Detecting NSW.

Hi All,

I've got the next week off and i'm hoping someone can help me. Is there anywhere in NSW that's famous for nuggets with a detector such as Dunolly in Vic? I'm keen to get out and about but I want to start somewhere with at least half a chance.

Dicko..

Hi Dicko

Have you tried any of the local spots like Stuart Town etc.

Cheers dave

Hey Dicko,
Me and a couple of friends just spent 3 days at Stuart Town common.Although we did get six pieces between us,they were only small.
The amount of trash around this place is something else.But you never know,give it ago.
I think more nuggets are found at Wattle flat or Hill end,and there is less trash.

I've visited the towns in question over a dozen times in the last year whilst researching a book and testing detectors. I'm adding some of my own personal observations below which might be useful. I've kept the images I've taken rather small to allow for easier loading for those with slower browsers. I think Dunolly (VIctoria) is a very interesting spot although it's not too secluded and I hear stories of people's cars being broken into because they attended the region as part of a Club outing and left their club stickers on the car. Same common sense would apply here in NSW: Keep your maps out of sight, carry PLENTY of water (2 liters ...or 1.5 liters minimum per person if possible). Use caution when stepping over logs and rocks to avoid snakes and don't walk backwards out of a river (like I did) without checking behind you! Fuel is more expensive in the smaller towns so refuel at Bathurst or Kelso if planning to drive to Hill End. The unsurfaced road from Sofala to Hill End is VERY well maintained and suitable for sedans and modern city cars. 4 wheel drive vehicles are only practical for offroad driving on the tracks and firetrails in this region.

HILL END:
The most Gold bearing area in NSW is without a doubt the historic township of Hill End. Aside from Kalgoorlie, this is the second richest Gold bearing town in Australia and the third-most Gold producing township in the World. (apparently Johannesburg is the richest). Even today, the Hill End mining company extracts tons of it weekly from deep below the surface of the town. You can't detect in the middle of the town because it's declared a Historic Site and they want to keep it untouched. But around it are areas where many people find small gold. The largest mass of gold ever found came from Hill End... 3100 ounces in one lump! This was back in the 1800's. There have been larger found in the deep leads but they were cut up before moving them to the surface. There's a LOT of junk there where the official Fossicking areas are. If you think you can deal with the high concentration of scrap metals discarded around the area over the last 140 years, you'll find old pennies and coins from the 1800's and a lot of lead shot from the rabbiting which replaced activity of Prospecting in the colder months of the year during the Depression of the 1930s. I've not SEEN anything come out of the area that's more than a few grams in size though and there's no doubt that local prospectors and numerous visitors have scoured all the available ground. I think a VLF detector has an advantage here on smaller nuggets but suspect they may be at a loss to sense the larger, deeper nuggets missed by previous detectorists. Again, too much frustrating junk for many detectorists. Much of it in the form of 1970's camping junk and aluminium foil etc. Bonanza of ringpull tabs. Some of the more secluded creeks show gold after heavy rains although you'll have to beat the locals to get to it. Be sure to visit the Museum which is JUST on the left as you arrive at the township. The Park Ranger there will give you a map to the Fossicking areas. Be sure NOT to detect on graves at the cemetery like some people recently did. This is just a common courtesy and some of these families & descendants of the deceased are still alive and living in Hill End today. Most people living in the town are connected in some way to the Gold there. The Pub is an Excellent place for good food & accommodation. The Police Station at Hill End services Wattle Flat and Sofala. Minelab do their SD/GP/GPX training sessions to new owners at Hill End. Some cottages can be rented here for larger groups and a Camping area near the Township can be used for those who want to overlook the air conditioned comforts of the Hotel. I've never found Gold at Hill End, even with a GPX. But I've seen a 2 grammer that came out of there last week though.
NOTE: Bad Flies here between October and February. Jack Jumper ants are found here. Brown Snakes may be encountered. Possible Copperhead Snakes in the area near water and close to the Turon.



