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Maureen’s Page

time to time so the earth does yield its treasure. April to September and advertise remote camping, dry blowing
and gold panning on private leased property. You will be taught
Many gold hunters traversed the world seeking their fortune. how to recognise potential sites and good etiquette amongst
The lure of striking it rich has seen the growth of mining towns other things. Detectors can be hired for the duration of the tour.
across the globe. Conditions were tough. In years past, the most If you find that you enjoy the prospecting lifestyle then you will
common way to find gold (in the form of flakes) was to pan for be guided to finding the correct equipment for the terrain.
it. This is a system still used today using a pan. Water washes
away the sand and grit and if you are lucky you may find fine Naturally not everyone finds gold but exploring old mine
particles of gold left in the base of the pan. These are saved in sites, finding relics of the past and experiencing history is also
small bottles after being acid cleaned. rewarding. Relics from the past add excitement to the search.
The prospectors of years gone by dug holes, built shelters and
Gold found in salt lakes is particularly beautiful. There are left behind a legacy. Old camp sites were abandoned when new
many salt lakes in Western Australia but only certain detectors discoveries were made elsewhere. The area is a photographer’s
will find the elusive metal. Raw gold is attractive in its natural ideal location of contrasts.
state. There is something so special in finding your very first
gold be it a flake or a nugget. Gold fever is very very real. As Old diggings are a good place to visit as metal detectors can find
a general rule, you always keep your first nugget in order to gold due to the advancement of modern technology.
bring you luck for future searches. Finding a few nuggets to add
to a collection or be made into jewellery adds excitement to a If you ever visited Millwood in South Africa and walked along
normal weekend of camping. The expectation of finding your the forest trails amongst the tree ferns you probably think that
fortune or merely enjoying the outdoors while detecting holds this area is similar. That area is damp and lush with a stream
great appeal. running through it. The stark reality is that the Western Austral-
ian goldfields area is dry, rocky and very remote. In years gone
A local couple, who prefer to remain anonymous, allowed me to by beer and whisky were cheaper to buy than water! There are
photograph their gold collection. They have gold in its natural museums dedicated to gold mining history in Kalgoorlie-Boul-
state as well as acid washed nuggets. der and at the Perth Mint.

There is a jeweller here in Esperance who hand crafts the most My intention is not to indulge in historical facts and figures
exquisite examples of nugget jewellery. I have included his but rather give an insight into the fun aspect of getting out and
business card so you can look at his Facebook page and judge trying your luck as a prospector.
for yourself!
Try it if you have the opportunity - you never know what you
One way of becoming familiar with prospecting without a fi- will find!
nancial outlay is to join a “Tag Along Tour”. These are run from Maureen – Esperance, WA

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