First Day with X-Terra 70 - struck gold

[Harry_Morant]

I must admit I used to scratch my head a bit when I saw people post up what they found in their back yard. I remember thinking that these people need to get out more often. Well today I figured it out.

This morning at 8.15 the postie arrived with a X-Terra 70. The kids were almost as excited as I was (besides I'd told the wife that getting a detector would be a good family activity - I think she saw straight through my weak attempt to justify my purchase). I usually leave home at 8.25 to get the kids to school but since they were excited I let them unpack the box. What the hell I may as well put it together. I found that to be a breeze so I figured I may as well take it outside to quickly try a few things I'd seen on the Minelab DVD. The kids had armed themselves with a shovel and trowel so I thought one quick scan wouldn't hurt. I quickly found a target that wasn't too deep and tried out my trowel technique and out popped a piece of silver which turned out to be the lid of a Salt shaker. At this point one of my daughters said "Dad its 8.50!......So anyway the kids were late. Truancy was apparently not quite the family activity my wife was expecting

When I got home this afternoon the kids met me at the door with the detector in hand - well I didn't want to disappoint the kids so naturally I left my wife to put dinner on as we hit the back yard again. Our family dog decided to get involved and ran off with the trowel - I'm sure that it was a wholly ridiculous spectacle but what the hell it was family. I decided to dig some of the deeper targets so dispensed with the trowel and got the shovel. The next three targets were all gold - 2 gold milk bottle caps and a gold bottle cap. Milk bottle caps haven't been used here for about 30 years so it was the first time I'd seen one for a long time.

I now understand why people detect their back yards - because once this hobby gets you, you'll take any opportunity there is to go bipping.

I'm taking the day off on Wednesday to see what I can find further afield - can't wait.

 

[Mona Lisa]

Here's to more family adventures, Harry.

That's funny about being late for school. Reminds me of the time my brother-in-law took his kids out of school to take them fishing. He took half a day off of work ,showed up at the school, and told the office what he was doing. The school personal didn't like it, but the kids loved it.

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Have fun, it's a great hobby, wait till you start finding that old stuff, look out! Nice detector choice. HH, Mike

 

[rvbvetter]

Your back yard, besides making for a great place to learn your detector. Can often give up some nice finds. My first silver coin came from my back yard. Congrats on the new detector and enjoy. HH

 

[J Dubs]

those are nice finds and a good story.

 

[caratjuice]

Great story even if it wasn't real gold. Sounds like lots of family fun awaits you. Good luck on your finds and keep us posted.

 

[Burdie]

Sounds like you found the real pot of gold before you got the detector. It's called family. Burdie

 

[Harry_Morant]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. As Bavaria Mike said I can't wait to get into the older stuff. The only down side being in Australia is that our old stuff isn't anywhere near as old as it is in many parts of the world due to European settlement only becoming established a little over 200 years ago here in Oz. Its all relative though so I'm looking forward to discovering some of our history.

Found another nugget today whilst out the back getting used to the settings - damm dog!

 

[Michigan Badger]

It sounds like you have the enthusiasm to make some good finds. Some THers do very well in your country. You've got to locate those oldest settlements.

Backyards are very good hunting spots. I found my most valuable find ever right in my own yard. It was a cache of rare and valuable 19th century lumber era tokens. I got $100 each for them! I lived here 12 years and never knew they were buried 10 feet out from my garage.

Happy hunting with the family!

Badger

 

[Harry_Morant]

You're right there is good money in back yards. From todays news in Australia:

Gangland police find buried cash
By Simon Mossman
September 05, 2006
POLICE investigating Melbourne's gangland war have seized a reported half a million dollars of cash and jewellery buried in a backyard and impounded a Mercedes registered to fugitive drug baron Tony Mokbel's brother.

Officers attached to Victoria Police's Purana Task Force today raided a house in Parkdale, in south-east Melbourne, and uncovered “a substantial amount of cash and jewellery”.

The money was believed to be as much as $500,000, Channel 10 reported tonight.