Detecting in old mine tunnels

Gold Fever
1

Hi all,

Has anyone tried detecting the walls (and floors) of old alluvial mine tunnels?
I have a couple on my property but as yet havent done anything with them; being an old dredger have just continued with what I am experienced at.

Any suggestions as to which detector to try?

2 Likes
2

A Minelab Gold Monster, A minelab Equinox 800 with 6" coil or a Fisher Gold Bug 2

JW :cowboy_hat_face:

1 Like
3

years ago i tried detecting one of those tunnels in the lyell , no gold but scared the crap out of me , ps i know how to turn a detector on thats where it stops

4

It wasn’t that river diversion tunnel was it. Check out this footage starting just before the 16 minute mark.

I got talking to a bloke who had abseiled down some mine shafts at Lyell & he reckoned he detected gold in the quartz in the shaft walls.

JW :cowboy_hat_face:

5

hi yes it definately was that tunnel , all these years i thought the old timers must have been following a gold seam , and your telling me it was a diversion tunnel lol , no wonder i didnt find anything

1 Like
6

I have detected in a few tunnels into alluvial terraces. Only one was successful. Found 11g in a crevice. With a fisher gold bug

3 Likes
7

Hi Matt,

I think you know where I am, so Im hopeful of sucess…thats what keeps us going, right?

Good on you for your “lifestyle” change. I left mine 50 years too late, but Im enjoying it and get encouraged by Show & Tell.

8

Yea you should turn up something. Good luck! I’m certainly enjoying the lifestyle change!

9

Hi team,
Pulled gold out of a tunnel last week…half a dozen small bits mucking around.
Best bit was this still sitting in the wall…wine bottle top with candle inside. Tunnel is 1880’s

IMG20240329172924
IMG202403291729241920Ă—2560 626 KB

1711685872669
17116858726691920Ă—2560 479 KB

6 Likes
10

Had a mate find 32 ounces in 2 hours a couple of years ago with gold monster in an old shaft. Fragment of a vane they missed. Another two days to clean it up.

1 Like
11

Interesting. Was it a shaft, vertical, or a mine drive, horizontal tunnel. In saying a vain that would indicate gold in quartz or was it alluvial? Any photos you can share? Cheers.

JW :cowboy_hat_face:

12

I detected the tunnels in the Bannockburn sluicings with a minelab Pi, with no success, a VLF machine would be the go probably

13

I did the same with my Equinox 800 with the small coil. Found a tiny bit with rock mixed with it after lots of swinging. Outside the tunnels was a sea of assorted lead projectile fragments and cartridge caps, soul destroying :grin: