Beginner Gold Detecting in Northern Rivers NSW (Casino)

Hi All

I am heading up to Casino, NSW over the Xmas period and I have decided to hire a metal detector to search for old relics on the property.

While I am up there, and have a metal detector, I was also hoping to try my hand at gold detecting, and I was hoping that someone might be able to give a beginner some advice for his maiden voyage in the area.

I am staying out near Casino, but while I am not aware of any gold being found in that specific town, I believe that towns like Drake, Tenterfield and Grafton have a history of Gold, and I am happy to travel there or anywhere between.

Anyway, if anyone has had any experience in this area or knows of a location that may be a good place to start for a beginner, it would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Jake

Gday Jake

Welcome to the forum, while I have not been in that neck of the woods for some 30 years, I am aware that there are plenty of places that have produced gold in the areas you mentioned, a good source of information for you is to just google, gold towns in NSW, or gold near Casino, something of that nature and you will start to find all sorts of informatio.

After a brief look heres an example, check out this link

http://www.mallanganee.com/

cheers

stayyerAU

hi jake type in Forest NSW if you are detecting you may need a permit cheek with grafton office nsw or glenn innes or coffs 130 high street also type in Old glen Innes road takes you through from Grafton // glen innes there are camping grounds there on the way through rain could be a problem if not in 4x4 check withoffice take a fishing rod @ lic some great looking rivers snakes/ticks/ at the moment ex kiwi Urunga Coffs south good luck and welcolmto the forum mate

Thanks for the responses guys.

I have been delving a bit further into the area, and I see that Taloom is also a place of interest. As a beginner, I guess the main thing that I am struggling with, is working out precisely where to go, and how I go about getting permission to go there.

If I narrow it down to a place like Tooloom or Drake or Timbarra etc, there is still a mass amount of land to choose from, and whether or not you are able to just go on that land is another story all together.

Jake Howard, Should you get to the Drake area I would suggest you have a look up the road to the Carrington copper/gold mine. Go past the mine and you will come to a cattle property, a Mr Ramsey, nice bloke, ask him nicely and he may let you thru his place to the Lunatic diggings and old town site. Lunatic had everything, pubs, schools, racecourse, churches, stores, heaps of mines and shafts/diggings. Quite substantial gold recoverd from Lunatic and area, a good spot for coin/relics etc. Try and get hold of "Forgotten Country" by Isobel Wilkinson, this is the bible on gold and history of the area.

Other spots worth a look are the Bulldog Diggings, Lionsville, both on the road (sort of) between Casino and Tenterfield (Also covered in Forgotten Country) The Ramsey property is Cheviot Hills, on Cheviot Hills Rd. Try and get hold of the NSW 1-25000 Drake 9340-11-S this map will give you a good start for some prospecting areas.

Others have given you good advise re. snakes, ticks, I would like to add leeches! they are everywhere up there and it is rough country.

Patches1, who posts on the Finders forum is an authority on the area and has done extensive gold related research on the area, his advise is usually freely given and should not be ignored. Try and get a post to him.

Hotrocks

Hi Hot Rocks, thanks a lot for your post, it has been extremely helpful. I have been marking all the places I have come across on the net, such as Tooloom, Bulldog, Lionsville, Emu Creek, Timbarra, Tabulam however Drake seems like just as good an area as any other and it is the closest as well.

Just looking at the Drake map, I see there is a Carrington Street, Lunatic Street, but by the sounds of it, but from what you are saying the Lunatic Diggings have to be access through Mr Ramsay's property on Cheviott Hills Road.

Without wanting to push my luck, I just had a couple of further questions if you get a chance to reply.

1. Would I need a 4WD to access Lunatic Diggings, or will my Honda Civic be surfice?
2. Does Mr Ramsay own Lunatic Diggings, or just access to it?
2. Would it be considered rude, if I was to give Mr Ramsay a call out of the blue to see if he would be willing to let me through?

Cheers

Jake

Jake. The best answers I can give to your questions, Your car will get you to the Ramsey homestead OK, you access Lunatic thru the cattleyards, I can't recall what the track was like to the old town site. The property goes a long way back into the ranges. Lunatic area is owned by the Ramsay family. The owner allowed it to be used by the weekend warriors (CMF) for training years ago so expect to dig plenty of brass cartridges! Isobel Wikinson was a frequent visitor there when she was researching her book. Yes! of course give the man a call, you won't be able to access the area without his help (or permission) and you ought not to consider it without calling him. Hope this helps.

Hotrocks.

further....just past the old house, on the same property, you might see a plaque on a post, this is the spot where one of the jets from Ambereley air base went down. worth a look.

hi hot rocks how are you doing ? ex kiwi here mate have you been out detecting ///ex kiwi coffs