Agate Creek fossicking

Hello,
I've been a keen fossicker for years, came from the Rockhampton area which is a interesting place for fossicking. I been up working in Mt Isa for nearly 2 years now & still trying to get my bearings. I was interested to read you're reference to agate around Camooweal which as you'd know isn't too far from here. Do you reckon it'd be worth the drive up there? I'd be real interested in any info you've got about this area.
Paul

G'day Pauley,

You are right about the Rocky area being an interesting place for fossicking - it's only a 3 hour run out to the gemfields with quite a few spots in between for a bit of a scratch around. Did you ever get down around the Springsure area for a look - a lot of good labradorite crystals.

The first time I found agate at Camoweal was a bit over 20 years back when I pulled into the old rest area on the western bank of the river crossing - the Mains Roads people were using it as a road materials dump when I was there a couple of years ago and even though they had covered up a lot of the natural river rubble, I still managed to pick up some good pieces - small, but good pattern.

A good spot you might be interested in close to the Isa is Cloncurry - the Fullarton River garnets are easily found and in my opinion, they are one of the best coloured garnets - plum coloured.

Diesel 1

Thanks Diesel,
Never been to Springsure, I had some relatives around Capella so I always went that way. I used to love all the old diggings around Rocky, spent half me life poking around them. I'll get over to Cloncurry soon as I've got a bit of time and have a look for those garnets you mention and I might even go over to Camooweal next weekend.
Paul

G'day Paul,
I've been trying to remember the track in to the best spot for the Fullarton River garnets - it's been a few years since I was in there, but I heard through the grapevine that there are still some good stones being found.

I will contact a bloke over at Rubyvale who gets out that way quite often and see if he can draw up a mudmap - I'll let you know through this forum.

Diesel 1

Thanks Diesel,
It'd be good to have a scratch around where there's a chance of finding something. I see the Fullarton river right on the western edge of a 1:250000 Curry map I've got.
Paul

G'day Paul,
I know what you mean about having a scratch around in a place where there's a chance of finding something - I've been given a few false leads by blokes over the years and it is frustrating to get to a spot and find bugger all.
I met an old bloke in Qld some years back who had spent around 40 years travelling the state trying his luck on just about everything that could be dug out the ground - he marked a heap of 'good' spots on a map for me and even though I haven't visited them all, so far his info has been right on the mark. Unfortunately he did not make any reference to the Fullarton River garnets - probably wanted to keep that info to himself.
It is on private land, but the owner is a fair dinkum sort of bloke who doesn't mind fossickers providing you demonstrate some ethics when it comes to respecting his land. The garnets I found were all on the surface (no digging required) and although the majority of stones had small cracks, I would say that 1 in 20 were reasonably good gem quality.

Diesel 1

yeah Diesel,
I knew an old bloke in Rocky (come to think of it he wasn't much older than I am now) but any way he was a wealth of info, he and a couple of other fellows discovered that big chrisophrase (can't spell it) deposit near Marlborough and unfortunately they were all broke at the time and sold it for a song about 45 years ago. He was always talking about a place around Cairns he knew of where he'd found these huge agates that he reckoned weren't commercially viable at the time because of their size so he left the spot undisturbed.
About 15 years ago now I used to run into a lot of old blokes hidden away in the bush that'd been prospecting (mainly for gold) for years I expect most of them are dead now. One old bloke was living in a slab hut about 50 k's south/west of Rocky that he reckoned he'd been born in. It had a dirt floor. They all knew the areas where they lived like the backs of their hands.
Paul

yeah Diesel,
I knew an old bloke in Rocky (come to think of it he wasn't much older than I am now) but any way he was a wealth of info, he and a couple of other fellows discovered that big chrisophrase (can't spell it) deposit near Marlborough and unfortunately they were all broke at the time and sold it for a song about 45 years ago. He was always talking about a place around Cairns he knew of where he'd found these huge agates that he reckoned weren't commercially viable at the time because of their size so he left the spot undisturbed.
About 15 years ago now I used to run into a lot of old blokes hidden away in the bush that'd been prospecting (mainly for gold) for years I expect most of them are dead now. One old bloke was living in a slab hut about 50 k's south/west of Rocky that he reckoned he'd been born in. It had a dirt floor. They all knew the areas where they lived like the backs of their hands.
Paul