Got my first gold speck at ophir when i was 12 lol- i really enjoyed the video-pls keep them coming- what i like is that you dont get ridiculous amounts of gold everytime you go out-your a bit more realistic compared to some other sites-cheers
That’s cool. I spend on average four hours prospecting often in places I’ve never been to so there is a lot of time taken up test panning and finding where to dig. I do find the yield increases each time I return as I learn more about the area. Campbells river is a great example. Thanks for the feedback.
Nice video. I've never had much luck in the creeks at Ophir. But, my father-in-law pulled 6 grams from one very small crevice in a large boulder. The boulder was in the middle of the creek and it was during a draught.
That’s awesome. I was there after a lot of rain so I may not have had access to the heavies area, but I would have expected at least a tiny speck in the black sand I had in the pan. I will go back and try the gully below the honeycomb of mines, that may have accidentally discarded specimens.
Thanks for bringing the audience along for a look-see, Jason. The Racecourse Creek (unlikely much permanent racing without a corresponding strong economic base for a racecourse, the riches of gold bringing much spending in vastly varied other things) looks good for pay-streaks of concentrated deposits, the watercourse looks ever changing across the wider terrain, and from past prospector's observations, bigger trees a little away from where the water is currently, trees line up showing a previous watercourse, but clinchers show - with long, lateral tap roots to where the last of the water flowed, in seasonal or flood streams, and that's where the heaviest gravel, gold, gems, bullets, settle. Settle on first flow, highest mid flow, last flow. Ophir, while the "first" site, the NSW & Victorian authorities suppressed news of gold for near a decade, as concerns for what eventuated, towns emptied quickly of workers and even the professions. Hard rock I think was the go at Ophir, the creek and surface finds seemed limited, I laughed on the sign it reads "Old Newtown Rd", a bit above the mark for the old Ophir town site! It'd moved, three times? Also, the gold for the Sydney 2000 Olympics medals were freshly mined at Ophir! Old Newtown... we've a road in Melbs that can't decide what it is, it has a stretch that's officially "High Street Road Highway"! I've only today relocated our Berkeley stainless yabbie pump, I'm pumped! Also eyed off the large green laundry tub of hard plastic with two firm handles, looks a right fit for like your green or blue course classifier. Another tip for nuggets, crystals and larger gems, classify down and pan off the tub like a pan, until the heaviest are perhaps a smile of heavies like a pan's golden smile, in the bottom inner edge. The bigger bucket gets a-sloshing akin to puddlers of old, the half barrels you see on S.T. Gill's etchings and watercolours of the goldfields, also panned to just the heaviest concentrates, unnecessary to do any more out in the field when you can separate them in the warmth and comfort of home! Pardon the essay, please! Looking forward to more adventures, cheers again from Gabi of Narre Warren, Australia Felix.
Thanks, Gabi. I’d be very interested to take what you have pointed out back there. Maybe when it warms up a little. It was freezing in that water. I do think there is a lot of potential there as I got colour everywhere I dug, but feel I needed more time to find the dense pockets of gold and possibly larger gems. I was curious about older gravel beds up the sides. I should also admit I lost a large flake due to the snuffer bottle being clogged. It shot out with it as it was hidden in the cap.
I was thinking that. I'm very experienced at Saltwater fishing but Freshwater fishing is a bit of a mystery. I'll certainly try when I return to Campbell's River in about two weeks. I did see fish surface there last weekend. I'm going to try spinners and power bait, as I feel they are a good entry point. Won't embarrass myself trying to do fly fishing.😆
Thanks for sharing your adventures. One day I’ll get back to area. Can I suggest Windermere , meroo creek and also Hargraves on your next adventure trip
No problem. Those areas look like a good option being so close together (relatively). I do want to return to Hill End and would add those alongside it. Great idea.
Ha ha …. You are reliving my life of about 5 years ago…. I recognise all those places at Ophir ( I only went once) and the Oberon areas I still go to sometimes….
Cheers for the vid. That pen is prob worth more than most of my finds, and always fun to explore a new area. I had planned to get out to a creek somewhere yesterday but was put off by all the rain last week. Then daughter came down with covid on Saturday... not the long weekend I'd been hoping for lol
Thanks, it does look like it is a quality pen lol. That’s not good to hear about your daughter. I hope she’s okay and gets better soon. The rain did make it complicated with so many raised rivers and creeks.
It is, I’m sure there are places that will still deliver that aren’t directly accessible. The mine tailings all drop into a valley that looked good for the detector. I will return now I have had time to see what the place is actually like.
Thanks. I was trying something different this time technically and hadn’t realised the levels had dropped that much. Thanks for pointing it out. Good sound is important.
Got my first gold speck at ophir when i was 12 lol- i really enjoyed the video-pls keep them coming- what i like is that you dont get ridiculous amounts of gold everytime you go out-your a bit more realistic compared to some other sites-cheers
That’s cool. I spend on average four hours prospecting often in places I’ve never been to so there is a lot of time taken up test panning and finding where to dig. I do find the yield increases each time I return as I learn more about the area. Campbells river is a great example. Thanks for the feedback.
