would like to try panning

Hi Folks

I'm new to the forums and new to the idea of looking for gold!

I don't have a detector but instead had this idea that maybe I could have a wander through the bush and try panning for gold somewhere. At the moment my prospecting equipment consists of a gold pan I bought yesterday.

Rushworth and Whroo aren't too far away so I was thinking somewhere around there might be a good place to start or a bit further away and to the east of home, Beechworth \ Eldorado area.

Firstly is my idea of setting of without a detector completely crazy? Secondly if the answer to question 1 was no, than what else should I be taking with me? I'm guessing a small shovel and probably a pick? Thridly would anyone know if there is much in the way of creeks with water in the around Rushworth \ Whroo area?

To give you a bit of background on me, I'd consider myself reasonably knowledgeable with being outdoors, I've spent a hell of a lot of time fishing and camping over the years and done a little bit of trekking. In respect to looking for gold or gold panning or anything gold related I know nearly zip. Other than bunch loads of reading online, going through forums and looking at googlemaps I'm a beginer in every sence.

I'm not after information on specific locations or anything like that, more just some feedback on if heading off without a detector is completely insane and if Rushworth \ Whroo area isn't a good place to start for whatever reason. I'm certainly not hoping to find a fortune (although lets be honest it would be nice), an afternoon in the bush and if I'm lucky a few specs of gold would be more than enough reward.

Thanks heaps
Adam (elbowgrease)

G'day Adam and welcome to the forum

I would'nt say completly crazy, maybe just a little crazy, just kidding mate There is nothing wrong with panning, plenty of people with detectors also pan on the occasion as well.

You need to know how to pan properly it is a skill not as easy as it looks it takes some pratice, watch youtube videos on how to pan, or better still get someone to teach you.

Rushworth Whroo area has detectable gold in and around the diggings, I have forund gold there with a detector but have never panned there, but by the look of what the oldtimers did around there there must have been fine gold as well as course.

Besides having a gold pan, a pick and shovel you will need a brush and small pan/tray, to sweep the fine dirt/dust into to get it into your gold pan, also you will need a crevice tool, which is just a piece of thin rod with a hook on the end to scrape out the crevices/cracks in the bedrock of creeks.

Also you will need a bigger bucket/half drum to pan into if there is no water in the creeks where you want to go. And lastly but not least, you will need a drum of water if there is none in the creeks near by.

Good luck with your adventure.

cheers dave

If there is water around apparently those hand operated Bait Pumps are good for sucking up the sediment.
Cheers Dig

thanks for the advice.

after taking all that on board and not wanting to rush off completely unprepared (or more so than necessary ) the plan is to try and find a map of the rushworth \ whroo area and do some more research. so far from what i can see water is going to be in very short supply, so a couple of jerry's of water and half a cherry barrel might do the trick for doing some panning. with all of the heritage sites in the area how is the best way to tell the no-go zones?

Hi eldowgrease and welcome to the forum. I to do panning, as well as detecting. I would suggest that you get yourself 1/4" sieve as well, a long handle shovel (pointy nose type) and a bucket to carry wash gravel to the water, a small plastic bucket with a lid to put your panned concentrates in, then you can do a propper pan off later at home. Also get on to this site www.alluvialgprospectors.proboards.com I belong to this site as well, great info. They are heading up to Eldorado at Easter and working Reedy Creek. I'll be there and most of us stay at the caravan park at Eldorado. If you want to learn about panning and such Eldorado at Easter time is the way to go. All the info about that trip is on their site or just E-mail me through this site and I'll give you the info.
wombat

Thanks heaps Wombat!

I'll have to visit Bunnings at some stage this week as I've only got a short handled spade for digging with, also not sure if anywhere locally sells sieves or the like so might have to hit the web for that.

I did take a look at that forum over the weekend and I actually checked out a youtube video someone posted from sluicing at Reedy Creek not to long ago. Very exciting stuff. I was actually over that way no more than a week ago for work in Beechworth.

Unfortunately my 4WD is having a 4 week holiday at the panel beaters, FINALLY getting some hail damage fixed after the Christmas hailstorm in Melbourne, bloody good reason not to visit Melbourne too often in my opinion! So I'm stuck using the buzz box for a few weeks, Rushy \ Whroo is only about 35-40mins away whereas Eldorado is an 1 hour 45mins-ish, I was planning on trying close by until I get my 4WD back but thanks heaps for the offer!

Hey,
I am new to panning and i am practicing my panning by putting some lead and black sand into some dirt. seems to work for me