Gold prospector and TV personality Tyler Mahoney has stunned even seasoned bush veterans with her latest find — a dazzling handful of gold nuggets valued at over $85,000 AUD.
Clutching the glittering treasure in one hand, Mahoney beamed, “This handful’s worth more than my car. This is what we’re out here chasing.”
Among the haul were two massive Reef gold nuggets, formed deep within quartz-rich rock and bearing the silvery sheen typical of high-silver content specimens. “These two big ones at the back — they’re classic Reef gold. That’s where the old saying ‘hit the motherlode’ comes from,” she explained. “They came out of a very rich quartz reef.”
GOLD FROM TWO WORLDS
In contrast, two slightly smaller pieces at the front of the pile told a different story — nuggets from Kalgoorlie, unmistakably purer in colour and weight.
“They’ve got less silver, more pure gold. Kalgoorlie nuggets are different — more solid, heavier. It’s all part of reading the land and knowing what you’re looking at.”
The Reef nuggets, Mahoney noted, were originally cleaned using hydrochloric acid to strip away mineral crusts — a technique widely used in Victoria’s goldfields in the 1980s.
Though this batch was purchased from a fellow prospector, the real excitement came later — out in the field, with dirt flying and adrenaline high.
DEEP IN THE SCRAPE: TYLER DIGS GOLD
Back in the bush, Tyler and her crew had been chasing a hot signal deep in the red WA soil. With a full tank of fuel and her signature determination, she and her dad Ted were cautious not to damage what lay below.
“You don’t want to put a pick mark in a nugget this close to target,” said Tyler, crouched in the dirt. “We’re hoping it’s something solid.”
Moments later, the call came: “It’s still in there… wait… I can feel it — holy hell!”
What emerged was a heavy, gleaming nugget. Judging by weight alone, the crew estimated it at up to five ounces.
“Jesus Christ. That’s got to be at least a couple of ounces,” Tyler said, holding the nugget up to the light. “Could even be five. That’s a bloody good piece.”
A HARD-EARNED WIN
After weeks of scorching heat, persistent flies, and long hours swinging a detector, the gold was a hard-earned reward.
“This makes up for the last couple of weeks where we found next to nothing,” Tyler admitted. “But that’s the gold game — you’ve got to stick it out. One piece can change everything.”
