a multi-kilo patch under a few tussocks of spinifex. In any case spinifex fires can easily get out of control, burning huge swaths of nuggetless ground, and in some cases putting others at risk.  

As for my trip here are some of the highlights. For obvious reasons I can't include all the details.  

 
A small pocket the missus found not far from town. There wasn't much in it, but our hope never faded while we were digging.

 
This one we did much better. There was a gravel bed at the bottom that had a few nuggets in it, so we filled up a couple of buckets to pan and managed to squeeze out another half ounce. The Gold Bug 2 was used to find any stragglers. I know the detector is really getting old now and I've thought of upgrading it a few times, but every time I do some checking it seems the alternative is not quite as sensitive.



I thought I would say something about black nuggets for no particular reason other than there being a few around in the area.     They are only found in a few localities (could be geologically dependant???) and even then, usually just in creeks. The black coating on the nuggets is not ironstone, although some can have quartz or ironstone as well. I have read somewhere the coating is a magnesium oxide but I have not tested this. A few days of soaking in HCl is usually enough to remove it, although thicker coatings can take longer. Honestly, I don't think there is anything special about them and I usually crush them up for refining as any other nugget. Here's a short video digging one out here

I suppose I better explain before anyone asks what's up with the pink T-shirt.    Simply, I lost my detector cover walking through a creek. I don't know how that happened but I do know its Brenda's (missus) fault for having sent me there in the first place, all because she claims to have found a nugget somewhere there. I did try but found nothing and although I knew where I had lost the cover (thickets), there was no way I was walking all the way back there to get it while I was on a run elsewhere.  

We usually worked to a plan visiting a number of different locations, mostly with mixed results. We found gold in all the places but did not always hit pay dirt. This particular location we did OK, scoring 13.5 ounces for ten days, including 3-4 pieces around the ounce mark.


There is no shortage of old workings and dryblowing areas to try. Nullagine was extensively worked by the old-timers for its alluvial gold and they left their marks all through the area. There are some well known spots that most detectorists seem to stick to, but the gold is distributed over a much larger area than many believe. Likewise, it's not necessary to travel to the remotest corners to do well, plenty of gold has been found close to town recently.  

Wherever you choose to go, make sure you have the necessary permits and/or permission before heading out to camp and detect. Occasionally pending permits pop up here and there, so it pays to regularly check on Tengraph. As to which places to try, I have some good news. For the last three years this is exactly what I have been secretly doing and this information is now available to everyone in my latest book Nullagine Gold, which people can pre-order for 30 April delivery from www.aurumpublishing.com.au.


No gallery is complete without a sunset picture. This one however, is a sunrise.

GOOD READING NEVER BEEN THERE BUT HOPING TO BE THERE AROUND JUNE , THANKS FOR THE POST REGARDS JOE

Prospecting Australia, much appreciate you sharing your detecting adventures with us. Well done to all involved.

Cheers Kon.

Surely this should be moved to the Commercial Advertising section.

Classy ad, Paul.

Great, interesting write up, as you say it is magnificent country.
My one and only trip, we ventured out to 20 mile, Mosquito Creek & Mt Elsie.
Back then a welcome break from camping & tin food was the Friday night "Happy Hour" where many prospectors rolled in showing their finds and sharing a tinny or three, half price.
I read recently the caravan park is closing down, which will no doubt effect this tiny iconic town.

Nightjar wrote:
I read recently the caravan park is closing down, which will no doubt effect this tiny iconic town.

Sadly, there is some talk of it closing down in the near future. This would be a blow not only for the town but also the many regulars who prefer to stay in the park rather than to bush camp, and not to mention the travellers to the gorges and the desert tracks. Lets hope it doesn't come to pass. It would be a tragedy to see the town die a slow death like many others.  

Not sure when you were there, but 20-Mile and to some extent, Mt Elsie have been hit hard, but surprisingly still have some gold left. Mosquito Creek is still a solid producer despite the loads of visitors camped out there every season. Sometimes I wonder what exactly are all the crowds doing out there. When I get more time I will put together some pictures of 20-Mile, Mosquito Creek and a few other spots. Thanks for you feedback guys, all of them.  

Paul

Prospecting australia, great write up and pictures. That area is a very pretty area and we have detected there 2 seperate seasons for a couple weeks each time. There is so much ground out there that there will never be a detector over all of it. Thanks for you story, and bringing back some good memories.

Thanks for the pics and story P_A. Nullagine has been on my bucket list to get to. I've read that the CP would become a gold coin donation stop without power and showers. This will surely be a blow to the town as it becomes less attractive to campers who don't want to bush camp too much. Other businesses may follow unfortunately.

Thanks for posting.

lkyphl wrote:Surely this should be moved to the Commercial Advertising section.

Classy ad, Paul.

Hello Ikyphl

I found it a very interesting topic. I am sure many other members and guests would have enjoyed the reading
So No i don’t think it needs moving....  I think this is a great topic, and can stay right here.
Would love to see more.

Also if prospecting-Australia ( Paul ) wants to, he can place his link in the commercial Advertising room as well.