STUART TOWN:
Stuart Town was once called Iron Bark and unfortunately, the best areas in this region are now under water since the creation of the Burrendong Dam. Whilst some smaller pieces of Gold have been won here in recent days with a good detector, the Common has been "picked clean" although the signs of the old diggings from the 1800's are still around.
The Common is a popular place for visitors and there's a nearby caravan park at Mookerawa. But the best place to be searching is not at Stuart Town but further north by about 25 minutes. The place to go there is called Eagle Beagle and it's not often listed on the maps but resides right next to the Burrendong Dam wall. This area recently gave up over 30 ounces to one detectorist with an X-Terra 70. Some areas of private property make it hard to access good detecting grounds anywhere near Stuart Town although Eagle Beagle is attracting a steady stream of hopefuls after a recent article was run in the latest Gem & Treasure magazine. Camping was permitted on the Common yet I know of an overzealous Council-person who once loaded up a 4x4 full of rough looking locals and tried to spook a few campers off the area. These were decent people who didn't attract such attention via bad behavior either. Check into the local police station - located close to the railway crossing - to let them know if you intend to spend any time out in the bush. There's an entry fee to access the Caravan park in certain months. Some of the area shows signs of the Reef Mining which took place there in the 1850's and the 1860's. A stamper was erected in the area to crush fine Gold from the quartz. The soil is extremely saturated in iron and is hard for VLF detectors to handle in some instances. Some very prehistoric rock formations closer to the Macquarie River indicate a unique geological range compared to much of the rest of NSW. But closer to the main area of the town, there's better prospects for the hunter of Nuggets as the township itself is located right amongst the old workings. Again, most ideal properties here are privately owned. Locals inform me of some suspicious deaths near the outskirts of town with inconclusive findings. One of those found were from the Victorian Goldfields and Gold seems to be a common link between incidents. Only mentioning this because it may be sensible to travel with a partner in these towns (I do!). I found a small piece of Gold on the edge of a Mulloch heap last year and also.... in small glass bottle which had NO signal when I passed the coil over it was brought home. Later, when cleaning the leaves and dirt from it with an ultrasonic cleaner, the bottle proved to contain 4 small gold nuggets. The bottle was made in the 1830s in Botany and was used in the "sly grog" trade in the 1850's on the Goldfields. You can see a close up picture of it here: (CLICK LINK FOR IMAGE). The bottle was in the roots of an upturned tree but appeared to have been pushed there by flood waters - or perhaps it was buried at the base of the tree. Either way, my partner ignored it when I offered it to him. I don't think he appreciated my discovery later.
NOTES: Mouse Spiders (dangerous) found near moister areas. Brown Snakes and Red Bellied Black Snakes near water and creeks.



SOFALA:
This is where EVERYONE goes when they buy a new detector in NSW and I have to constantly remind them that there's little ground here that isn't privately owned. You really should visit this area if you want to find easy-to-access Gold Bearing ground that's rich in ores and interesting to photograph. There are cottages here for rent which allow you a superior spot to base your exploration from. The restaurant and cafes there are active during summer months. For food in the "off-season", you may stop at the General Store for lunch and for dinner you may need to drive 5km to Wattle Flat where the Cafe there used to be open for dinner. LOTS of mulloch heaps here and all over the township. Locals are friendly and will be used to questions if you need advice OTHER than where to find Gold. Don't bother asking anyone that particular question. The answer is actually "everywhere" although panners will find the 5ft thick layer of oversized pebbles too much to dig through... plus the locals will complain if they see you making any huge holes. Many tempting areas with require permission to detect upon them. Numerous "Keep Out" signs abound on Sofala Road. The keeping of "Pig Dogs" indicates feral pigs in the region. I've confirmed this with the locals. Be sure to ask for a hamburger at the General Store if you're hungry because they make one of the largest and tastiest I've seen in years. Some Gold in the local store for sale. It's been there a while and is somewhat over priced but ranges from 0.50 grams to 1.5 ounces. Again, this gold may have been purchased online or elsewhere and is aimed at the tourist trade in summer. Private property here still gives up good Gold if permission is sought to enter property. The local Gold is often riverworn and an example can be seen HERE (CLICK LINK) in this picture.... this nugget was found by a little girl who was using it as a "toy car" alongside her Matchbox cars until her mother saw her with it. Be sure to sample the local food as it was delicious the last time I visited. Sirloin steaks, Beef ravioli, apple & Rhubarb crumble and even "Spotted Dick" may be found on the constantly changing menu at Cafe Sofala. Click HERE (MENU) and HERE (MENU) for a view of the cafe and Menus! Even the old Gaol has been converted to a Bed & Breakfast. Although the Chinese floated a dredge here at the turn of the Century, the river is still replenished of it's Gold from the surrounding hills each time it rains. Most locals Prospect on their own properties and another small Gold mine is going into production shortly on the outskirts of the town. The bridge across the Turon is being reinforced on the Western side of the road en route to Hill End and last month several iron girders were locked into place. I suspect it's to support the weight of the trucks near the new mine. Hill End is about 35 minutes away on the unsealed road which intersects with the town. It's unsealed but WELL maintained and suitable for cars. Drive slowly on the outskirts of town or you'll clip another car, strike a kangaroo or run over a reptile sunning itself. I found three small sub-gram bits of gold in an old water course literally on the edge of the main road in Sofala. Locals allowed me to Prospect on a property here for a day and I found a LARGE uprooted tree on the hillside which yielded three nice little nuggets which were concealed in the root system. There's an image of one of the nuggets HERE (CLICK LINK) if interested.
NOTE: Flies are particularly bad here between October and November. Red Bellied Black Snakes near all bodies of water. Oversized, striped Tiger Leeches are common in the Turon and in most creeks. Black & Yellow Jack Jumper ants near Green Point. LOTS of mercury in the Turon River from the old days.



