Just back from gold detecting trip in WA.

Hi Geoff,

The guy who got the 124 gm had eyes like saucers. So did I - It was the biggest nugget I have ever seen found.

Wallabies won and the All Blacks lost - can it get any better than that !

Willie.

Yep Willie, it doesn't get any better than that!

That young bloke of O'Connor at fullback has a good nose, everywhere Giteau went he was a metre behind him.

Geoff

Hi Fred,

I nearly hit a number of roos between B Hill and Cobar yesterday as I started an hour before dawn. I had to keep the speed down to 60 kph so I could dodge them.

Maybe you should get onto one of the gold detecting forums for some good advice.

Easy to buy a crappy detector, which is useless for finding gold - be careful and seek advice.

Cheers,

Willie.

A friend of mine just bought a Minelab 4000 from another friend who upgraded to a 4500.

Don't know much about either but I intend to learn after we settle into the nomadic lifestyle at the end of the year.

A good starter kit is the Minelab GP Extreem.
They sell around $1800 to $2500 second hand.
A great unit.
Started with that and still have it.

Stephen,
The nomadic lifestyle would be pretty good. I cannot get out there much, as my wife wants to continue in her job.
Willie.

Hi Stephen,

It was as cold as a frog's armpit out there at night, but pleasant T shirt weather most days. I fired up the diesel heater every morning.

Graeme ( Bung ) is doing a GPA tour this week at Halls Creek. I hope he does well.

Willie.

Brian,

I did the Tibooburra Tour last year and we had a great time. You really need to go low and slow up there and listen very attentively, as the gold is small. I was lucky, did something dumb and found a 5 grammer - but that is pretty rare up there.

Mark is a good fella and will be trying really hard to get you gold.

I was going to do that tour as well, but I am scared to broach the subject so soon after my return. Maybe .

Cheers,

Willie

Dug,

These are Troy Ounces, not your normal 28 gm to the ounce, but 31.1 (rounded up) gm to the ounce.

The nugget was 3.9 Troy Ounces so would have been 121.3 gm. I was a bit loose in my first estimate.

Another weird piece of crazy measurement carried over from the old days.
(There are 24 grains in 1 dwt, and 20 dwt in one Troy Ounce).

Granny Smith was a little further east than where we camped. Interesting job for him - does he detect ?

Cheers,

Willie.

Detect? NA THE B@STARD INVESTS :-( he earns more money than I ever have !!!

he is a mine safety officer and just about to start his own contracting company.

He has never sent an ingot of gold or small sack of diamonds home for his folks.

He also worked at the Argyle diamond mine.

We will head over and visit him when we head off so I would not mind getting a detector. I just have a real thing for gambling so I think I would get the gold search bug pretty bad if I started :-)

PS I don't gamble because I enjoy it way too much ;-)

Did you visit the old nickel mine I think it was to the north of Laverton ?

An amazing old site with huge concrete structures and deserted buildings.

Hi Peter,

I take my caravan wherever I detect now, so I will have to pass on your kind offer.

Cheers,

Willie.

Graeme,

You must be on the second Halls Creek Tour. I have two friends from Victoria on the first one and I told them to look out for you, but alas, they will be gone by then.

I have a story to tell you - On my ten day tour in Laverton, I got caught up in the "how many did you get today " excitement. I started to walk too fast, swing too fast and too high off the ground, not listen carefully. I ended up with a miserable 11 nuggets in 10 days.

After the tour was finished, I went back to one of the spots where I had got nothing on the day. That day and the next two days, I got 19 nuggets in that spot - just because I slowed everything down, kept the coil only just off the deck and listened to every little signal noise. LOW and SLOW - VERY GOOD ADVICE .

Good luck,

Willie.

Thanks Willie

Good advice and being a complete novice at this I will heed that advice.

At the end of the day it doesnt bother me greatly what I find as long it is at least one!..well I guess that is not entirely truthful ..a few more would be nice but the value to me is irrelevant...it is about doing it and experiencing it...and if I make a dollar great..if i dont thats life

We are on the 4th July trip and leaving the farm on 27th June.

Graeme

Graeme,
I forgot to tell you something. You are detecting in and around spinifex on his leases. You need knee length THICK gators or you will suffer much pain. Good insurance for snakes too.
Willie.

Nothing to do with detecting, but,

LOW and SLOW is the helicopter pilot's personal mantra.

OK, back on topic.....

Hi Richard,

The way to get started is to do what Bungara is doing and what I did two years ago. Go on a Gold Prospecing Aust tour as a tagalong , hire a detector and get taken to where there is gold. You are given heaps of instruction and come away with some confidence.

Most people who do these tours, do one or two every year.

Cheers,

Willie.

PS. I have no involvment with GPA, I recommend them only because I know they do a great job.

http://www.goldprospectingaustralia.com.au

Willie,
I contavted them and they are full this year so will look at next year - sounds like fun

Richard

Richard,

Make sure that you are on his email list to be contacted as soon as the tour program is settled - you miss out if you do not book quickly.

I am doing the Tibooburra Tour 1, this August. I am meeting a couple from Victoria who will be doing their fourth tour this year !

I will be doing a couple of WA tours next year, so we may meet there.

Only small gold, but good fun.

Cheers,

Willie.

Willie,
He asked for my mail address and has my email address so hopefully will be on the list.

So may run in to you next year if we can get on to one.

Richard