DECLARED FOSSICKING AREARS S.A.

[b]could i please obtain some info on the declared arears in sa? i have info about permits and no permits,the arears in question,but i would like a an opinion or report from someone who has been there thanks in advance john jayvee in johs country.

There are three (declared) Fossicking Areas in South Australia. Mount Crawford (daily entry permit required from Forrestry Dept) and Echunga (Jupiter Creek and Chapel Hill). A Miner Licence (Right) is not required in SA for fossickers. Check the accompanying link for more details PIRSA

Thank you for the info my question now is, are they worth visiting?JOHN JAYVEE

ski29214 wrote:There are three (declared) Fossicking Areas in South Australia. Mount Crawford (daily entry permit required from Forrestry Dept) and Echunga (Jupiter Creek and Chapel Hill). A Miner Licence (Right) is not required in SA for fossickers. Check the accompanying link for more details PIRSA

[b]

Hi ;john
I have never been to Mt Crawford but have visited Jupiter Creek and Echunga.

Both areas are hilly with deep gullies. Bushfires haven’t touched there for some time and it is very overgrown. Like most gold areas you need to be careful, Echunga requires a lot of care. Open shafts are often completely disguised by overgrowth of bushes etc. Don’t walk backwards and don’t step where you aren’t sure.
Parts of Echunga are affected by high voltage power lines, Jupiter Creek not as bad.
Weather wise, I may be a bit soft but it would be very uncomfortable during summer. Impossible at the moment, we are in a six day over 40c heat wave. The areas are closed to the public on days of extreme fire danger. During summer this can be frequent.
Snakes are something that you should be aware of during summer months. I have not seen any but have heard many stories.

[quote="jayvee"]Thank you for the info my question now is, are they worth visiting?JOHN JAYVEE

South Australia is not overly endowed with gold fields accessible to the likes of us therefore as you can guess, these areas have been pretty well done. Overdone if you compared them to say the Victorian Golden Triangle.

The areas are not as easy to detect in as those in the Victorian fields, I found it very difficult. That can be a plus, the harder it is and the more effort you put in the more likely you will find what the ‘Lazy’ detector has missed.

Maybe another local with more experience can help you with more information. I have had a detector since 1998 but due to circumstances couldn’t get to use it much. I have only recently been able to get out a few times a year. I have tried both Jupiter and Echunga with no luck but have talked to a professional who has found a little bit.
Later in the year when it cools down I hope to make more trips to these areas if only to get more experience in how to handle the detector.

Regards - Scrat

[Thank you for the info,having never been to sa any help is appreciated,i asked a lot of questions about tetulpa and every body was most helpfull.we will have a lot of time in sa so it will be good to have as many arears as possibile to visit.and by the way it is 31 deg here at the moment 12.30 pm sa shure gets hot seems strange being so far south from us thanks again john jayvee in johs country.








quote="Scrat"]Hi ;john
I have never been to Mt Crawford but have visited Jupiter Creek and Echunga.

Both areas are hilly with deep gullies. Bushfires haven’t touched there for some time and it is very overgrown. Like most gold areas you need to be careful, Echunga requires a lot of care. Open shafts are often completely disguised by overgrowth of bushes etc. Don’t walk backwards and don’t step where you aren’t sure.
Parts of Echunga are affected by high voltage power lines, Jupiter Creek not as bad.
Weather wise, I may be a bit soft but it would be very uncomfortable during summer. Impossible at the moment, we are in a six day over 40c heat wave. The areas are closed to the public on days of extreme fire danger. During summer this can be frequent.
Snakes are something that you should be aware of during summer months. I have not seen any but have heard many stories.

jayvee wrote:Thank you for the info my question now is, are they worth visiting?JOHN JAYVEE

South Australia is not overly endowed with gold fields accessible to the likes of us therefore as you can guess, these areas have been pretty well done. Overdone if you compared them to say the Victorian Golden Triangle.

The areas are not as easy to detect in as those in the Victorian fields, I found it very difficult. That can be a plus, the harder it is and the more effort you put in the more likely you will find what the ‘Lazy’ detector has missed.

Maybe another local with more experience can help you with more information. I have had a detector since 1998 but due to circumstances couldn’t get to use it much. I have only recently been able to get out a few times a year. I have tried both Jupiter and Echunga with no luck but have talked to a professional who has found a little bit.
Later in the year when it cools down I hope to make more trips to these areas if only to get more experience in how to handle the detector.

Regards - Scrat

[b]t

JAYVEE,
I have worked around the Mt Crawford area many times and to date I only have one bit to show for my effort. Its a case of very slim pickings but no-one would ever say there is no gold there.
Its a hard area to read as it is now covered with pine plantations. This can be a good thing. When they harvest and then put the rippers through you may pick up bits that were previously undetectable.
We are spoilt in Victoria by comparison.
The closest area from SA to the Victorian gold fields would be somewhere like Ararat.
Brett.

Hi Jayvee

Another couple of areas that are a bit of the beaten track and not decleared areas so leases might apply.One is boolooroo and the other is angepena in the gamon ranges, great area,Really like boolooroo on depot springs station as i have had a bit luck there in the past.Try to google them and see what happens.

chappy.

