An old reef-laced hill once mined by the diggers of yesteryear has proven it’s still got some sparkle left, as a small prospecting team unearthed several nuggets while scraping and detecting across the sunbaked landscape.
The area, dotted with dry blowings, caved-in shafts and reef lines, was described as being “absolutely smashed” by the old-timers. But that didn’t stop the modern crew from chasing alluvial gold where the ancient hills spill their secrets.
“We realized there was an alluvial run coming off these reefs,” said the lead prospector, who brought in a loader to dig deeper into the scrapes. “The ground was pretty deep, and we’ve been doing well off it.”
The team opted for a Minelab SDC metal detector on the hilltop, given its shallow depth and highly mineralized ground. While not always the first preference, the SDC proved ideal for working around the old reef systems.
Scrapes, Signals, and Shavings
One of the crew, R, picked up a promising signal in the scrapes, prompting a rush to the site. Initial hopes were high as the team carefully uncovered a target near a scuff mark. But excitement turned to laughter when the “nugget” turned out to be a shaving off the loader bucket.
“That’s the only other thing it could be at that depth besides gold,” they admitted.
Still, the team didn’t give up. A short time later, R hit another signal — this time, real gold. “Only a small piece, but a nugget’s a nugget,” came the cheerful report.
The crew continued to work around the base of the hill, where ancient reef workings had shed rich alluvial layers. “Big things hang together,” they noted while examining thick wash layers — a good sign that larger nuggets might be close.
A Family Affair
Dad was on the loader, carving access down from the hill for reclamation work. At one point, a snake sighting briefly halted progress. “Very snaky through here,” warned R, as they spotted one sliding back under a bush.
Later, another strong signal led to a nugget estimated around 20 grams. “Still gold,” said Dad with a grin, after carefully uncovering the target with the 4500. Viewers had previously asked why he always ends up digging the holes — a role he seems to embrace with good humor.
Final Wrap & A Quiet Bush Lunch
As the day heated up, the team wound things down. “Just having a butter tofu and chickpea wrap,” came the lunch update, with the prospector reporting no luck on the detector — just rubbish between signals.
“Ree and Dad did pretty well on the scrapes,” they added. With the Easter long weekend approaching and shops closing, the crew wrapped early to prep for downtime and essential errands.
“I’ll show you the clean-up in next week’s vlog,” they promised, signing off from the dusty bush track. “Comment below what else you’d like to see, and I’ll try and get it done.”
GOLD TALLY:
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Ree & Dad: Several nuggets from scrapes
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Lead Prospector: No gold, but plenty of rubbish
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Estimated Best Find: ~20 grams
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Snake Sightings: 1
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Loader Shavings Mistaken as Gold: 1
