Has anyone had any luck around the Echunga area?

Hi all.
I have been exploring around the Jupiter Creek / Echunga area for a little while now. I really enjoy just getting out there and exploring but has anyone had any recent luck finding any of the yellow stuff? I have the feeling that there is little left in the fossicking areas and most of those are just so overgrown it's impossible to get a coil on the ground. Any good news stories to inspire?

Yes, I have had small (and I mean small pieces - but very nice) results from the Echunga area mullock heaps. Small mono on a 3500 and very very slow. Also found two old shillings and some other relics (buttons etc). Jupiter Creek is very patchy. Mt Crawford, the other designated area, is hit and miss too. My advice about Echunga is be very careful of the open mine shafts. I had a mate who broke the rule of walking/detecting backwards and came close to falling down a shaft. Some of the shafts are actually so overgrown it is easy to miss them completely. Watts Gully to the south of Mt Crawford can be busy. Unless you can get on private property (like around Chapel Hill) you are stuck with what the Govt has allowed I am afraid. I just use these areas to test and check equipment and spend most of my time getting ready for the west or the triangle. You may have seen a photo of the Echunga area in Doug Stones Metal detecing - Gold and Relics (4th edn). The photo shows two detectorists in an area I know for 100% is a no go zone due to the danger. there is in fact a fence and signs to that effect - you can actually see the area in question from the track.

Everywhere else in echunga is Ok - good luck.

Hi Greg,

Thanks for the heads up. Do you find the mono quiet at Echunga? I don't have a mono yet, only two DD's and I have just bought a second hand anti-interference coil. I have had to use the DD in cancel mode due to powerlines and I have only used the AI once and that worked well but I wasn't out for long. Hope to get back soon.
I only have once looked at the top area that is fenced off. It's so overgrown, I don't know if it's worth venturing in there anyway. At the bottom end, further from the road there are just as many deep shafts to watch out for that don't have fences around them. They do have slippery leaves around them though....I won't be walking backwards for sure...

I found a musket ball at Jupiters Creek with a friend, thats the only exciting thing there so far.

The weather is coming good in a few days so hopefully I will get a chance to get out again soon. If only work didn't get in the way of life....

Jupiter Creek/echunga. Apologies - yes, a DD AI coil. I know they cost a bit but I use mine in the triangle as well. For those who have ventured to the top of Mt Moligaul will know what I mean about the interference. Also under or near power lines. they run fine on my old 2200 as well as the 3500. The creek line that leads into the police reserve at Jupiter Creek looks very interesting as well but I only ever looked at when it was dry - be interesting now there is some water about. There is a bit of new ground towards the creek inside the declared area. The private property looks good at Jupiter Creek (across the sealed road). I have pretty well given up on the Adelaide Hills and just go interstate now. A pity, but what can you do? The keep stuffing around with roads being open/closed in Mt Crawford as well. Nice walks into the declared areas but i hate leaving my car at the three designated detecting sites.

Over the bottom fence line at Jupiter Creek, half the land belongs to the Police, the rest to SA Water. If only SA water allowed access to the land....That creek is interesting though and even more so with the water rushing down it, moving a few things around
I hope to get out this weekend.

Then hopefully a trip to Vic next month.

found 3 grams yesterday in the hills ..
so its still around

Nice work. So what was the exact spot again?
I went for a walk around Jupiters Creek with my 4 year old son today, not really hunting, just looking. There have been a few out there very recently digging decent sized holes with no attempt to even think about filling them back in. There was a spot where a decent effort has been made to clear fallen branches too. I wonder what the rewards were for that work?