Planning my first trip out

[shivan]

Howdy all, i am new to these boards and to prospecting but have been bitten by the bug and extreemly excited about organising my first trip out to pan for gold.
I thaught i would post my preperation here in case iam making any blunders.
I have just purchesed 2 pans 1x Garrett Supersluice 15" and 1 x Garrett Gold Pan 14", i have also ordered a 5mm sieve(will this do for classifying?)
For digging all i have is a fold out pick/spade wich iam able to attach to my belt.(iam not planning on any huge digging on my 1st few trips so iam hoping this will do)
Appart from tha i have maps of the area, gps, geo pick,rope and 1st aid and food.

At first i had wanted to go panning in Danjera creek at Yalwal as it has old goldfields and mines all over the place but in my research of panning i found that because of the damm and slower flowing water i will probably have little to no luck. Tho i would still like to hike up the creek and give it a go i have decided i may have better luck trying Yalwal creek first wich while been fed by Danjera is also fed by Yarramunmun creek and also has its own mines around the place tho i think while gold was found there it was turned into a copper mine.
Because i have spent most of my time exploring the actual mines around Yalwal i have never explored down Yalwal creek so even if i dont find any gold it should still be a bit of an adventure.

Well that is what i currently have planned now just gota wait for the pans

While i wait i think i will explore the possabilitys of building myself a banjo/highbanker they look like fun ;D

[nugget893]

Shivan Hi mate, You're on the right track with the gear. I would also tack a long a few crevassing tools as well, small garden spade, an old screw driver, flat bit if STRONG wire flattened at the end and bent at 90 deg, and a small 1" paint brush for cleaning out crevices and a small plastic bottle to put any gold in. All put in a good back pack. Don't forget a mobile phone for emergency you can still call 112.

[shivan]

Thanks for the feedback, i hadnt really thaught about crevassing tools but i will definatly get a few bits together, i do have a sniffer bottle on the way and was gonna keep anys speck we find in there till we get home.
I do take my moblile with me but there is really poor reseption in the gourge. I do have a mate that come with me on all my trips tho so iam not alone also i let my wife know roughly where we are heading.

[shivan]

Ok so i have been checking out some of the crevassing tools posts and will be able to get a few basics togeather, most of wich you suggested nugget.

I just had a question tho, i have seen a few ppl post modifyed yabby pumps to help suck gold/gravel out of cracks but i have also seen other ppl say they may be illegal to use in certain states, but they look handy. So i was wondering if they are legal to use in NSW?
As i tend to see the ranger veichal driving around most times while iam out there i really dont wanna get in any trouble so i guess ill hold off on this sort of tool for now.

[nugget893]

Shivan that would be a good thing right now, in regards to the yabby pump, out of site out of mined. If you see the local Ranger you could ask him about what he think about using one in the area as different Rangers have different ideas on the subject.
Nugget893

[AG MAN]

Looks like you're all set up for some adventures & hopefully finding good colour.
Enjoy.
Wishing you luck dude.

[starry]

good luck mate , as nugget said check with the ranger if you see one , last time down the west coast had 2 sluices running in river in forestry area . we heard them coming and they slowed right down and stopped ,had a look gave us a nod then drove off , other people I know have been told to leave , so its just depends on them Cheers Mick

[shivan]

Thanks for the advice guys, gonna play it by ear and see if we can talk to ranger when we are out there. Ill just be happy to get out there again.
Now just the umbearable wait for the pans

[shivan]

Well my pans arrived today ;D so iam headed for the hills tomorrow, now just hope i can find a spec or two.

[kimmy]

I love your enthusiasm Shivan!

I don't want to be a wet blanket mate, but you have a couple of factors against you there.

Firstly Yalwal gold is pretty much all locked in rock and it was extracted by crushing in stamper batteries and sorted with cyanide, the only real alluvial gold was in Saw Pit Gully, and then it was only a minor amount. Great place to walk around and explore, lousy for panning.

Yes, it's more likely that you will have a little success with the pans up Yarramunmun Creek. Which brings me to your biggest problem - Wilderness Area!!

Back in the 90's the Greens and the Carr Government had all of that area locked up from the dam to the mouth of Yalwal Creek where it meets the Shoalhaven River, taking in Ettrema and I think parts of yarramunmun, plus much more. It takes in 10,000's of acres. In their wisdom they locked out everyone and everything with the exception of weeds and feral animals who now flourish. And in their bloody minded determination to do so, destroyed every fire trail with a bulldozer.

Where it is not a Wilderness Area, it is Nat Park, where it is not Nat Park, it is Shoalhaven City Council area. I beg you to do an awful lot of research before you take your pans anywhere near Yalwal.

That said............. With the new road, it is quicker, safer and cheaper to go to Oallen Ford, where you will get gold if you dig in the right spot and there isn't any restrictions with access.

Best of luck mate,

Kimmy

[shivan]

Hmm, we had been doing a lot of research on the area and know the areas around the mine are historic areas, while the council owns further up danjerra creek at diggers flat where there is a pumping station. Also as far as i was aware the nation park area started on the far side of yalwal creek, the 4wd track on this side of the creeck was closed and turned into a bushwalking track wich was never restored after bushfires.
While i will still explore up yalwal creek at a later date(after a talk to the rangers out there maybe)

For now we have decided to take the drive out to Oallen, as it seems we will more likely find something to start us off.
Not having been out there fo some time iam unsure exatly where we will end up, we will head towards the crossing but would like to check some roads out if they are public and try a little further upstream than the crossing.

[shivan]

Well it was a cold and wet day at Oallen today, we were going to camp the night but were put off by sporatic showers and dark looking clouds.
There was someone setup with a highbanker and later another couple seemed to be digging getting ready for prospecting. I wanted to see how they were doing but didnt end up wandering up.
We did have a little dig upstream from the bridge, after two pans i finally found a lonly little gold flake hiding in my black sand .
Panning was fine while the sun was out but when it went behind the clouds my hand froze. I ended up bringing a little materela home to pan out but am just happy with my tiny flake.

[jeffu]

Next time you are at Oallen don't hesitate to go up to those guys doing the highbanking. They could be members of the AGP. I am out there at least every second weekend and welcome people asking questions. Gives me an excuse to have a coffee.
There is another guy who camps there for about a week at a time, he is not a member, but he is very friendly and easy to talk to.
You can learn heaps by asking questions.

[shivan]

Next time i will try go and say g'day like i said i wanted to but iam a bit shy

I have finished panning out the little bit of material i brought back with me (panning in my bath over a tub to cach the sand wasnt as easy as i thaught it would be ) i ended up with another 2 small specks of gold. I think i also had some micro gold in with the black sand i think i should have saved it for later but at this stage i was only worried about the bits i could see.

I think i did have some other specs but i managed to loose them getting them from either snuffer bottle to a ceramic bowl or bowl to vial.

I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go but iam so excited that i manged to out by myself and find some gold, reguardless of how small.
If the weather is any good this weekend i think we will be healding out to oallen again ;D