WATTLE FLAT:
Wattle Flat has an area suited to detectorists but it should be noted that the locality was stripped down at least 6ft as far as they eye could see by Chinese in the 1870s who were after any alluvial Gold they could find. This area was known for Reef Mining and these reefs are located on private property. The surrounding areas have Crown Land (near the tip) but this area has been severely polluted by iron scrap and dumping. Camping is permitted for $1 per night and a ticket to allow you to do so may be obtained from the General Store. The area is not particularly suited to non-4x4 vehicles if you want to access the off-road zones and the heat is stunning during summer and in winter, this arid region becomes frigid and it may snow there in colder months. There were three Gold Rushes here... First in the 1850's when Gold was reef-mined... and this stopped when the region became drought stricken. The Second rush was in the 1870's when the Chinese put a lot of effort into stripping all the topsoil and bought up much of the land. The third was around the 1919 (WW1) period when Cyanide was used to extract the remaining fine gold from the area. Small bottles with coarse Gold can be bought at the General Store BUT it should be noted that this Gold was obtained from Sofala in most instances. The locals from Wattle Flat head to Sofala whenever it rains and they collect the Gold falling from the hillsides with teaspoons and put it into small, quarter ounce jars to be sold during the summer months to Tourists. If you try your luck at the Crown Land there, be aware that the locals will be aware of your arrival and departure. Be especially aware that they don't take kindly to whoever has been leaving large, unfilled holes about recently. I've overheard one local in the Cafe considering "salting" their property with Gold to attract a buyer. There are currently a number of properties at Wattle Flat for sale. I like to test new detectors here because the soil is not only VERY mineralized (don't bother with a cheaper VLF), but it's also infested with iron scraps. Possible more so than Hill End. Be aware of Paper Wasps which make their nests on the small shrubs and gum trees here. The nests are perfectly camouflaged. Soil is very hard, compacted clay with quartz remnants and plenty of ironstone. Digging at depth here due to false "Ghost Signals" (from mineralized run-off) is not unusual and may result in a muddy and disappointing experience. Be VERY wary of kangaroos which often gather on the roads or jump in front of cars and trucks... especially after recent rain and certainly at dusk. A kangaroo is struck almost every day here. I've not found any sign of Gold in Wattle Flat other than the remnant diggings from the 1800's. I also have private access to the old Reef Works there courtesy of a property owner but again, no Gold found at all. Not even when panning deeply dug soil and pipe clay. I've even found undug reefs and crushed the quartz without any sign of Gold. I have found the area to be an abundant source of rusted horseshoes and a superb location for those interested in adding to their collections of fine, iron nails.
NOTE: Wasps and low-laying Paper Wasp nests. No Ticks. 1 nest of the Red species of the Jack Jumper ant found. Black Snakes & Red Bellied Black Snakes in this area near water. Considerable number of small (harmless) scorpions. Excessive number of Mouse Spiders (dangerous). Cyannide and Mercury abound near the water here, hence the abundance of skeletons (kangaroos, possums and wombats) near any water.

Hi Dicko,

There is a detecting club in Dubbo with a good sized group of active members. I don't know if they are still an official club and don't have a contact but you are a Dubbo local so ask around and try to get in with them. You may need to spend time to get to know them. They detect many spots in the region and would would provide assistance in your gold quest.

Personally, i detect reguarly around Wattle Flat, hillend and Stuart Town. There are plenty of nuggets still waiting in all these areas although iron trash and bullets are in abundance as Nero D mentions.