Thankyou Paul for an interesting read. I love the pictures, Specially your dog with his blanket over him/her

Jen wrote:Thankyou Paul for an interesting read. I love the pictures, Specially your dog with his blanket over him/her

Surprisingly, nights can get very cold, especially July and being in a tent didn't help. Some of the places are just too rough to tow the van. Plus the missus really likes to spoil her.

Also if prospecting-Australia ( Paul ) wants to, he can place his link in the commercial Advertising room as well.

Thanks Jen, I will.

Great write up and thanks for sharing. The Caravan Park issue is still on-going with so many stories of what is going to happen to it. Latest is that all buildings will be removed, including toilets and showers, there was talk of paid meters for electricity but too expensive to put in, and who knows what is going to be done about water. Quite sad for the small town as some prospectors have come back year after year and have struck up lasting friendships with the locals. All about to come to an end by the looks of it.

As promised some more pics of around Nullagine

 
The ruins of the old 20-Mile Sandy State Battery, located 32 kilometres out of town on Skull Springs Road. The 10-head battery was first opened in 1905.


Early morning mist mixed with dust from nearby mining operations, Skull Springs Road, 20-Mile Sandy.


Garden Pool just outside of the town.


Scrapings and dryblowing also not far from town.


A close view of a wash where a couple of small nuggets were picked up. If you look hard enough you might be able to see a couple of small mounds of old dryblowing along the sides.


A dingo-dog cross on the track.


Sign warning prospectors against lighting fires. The pic is from 2017 when the notices appeared all over the place after a series of out-of-control fires endangered property and lives.


Thong Tree, Mt Elsie. You would think prospectors had better things to do.  


Night shot of Venus from Eastern Creek  


A hard walk over steep hills to get to an old patch in a valley on the other side.


Detecting a hidden valley.

No pics of gold this time, but I will post a few next time. Thanks for your replies and updates regarding the caravan park.

Paul

Thank you for the memories! Great Pictures!
I loved the Pillbra and Nullagine areas. By far my favorite Australian places...
fred

Met two Americans when I was there in the 80's, they were using (Gold Bugs,not released in Australia)
Every Friday we caught up in the Conglomerate for the "happy hour" showing their weeks tally. They were pulling out over 3 ounces a week.
Me a "newbie" with my Garrett Groundhog did not find a single slug in 2 weeks at Nullagine and 4 weeks making my way home.
They offered to sell me a Gold Bug because they were heading back to the US and didn't want to take them home.
Unfortunately I didn't have enough cash on me or I would have jumped at it.

Thanks for the write up mate, I spent a couple of nights at Mosquito Creek last year and your post brought back some nice memories. I loved it there, the Pilbara is a special place and if it was more accessible it would be invaded by the hoards. I would go back tomorrow but the missus is not so keen, a bit isolated for her.
Good luck with the book.

Nightjar wrote:Met two Americans when I was there in the 80's, they were using (Gold Bugs,not released in Australia)
Every Friday we caught up in the Conglomerate for the "happy hour" showing their weeks tally. They were pulling out over 3 ounces a week.
Me a "newbie" with my Garrett Groundhog did not find a single slug in 2 weeks at Nullagine and 4 weeks making my way home.  
They offered to sell me a Gold Bug because they were heading back to the US and didn't want to take them home.
Unfortunately I didn't have enough cash on me or I would have jumped at it.

It always looks easy as a spectator and impossibly hard when first starting out. My first serious gold was found with a Gold Bug. I don't remember exactly when I got it, but it was around the very early 90s, keeping it as my main detector right up until the day the SD 2000 was released ... lets see ... back in 95 last century, I think. I sold the Gold Bug to a bloke in the Cue caravan park who was parked next to us. He was farting around with a detector that turned out to be of all things a Groundhog!        I tried to strike up a conversation but he wasn't interested, treating me like an annoying curious kid interrupting the professor about to make a breakthrough discovery. After a while he loosened up, as they all eventually do. Well, he had been detecting a while but as yet had not found any gold.     Brenda and I took pity and offered to take him out to a spot we knew had gold, where he could try out Gold Bug with the option of purchasing it if he wished. He did manage to find a few bits and from then on was the proud owner of the Gold Bug.    I kept Brenda's old Gold Bug and still have it. Surprisingly, only a month ago I remembered that I had left the batteries in it and instead of finding the whole compartment flooded with battery residue it was clean and dry. The batteries hadn't leaked!

Thanks for the comments and wishes.

Not much debate going on. I'm starting to wonder if anyone's still detecting   . Just in case there might be, here's a bit about detecting around Nullagine.

Detecting around Nullagine is no picnic. I have already mentioned how the entire area is virtually covered in spinifex that sometimes can reach waist-level heights. There is no way to avoid it unless you stick to old scraped areas or tackle recently-burnt areas. No doubt gold can still be found on some of the old scraped patches, but if you are serious about finding gold then you have to be prepared to venture away from your comfort zones. Freshly-burnt areas are a double-edged sword. Sometimes you can get lucky and find a good run of nuggets or a multi-ounce piece exposed by a recent burning. There are prospectors that work only burnt areas, carefully working any old or new patches that may have been exposed by a recent fire.