Jayvee, unfortunately the Gammon Ranges are declared National Park and the old Angepena run is now part of Warraweena Conservation Park. Warraweena has banned any form of fossicking or detecting and as you are travelling in a motor home it would be impossible to enter the region anyway. There is only a one way track on Warraweena and you must have a high clearance 4WD and the the permit fee is expensive. Most of the Gammon Ranges region is inaccessible by any form of vehicle and it is very hostile country even in the colder months.
You can get to this region via the Copley-Arkaroola Road; it is actually quite magnificent country to visit. I would recommend staying at the Arkaroola Station camping grounds; Arkaroola is a mind blowing area and the people at Arkaroola run lots of guided tours and there are areas where you can explore yourself. Fossicking is permitted on Arkaroola, but there is only one small goldfield and that is about the size of a paddock at best. A lot of fossicking for other minerals and gems is done at Arkaroola and the Sprigg family who run it, will give the correct guidance. I have been there several times and have always come away with some goodies, but no gold. Arkaroola is where Sir Douglas Mawson spent many years preparing for his expeditions to Antarctica.
geolit

[b]thank you geolit,good info,being detectorists our motor home is a high clearence 4WD you did not mention boolooroo.thanks again john jayvee.

Jayvee,

They won't let you on the track unless you have a dual range gear box and its $40 per day to be on the track; the gradients on some sections are bloody steep. Another thing with South Oz, when they close a track, never ever go on it as they fine you by the number of tyres that are on your vehicle, spares included.

Boolooroo; I would have doubts on gold there, but will let you know otherwise.

Like Brett said in an earlier post, you are probably better of detecting in Victoria. There is a lot of gold in South Oz, but its not of the type you can find with a detector and it usually very bloody deep, such as that being mined at Coronation Hill and Olympic Dam.

geolit

[b]THANK YOU AGAIN,geolit,yes we have dd dual range about 1km ph at2000rpm sorry cant go to vic as yet,we have to go to whyalla and then on to wa thanks for the offer of boolooroo info john jayvee,

Just did a search on PISRA database. Boolooroo sadly is an operating Mining Licence, so therefore no go. If you were to venture that far north from Whyalla it will take probably a week or more out of your schedule; so me thinks it best to concentrate on WA.

geolit

Hi john,jayvee

Looks as if boolooroo is out of bounds,have a mate with lease there so i guess im lucky.
boolooroo is outside of the national park,started going there with my grandfather when i was young and have been going back since,i was born up there and spent about 30 years there.

The whole area is just awesome many memories,Geolit is absolutley correct about arkaroola,since reg sprigg started it he and his family have been great custodians of the area,except for the yadnamuttna people he had the foresight to see the beauty in it before others.

Steep in history and historical features,hey geolit was that the old cobb&co track from warraweena to angepena you took excellent area if it was.

john,jayvee have a good trip where ever you end up.

chappy.

Hi Chappy,

Yes it was the old Cobb and Co track. I have very fond memories of Reg Sprigg; when I was a green behind the ears geology student, Reg became one of the best mentors I could have ever had. I am lucky to own all his books and he signed them for me before his final journey to Scotland, where he sadly passed away. His family and those lovely aboriginal guardians of the Gammon Ranges have a special place in my heart.

So many of the geologists of my era, the over 40's mob, owe a great debt of gratitude to Reg, he taught us to read the ground; no maps, no fancy technology; he taught us to use our eyes.

geolit

Good to hear geolit,he is remembered by my family as a good man did a hell of a lot for the area and the people in it.
I have lots of good memories at arkaroola in his time.
Can see myself looking up to stars at mt gee from the swag right now.
all the best mate
chappy.

Thanks chappy for passing on that information on about boolooroo being under mining lease. As I have the lease. Should be up there but the weather is too hot.
Regards
Garry

Cheers mate
chappy

thank you garry,its been a battle finding out what is right and what is wrong.seeing that we have never been to sa,its good to see that there are a lot of good people with the correct info and will convey it to visitors like us ,have a good one john and val jayvee in johs country







[quote garry"]Thanks chappy for passing on that information on about boolooroo being under mining lease. As I have the lease. Should be up there but the weather is too hot.
Regards
Garry[/quote]

Hey garry just a thought,i buried my dog out at mundey waters many years ago,your not going to dig her up
are you ha,gee i think i left her collar on to.

chappy.

Here's some more info re Sth Australia

If you are searching for SA places via the internet, you might come across the Mongolata Goldfields in an item attributed to "Postcards"
http://www.postcards-sa.com.au/features/mongolata_gold_mine.html

Kevin Wallace, to whom the article refers, no longer runs tours, and cannot access the area .... Great for business?

On speaking with him via telephone he informed me this evening that the entire area is now under lease and he can no longer offer his services!

Now let's just all get behind SA and encourage the small business operator, the tourist industry, and our fellow Sth Aussie citizens!
Don't you just bet that the lease is owned by some wonderful international mining corporation ... with an Aussie figure-head

And dont even think of trying anywhere in the Barossa!!! Nice fenced of old historical area. I personally think the whole treatement of hobbysists is a joke - I hate to think how much money South Aussies spend in Vic and WA etc. when we could spend it here in SA. Next thing we will be banned from the beaches.

That's why I pack up my kit and go to VIC every 4-6 weeks

You don't want to hear what I REALLY think of this state ... and I was bred, born & brought up here! ... but you can understand why SA is the most financially backward state of the entire mainland. From a business owner's point of view, it is also the most anti-small business state, the most 'financially greedy' of states, AND the most restrictive of states!

For years it has been run by those of the 'opposite bedroom persuasion', those of minority interest groups, and those with the loudest of voices ... and if you qualify for all three descriptions? Wow!! You're on a winner!!!

I agree getagripster, funny thing is, it's also where Minelab are from.

SA the bully state.