It is getting harder to find nuggets because the areas have had a good going over but with patience you can score some.

The best option in my opinion is to research Hillend, look at the online maps on google earth and the Lands six viewer site and detect some of the many dozens of worked gullies and slopes below reefs a couple kms out of Hillend in the Crown reserve west of town. Trash is minimal in many of these spots.

PS It is so so hot now i detect mornings and at night using a headlamp and fly net to keep the moths off my face. If you detect hard during the middle of the day you will get heatstroke at the moment. There are some well treed gullies in Hillend which I move to get some shade if I need to detect in the middle of the day.

Tributer

Nero,
Thanks very muchfor that informative post.
Jigalong

Nero,
Good post. Thanks for taking to time to put it together.
Brett.

Wow thanks Dave, Adam and Nero,

Some great info there and ideas. I appreciate it. And wow what a massive find at Eagle Beagle. I bet that they combed the place before they went to paper with that story. Having said that there's a massive amount of land there. One would want to know where some of it was located. We call Eagle Beagle Golden alley because we always get a few yellowbelly there.

Thanks all..

Dicko..

chopppacalamari wrote:
I bet that they combed the place before they went to paper with that story. .

That's exactly right. Eagle Beagle doesn't show up clearly on many maps but the Author described the location as being at Eagle Beagle Creek (obviously at Eagle Beagle) on the Burrendong Dam area. I saw so many people rushing off to that location the DAY the magazine was distributed (see below) that there was almost a mini-Gold Rush afoot. I suspect that there's a bag out there someplace that is bereft of a cat.

The Author/Finder wrote about it in the November 2008 issue of Gold Gem & Treasure magazine (pages 18, 19 & 20). There were three pieces (smallish) that were found with the Minelab X-Terra 70 by the Author and featured in one of the four photographs accompanying the article. Again, I don't discuss details about other people's finds unless they've already discussed it openly elsewhere (as evidenced by the magazine article). It's just common courtesy to fellow detectorists. MOST of whom prefer to keep their private patches to themselves. But the article was VERY popular here in NSW and every copy of the November issue was sold out in just two or three days. The Author says that the Gold was available as a result of the drop in water levels (the Burrendong Dam was quite low last year). I know from speaking with one of the party member's associates that they saw a lot of people with GP/GPX detectors camping there and working the ground carefully for some time. The majority of the finds were almost exclusively located at the water's edge. For years this has been underwater.
'
The "Yellow Bellied Black Snakes" you've been seeing is actually more likely to be a Copperhead Snake. Don't worry, the Copperhead is still deadlier than the Black Snakes. There's some black Tiger Snakes with bright yellow bellies in NSW but in the region we're talking about they usually have visible banding or stripes. Thanks for the reminder though... I need to place an order for snake armor (snake Gaiters) before I visit that region again. They feed on the frogs in the creeks. Lots of snakes out this year BTW. Must be the heat.

* A word to all those trespassers who keep trying to access the "potato patch" at night (map owners and locals know what I'm talking about): The owner is fed up with interlopers. He patrols the area 7 days a week and sometimes after dark. He's rejected every offer made in recent years to detect there. Word has it a person might get shot if the situation escalates. Respect private property! Don't tick off the locals.

MMM interesting, The TAS map of the area does indicate lots of crown land in the area.

I suppose the gold in the area depends on the type of ground. I detected the Macquarie arm for about 10Ks stopping the boat only when I saw an exposed quartz vein that was below the high water mark. (there are heaps of these) Lots of holes and gaps in the quartz where something has washed out over the years. I got some very deep sinkers which made me think the gold would be burried even deeper. found lots of junk, pulltabs and deep aluminium cans. The idea got me very excited but i'm still yet to detect my first peice of gold. since december rain the grass/weeds/prickles and thistles have sprung up too high and a lot of the quartz is hidden from water level.

Is there a fence that will stop me from wandering onto this guys lease? I don't want to get shot. I was crook but now i'm good and planning to head to eagle beagle in the morning for a wave of the wand.

The dam got to about 16% last year. Last I went fishing it was about 23% full.

Dicko..

Hi Dicko! I was given a very serious warning to avoid the place when I overheard two Prospectors discussing the situation. These guys had been Prospecting for 30 years or more and were trying to warn a third person seeking advice about approaching the region. I pricked my ears up because I'd seen the area on the maps and wondered if this was some long lost Eldorado of the last century. This isn't about a guy zealously protecting his own private property - it's more of a high risk from "an absolute lunatic" who seems very trigger happy. Visit the property at your own peril, of course.

I was always of the impression that the Crown possesses the land in rivers etc but speaking with a member of the Dept of Mineral Resources recently, I was told that I was quite wrong and that the property owner possesses everything out to the middle of the river. If he owns the property on both sides of the river, then he also owns everything in the middle. This has gotten people into trouble on the Turon a number of times when they assumed they could walk wherever they wanted as long as they were on the river banks. I drew his attention to an advertisement for accommodation that implied people could pan and sluice anywhere on the river past the boundary fences as long as they stayed on the river.... and again, I was told that this was a false statement.

If you are a pessimist... stop reading now...

A representative from the Hill End Mining Company (Hill End Gold Limited) told a fellow prospector that I recently worked with that technically, their paperwork & Government leasing agreement gives them ownership of anything and everything dug up in the Hargraves, Turon and Tambaroora Goldfields. He also said that if the find was large enough, they'd challenge the finder. But for small nuggets, they generally ignore.

Perhaps someone with better knowledge on the subject could contribute?

Thanks Nero,

Duly noted. I might stick closer to the Eagle Beagle Camping Ground than I had originally thought. I'm going to drop in and see the ranger if I can too.

Dicko..

nero_design wrote:
The Author/Finder wrote about it in the November 2008 issue of Gold Gem & Treasure magazine (pages 18, 19 & 20). There were three pieces (smallish) that were found with the Minelab X-Terra 70 by the Author and featured in one of the four photographs accompanying the article.

The author is a good friend of mine and was not the main finder nor does he own an X-terra 70. I cannot quite remember what he wrote in the article but dont believe everything you read.

nero_design wrote:
The "Yellow Bellied Black Snakes" you've been seeing is actually more likely to be a Copperhead Snake. Don't worry, the Copperhead is still deadlier than the Black Snakes. There's some black Tiger Snakes with bright yellow bellies in NSW but in the region we're talking about they usually have visible banding or stripes. Thanks for the reminder though... I need to place an order for snake armor (snake Gaiters) before I visit that region again. They feed on the frogs in the creeks. Lots of snakes out this year BTW. Must be the heat.

I think Choppa was talking about the fish. Golden Perch or commonly known as yellowbelly. But the snakes are a worry.

B/dong is a nice relaxing place to visit. Prospect or fish and take it easy with the family. Being honest the gold is there albeit mostly small but the trash levels are terrible as you would expect detecting a dry dam basin. Excellent way to top up on fishing tackle.
Nice informative post Nero.
Cheers
Curley

Hi Nero D, Re Hill End Gold claiming nuggets found by others.

Last couple of times i spoke to the mine manager he was keen to know how we went detecting. He just wanted us not to go to his main work areas.

Nearly all the main goldfields have EL's covering them. If you visit the DPI site you will note that some EL's cover many thousands of square kilometres.
I am sure that legislation allows fossicking on EL's (with the normal rules of fossicking on vacant crown land or with the land owners permission (this technically includes getting a permit in the case of Forests NSW).

Fossicking on land under EL's in NSW is allowed as far as i have read in the legislation. You do not need the permission of the company that owns the EL.

You cannot however fossick in or around working mining leases or actual sites where they are actively engaged in exploration activities.

If anyone knows different please advise.
regards Tributer

Hi all,

A big thanks to Dave who met me at Eagle Beagle and gave me some great local knowledge and showed me how it was done. I didn't get any gold but I got lots of sinkers before I snapped my pick and had to call it an early day. I spoke to some other detectorists as well who informed me that they and their local detecting club have been going there for over 3 years. It seems the 'gold rush' that happened after that story was published had happened years ago as well and then again when the gpx4500 first came out.

It can't be all gone though or I wouldn't be getting any sinkers with my Whites MXT.

Had a look at how dense the bush is over towards 'the potato patch' I wonder if the said crazy lease holder is just trying to protect his crop of illegal plants or if he genuinely is a nutcase on the verge of cracking. From what I've heard so far something doesn't sound right. It could just be dirty with nuggets and he wants it all to himself? I don't know and I don't really care. He can keep it.

All in all I had a great morning and got an exciting buzz with every target I dug up. Just knowing i'm in an area where gold has been found before was fantastic.

Dicko..

Oh and yes I was talking about Golden Perch but thanks for reminding me about the snake threat..jd.