 
Left: A recent burn is a dead giveaway gold was found nearby. Right: A creek showing regrowth 15 months after burning.

Other than the spinifex, prospectors have to cope with extremely rugged and remote conditions. Some of the tracks are very rough and the places so isolated that few visitors ever venture out that far. If something should go wrong, you could be left waiting a very long time for someone else to come past. There may not even be a nearby station to call for help. If you intend to visit some of the more remote areas around Nullagine, carry sufficient water, food, spare parts, recovery gear, safety and communication equipment as you would for any remote area travelling.

 
I don't think I would be towing a van down any of these tracks.

Detecting around Nullagine can also be exciting, and for some, very rewarding. If you expect that you can just roll up and start pulling in the ounces as easy as pie, then you are going to end up being disappointed.   There is good gold, but it requires a high level of skill and determination to locate it. If your intention is only to try your luck, then there are plenty of old workings where a few pieces can still be picked up. You may even be lucky enough to find a run, or even an occasional decent piece. Many visitors do. On the other hand, if you expect to find your own patches, then you will need a lot more than luck. There is a world of difference between prospecting and detecting.

 
Left: A few stray nuggets from an old scrape is not what I consider to be a patch. Right: Those nuggets could be from a small patch, depending on how and where they were found. A few nuggets from an old scrape may form a run but never a patch. A patch must meet certain criteria regarding the type of location and amount of gold found.

If you are relatively new to gold prospecting, then you could not pick a better classroom than the Nullagine region to learn. It may be hard country, but that is not the only reason. The area has virtually every ground type where gold can be found, all in the one region. Conglomerates, greenstones and granites, they are all there. You have traditional “salt and pepper” country, laterite country and even granite country. Getting first hand experience in each of these environments might be a huge learning curve, but the knowledge gained is enormous. Where else in Australia can you see such a diversity of ground types all in the one region?

 
From left to right: Quartz flats, conglomerate hills, granite country.

Before heading out on any prospecting trip, make sure you get hold of a detector suitable for gold prospecting. If you are already using a GPZ 7000, GPX 4500/5000, SDC 2300 or even perhaps a QED then you are set. Having the right equipment, however, is only the first step. You also need the necessary skills to use it effectively and this takes time to master. Even an experienced person can stumble sometimes. I have seen firsthand how even hardened prospectors can hit a brick wall when detecting unfamiliar country for the first time, often leaving empty handed after only a few days. What did they do wrong?  

There is still a third component to the formula that people often overlook. Having knowledge about the area you intend to visit is not only a huge bonus, but essential. Just imagine if you could get information on where to begin a search, what to look out for and even the condition of a track without having to find all this out the hard way.  

Thanks for the posts Paul. Good read and great pics.
Cheers
Brett

so.....all this is building up to something...when do your tours start???

P-A, you have been posting some great pictures, and story / info to go with it. A couple pictures you showed bought back good memories as we have been over and seen them same spots.  One thing to also watch out for is staking of tyres on the burnt ground, or any ground for that matter. The burnt bush leaves stakes that are pointy and solid and will pierce most tyres at some stage.
Please keep up posting, I am sure I am not the only one enjoying your posts.

@Travelergold

Good point there. Not only is wood sharpened by the burn, but also camouflaged by all the black ash. For someone doing a lot of off-road driving, crossply tyres on split rims are the go. The problem is they don't give a very comfortable drive on the highways (besides other reasons), so most of us usually settle for something less. Regardless of the tyres and rims you use there are other real dangers driving cross country. I remember walking into a valley miles (literally) from the nearest track and was really surprised when I saw fresh tyre imprints going through the spinifex.  Because the grass was quite high I followed the flattened imprints, hoping they would lead to a track back out that I wasn't aware of. After a couple of hundred metres there was a small quartz outcrop hidden under the grass the car must have hit. You could see a huge chunk of quartz had been broken off by the collision, leaving a sizeable oil stain over the area.  I wonder just how far they made it. Nowadays I always use the bike to find the best path and map it on the GPS before driving across. It may take a lot longer but I find this method a lot safer.

Thanks for your comments and mulgadansa too.

tony p wrote:so.....all this is building up to something...when do your tours start???

I am sure that would come as a shock for some, especially the few that know me personally.   Let me put you at ease and say there are no tours planned, at least for the time being. Although I don't mind taking some people out occasionally, I just cannot see myself doing it on a commercial basis. As you would know, there are some you just cannot teach, even to save themselves.  I prospect for a living and have no desire to shepherd around a bunch of ignoramuses that would only eat my food, drink my beer, and worst of all, slow me down.

In regards to the ongoing Nullagine Caravan park dilemma the news from the grapevine does not sound promising. As Detectist and jackthehound have already stated the caravan park looks like will be turned into a camp ground with no facilities. The park at present is still taking bookings and there is a chance it may stay open for the season. I have contacted the Shire requesting clarification on the issue, but for one reason or another have not received a reply.  That was five weeks ago, so maybe they haven't as yet made a final decision.

So folks, there you have it ... unofficially.

5 Weeks PA, in "shire time" that is just a moment