Nice video. I've never had much luck in the creeks at Ophir. But, my father-in-law pulled 6 grams from one very small crevice in a large boulder. The boulder was in the middle of the creek and it was during a draught.
That’s awesome. I was there after a lot of rain so I may not have had access to the heavies area, but I would have expected at least a tiny speck in the black sand I had in the pan. I will go back and try the gully below the honeycomb of mines, that may have accidentally discarded specimens.
Thanks for bringing the audience along for a look-see, Jason. The Racecourse Creek (unlikely much permanent racing without a corresponding strong economic base for a racecourse, the riches of gold bringing much spending in vastly varied other things) looks good for pay-streaks of concentrated deposits, the watercourse looks ever changing across the wider terrain, and from past prospector's observations, bigger trees a little away from where the water is currently, trees line up showing a previous watercourse, but clinchers show - with long, lateral tap roots to where the last of the water flowed, in seasonal or flood streams, and that's where the heaviest gravel, gold, gems, bullets, settle. Settle on first flow, highest mid flow, last flow.
Ophir, while the "first" site, the NSW & Victorian authorities suppressed news of gold for near a decade, as concerns for what eventuated, towns emptied quickly of workers and even the professions. Hard rock I think was the go at Ophir, the creek and surface finds seemed limited, I laughed on the sign it reads "Old Newtown Rd", a bit above the mark for the old Ophir town site! It'd moved, three times? Also, the gold for the Sydney 2000 Olympics medals were freshly mined at Ophir!
Old Newtown... we've a road in Melbs that can't decide what it is, it has a stretch that's officially "High Street Road Highway"!
I've only today relocated our Berkeley stainless yabbie pump, I'm pumped! Also eyed off the large green laundry tub of hard plastic with two firm handles, looks a right fit for like your green or blue course classifier. Another tip for nuggets, crystals and larger gems, classify down and pan off the tub like a pan, until the heaviest are perhaps a smile of heavies like a pan's golden smile, in the bottom inner edge. The bigger bucket gets a-sloshing akin to puddlers of old, the half barrels you see on S.T. Gill's etchings and watercolours of the goldfields, also panned to just the heaviest concentrates, unnecessary to do any more out in the field when you can separate them in the warmth and comfort of home! Pardon the essay, please! Looking forward to more adventures, cheers again from Gabi of Narre Warren, Australia Felix.
Thanks, Gabi. I’d be very interested to take what you have pointed out back there. Maybe when it warms up a little. It was freezing in that water. I do think there is a lot of potential there as I got colour everywhere I dug, but feel I needed more time to find the dense pockets of gold and possibly larger gems. I was curious about older gravel beds up the sides. I should also admit I lost a large flake due to the snuffer bottle being clogged. It shot out with it as it was hidden in the cap.
There are nice trout in those creeks too Jason
I was thinking that. I'm very experienced at Saltwater fishing but Freshwater fishing is a bit of a mystery. I'll certainly try when I return to Campbell's River in about two weeks. I did see fish surface there last weekend. I'm going to try spinners and power bait, as I feel they are a good entry point. Won't embarrass myself trying to do fly fishing.😆
Thanks for sharing your adventures. One day I’ll get back to area.
Can I suggest Windermere , meroo creek and also Hargraves on your next adventure trip
No problem. Those areas look like a good option being so close together (relatively). I do want to return to Hill End and would add those alongside it. Great idea.
Ha ha …. You are reliving my life of about 5 years ago….
I recognise all those places at Ophir ( I only went once) and the Oberon areas I still go to sometimes….
It is certainly a memorable place. I found far more success around Oberon.
Yep, a pen, I believe they call that a future relic….. thanks for taking us along, some very cool things to see out there
Ha ha ha…I like it. You’re welcome.
Cheers for the vid. That pen is prob worth more than most of my finds, and always fun to explore a new area. I had planned to get out to a creek somewhere yesterday but was put off by all the rain last week. Then daughter came down with covid on Saturday... not the long weekend I'd been hoping for lol
Thanks, it does look like it is a quality pen lol. That’s not good to hear about your daughter. I hope she’s okay and gets better soon. The rain did make it complicated with so many raised rivers and creeks.
Love the ski gloves.ophir is hard first place I started.Aint been back since improving
It is, I’m sure there are places that will still deliver that aren’t directly accessible. The mine tailings all drop into a valley that looked good for the detector. I will return now I have had time to see what the place is actually like.
Awsome vid buddy yep plenty of aluminium around keep at it 😊
Cheers. Glad you enjoyed it.
Great episode Jason... tip: you need to bring your audio level up in your videos when editing, or get a wireless mic. Audio is very low mate.👍
Thanks. I was trying something different this time technically and hadn’t realised the levels had dropped that much. Thanks for pointing it out. Good sound is important.
There's a lot of dirt in between hey. 😊
True. However, it didn’t take long to find colour. Just not enough to make it worthwhile.
10 dollars a night at Ophir you can live there for 70 a week not a joke
Certainly better than Sydney rental prices.