Hi guys…I expect to be on the Coast mid Feb. …weighted down with new sluice (EZY) and Gold Bug detector etc! Never done it before (nothing up this way, sadly) but have the fever to go looking. Have researched the public areas pretty well… old news papers etc. and have some places I want to go. Also interested in the history of places where seekers panned and lived. Was maybe going to start at Moonlight. What is the road access like…can I get my Transit van in there? (self contained). DOC says 4 night max stay.Is that right? I guess there are resident fossickers in the area, maybe someone can give me some info on local conditions. I’m prepared for the conditions I’m likely to encounter…sandflies, rain, hatters …well maybe that’s me! Hope you can help…I’ve already gained a lot from reading past posts from the experts / newbies out there. Cheers! JR
I was up moonlight the other day roads good just a bit bumpy. Ul get your van up OK.
Nelson creeks a good 1 as not many people seem to hammer it. And it’s like a 3 min walk to the start of the fossicking area. Your only real challenge will seriously be the sandflies as they love out of towners haha.
Good luck and make sure to post how u done on here
Cheers for that. I’ll bring some birdshot for the sandies! Seems Doc has been clamping down on the overnighters. The locals have been moved on I hear.
Yea I heard 2 night stay was the max but I dno how often doc goes up there
I’ve just updated my visits to Nelson Creek and Slab Hut - see the Public Fossicking threads.
Having a chat to folks seems there is colour at Moonlight (no surprise as we found some there last year. Seems to be the best place to improve chances of finding something with the detector. You’ll be doing well if you can dig fro four solid days at Moonligth - so don’t worry about the time limit. There were some mad Germans (?) up there last year who dug one humongous hole that had taken them weeks not far upstream from Andersons Flat camp - but when we left they hadnt found anything. So dig the usual spots along the edges and go deep. Mark (The ex-permanent guy is now at Slab Hut so you won’t be able to rely on him for tips.)
Goldsborough also well worth a stop - though I got most of my detector hot rock finds there.
Great ! Thanks for the info…all offerings greatly appreciated. Moonlight seems to have a special appeal for me. Even the name! I’ve read a few old newspapers and just the history of the diggings ad early settlement make me want to investigate. There were around 350 folks up there at it’s peak apparently. Looking forward to swinging my coil and wetting my pan up there! Cheers.