WHERE can you dig in AUSSIE ?

[Niggle]

New to the forum - bloody good reads !...

I just wanted to know: WHERE is it OK to detect / dig ? In Aussie.

ie: Crown land? Beaches, rivers, roads, side-of-roads ?

Are public buildings OK ?

Just curious - I've been living in Canada for 20 years where things are pretty loose and I've never had any problems - moving back to Aussie I brought my White's GMT back with me - just want to make sure before I start digging !!

Niggle

( PS: re - 2 messages above - "dowsing" oh you must be kidding me - I've YET to see a Dowser that actually works or has ever found a single thing ... yet all the dowsers seem to "know" where everything is but are too ethical to dig it up - only one word for that: I can't use it here !!!!)

 

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[Grimnar]

Gday Niggle,
One question, what do you intend to hunt for? If its gold, you will need to buy yourself a Miners Right(in Victoria its compulsory, but am unsure on other states). If its just relics and lost items then you don't need anything except your MD.

The link below will provide you with all the knowledge you need for MD in Victoria.

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources/04_0157.pdf

Hope this has helped.

Cheers
Grim

 

[Niggle]

Thanks guys - and Grim ...

yeah I'm just going after gold - using a White's GMT - so I just got my Miners Right and waiting for the rain to stop ! (Rain? First time in 10 years and now it rains!!)

I'm just going to work the old Yackandandah tailings and reefs ... see what pops up ... I mean let's face it Aussie's sorta covered in gold if you look for it.

Who knows after that - detecting around the old bushranger sites should be interesting ...

Cheers
Niggle

 

[Relics]

With a miner's right you're restrcited to using hand tools when digging for gold, and you are expected to cover up any holes you did and leave the area as you found it. Even though dredging has unfortunately been banned in Victoria, you can use a gold pan, sluce box, concentrator or hand held pump that's not motorized to suck up gold flakes or particles between cracks and crevasses if hunting in rivers or streams. I persomally prefer to use a concentrator, as it's quicker than panning, less fuss than a sluce box, and you can retain all the heavies in the tray, like gold and gem stones such as sapphire, ziron's, garnet, whatever may be in the district to find. Usually you can detect on Crown Land, as it was originally reserve for commoners by the Queen, hence it's land we are entitiled to be on, as long as it's not being leased. Then you need permission. You can get a copy from DSE on which creeks and stream you are allowed to hunt in, and which districts or areas you can go. Even though a lot of Bendigo's goldfields as banned from prospectors, some of the permissable areas yield very good gold if you plan on spending time there. Maps are attainable for those areas too.
Relics

 

[seadancer1]

Make sure you do not detect in any area managed by National Parks and Wildlife. They are very strict, and will confisticate your detector and fine you if you are cought. this also includes beaches in National Parks.
Cheers, Brenda

 

[Niggle]

Thanks guys - and Relics !

I've done a bit of surveying and plan the next dig in about a month - good to know about the National Parks and Crown Land issues !

I've been finding penny-weights in crevices in Yackandandah and some flake in the river - I reckon there's some gold up in them thar hills though!

I agree about what gear to take btw ...

I carry in: Whites MXT submersible detector
Pan (step-edged collector)
Small hand-fed sluice box
Concentrator and buckets
Gold-Sucker
Hand-held spades+hand-pick

That and supplies and that's about all I want to carry !!

Cheers.

Niggle

 

[paratrooper]

This might help you cover more area . You can also go to Arizona Outback .com . There are a few fellas from your area that post there .

 

[Niggle]

Well ... obviously it's true ... Paratroopers never do things by halves !!

And I thought a GP-Radar was overkill ! ... Still ... beautiful piece of equipment that !!

Thanks
Niggle

At the conclusion of his lecture to a group of young recruits, the legendary paratrooper asked for questions. A hand shot up. "What made you decide to make that first jump, sir?"

Without hesitating, the paratrooper replied," An airplane at eighteen thousand feet with three dead engines."