Hi , ive seen some nuggets that came out of eagle beagle and they were as big as fried egg yolks ,, NO BS, and the finder had 28 of them. but most of the finds are small,,I like going there as you can detect or listen to tthe bells on the fishing rod whenyou want a break,, on the snake subject there is lots of snakes there and i have seen browns and death adders,, (those little fulla,s that bite repeatedly) and my wife nearly trod on one which came out from under our camper, the potatoe patch is getting a fair bit of a floggiing, from people who trespass, and the results from what i hear are about the same as eagle beagle

Spent 3 days at the common, stayed at mookerwara, found nothing but trash! very very disappointing! went with a group and were not a great deal of help as we were "newbies". after spending a lot of money to get started we were extremely disappointed as locals told us it was "flogged ground" even out of the common into the creek beds and in mookerwara mines found nothing but trash, we were using a gt pro and a minelab gp3000, in saying this mookerwara is a lovely place to stay BE WARNED of a guy called Trev, he is a local sluicer and will pick a fight with you at the drop of a hat!
Also the internet cafe does wonderful coffee and toasted cheese sandwiches, but be warned its like walking into your grandmas house but has the best chilli and tomato chutney!! but bring your own SAO's or Jatz as the local shop has none

Cheers

Sorry to hear of your dissapointing experience , i hope this does not have a negative bearing on future detecting searchers , there are plenty of experienced detecters who would be willing to show you the ropes . Group hunts can be fun (usually are) . Just a matter of hooking up with the right people . cheers Mick

garrett atpro wrote:Spent 3 days at the common, stayed at mookerwara, found nothing but trash! very very disappointing! went with a group and were not a great deal of help as we were "newbies". after spending a lot of money to get started we were extremely disappointed as locals told us it was "flogged ground" even out of the common into the creek beds and in mookerwara mines found nothing but trash, we were using a gt pro and a minelab gp3000, in saying this mookerwara is a lovely place to stay BE WARNED of a guy called Trev, he is a local sluicer and will pick a fight with you at the drop of a hat!
Also the internet cafe does wonderful coffee and toasted cheese sandwiches, but be warned its like walking into your grandmas house but has the best chilli and tomato chutney!! but bring your own SAO's or Jatz as the local shop has none

Cheers

So you are self professed newbies! " found nothing but trash" More homework needed !

nero_design wrote:Hi Dicko!  I was given a very serious warning to avoid the place when I overheard two Prospectors discussing the situation.  These guys had been Prospecting for 30 years or more and were trying to warn a third person seeking advice about approaching the region.  I pricked my ears up because I'd seen the area on the maps and wondered if this was some long lost Eldorado of the last century.  This isn't about a guy zealously protecting his own private property - it's more of a high risk from "an absolute lunatic" who seems very trigger happy.  Visit the property at your own peril, of course.

I was always of the impression that the Crown possesses the land in rivers etc but speaking with a member of the Dept of Mineral Resources recently, I was told that I was quite wrong and that the property owner possesses everything out to the middle of the river.  If he owns the property on both sides of the river, then he also owns everything in the middle.  This has gotten people into trouble on the Turon a number of times when they assumed they could walk wherever they wanted as long as they were on the river banks.  I drew his attention to an advertisement for accommodation that implied people could pan and sluice anywhere on the river past the boundary fences as long as they stayed on the river.... and again, I was told that this was a false statement.

If you are a pessimist... stop reading now...

A representative from the Hill End Mining Company (Hill End Gold Limited) told a fellow prospector that I recently worked with that technically, their paperwork & Government leasing agreement gives them ownership of anything and everything dug up in the Hargraves, Turon and Tambaroora Goldfields.   He also said that if the find was large enough, they'd challenge the finder.  But for small nuggets, they generally ignore.

Perhaps someone with better knowledge on the subject could contribute?

See the attached link as to the legal definition and application of riparian boundaries in NSW

http://rgdirections.lpi.nsw.gov.au/deposited_plans/natural_boundaries/survey_definition

From inspection of title boundaries as overlayed by the LPMI along the Turon river on the departments SIX viewer it would appear that all boundaries are restricted to the top of banks on both side with a parcel of Crown land running the length of the Turon - being a "natural resource" it makes perfect sense that it is held by the Crown.

https://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/

If the legal boundary was established by "Ad Medium Filum Aquae" it would be shown on the current SIX overlay - I see none.

Yep, I agree fringe dweller.
Nero did some great photography work, but his info was only half right.....half of the time