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  • Minerama: March 09, 2012 - March 11, 2012

Author Topic: Minerama  (Read 47353 times)

pete

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #180 on: March 11, 2012, 10:18:28 PM »
All my fossicking was done at the tailgater's tables! Some ok finds but I know Mick B got the bargain of the weekend. A few hours at the show was all the time I had :'(

mehoose

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #181 on: March 11, 2012, 11:48:25 PM »
Oh heck, you need more than a few hours!

Gotsta know, who were the facet rough dealers? Any rough opal dealers?
Keep em comin!!!

ia1nw22

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #182 on: March 12, 2012, 09:22:10 AM »
    What an excellent event
                      We spent friday and sunday morning there , and there was everything , from Age old
fossils , to man made Gems , and everything in between , including ''Mehoose'' rough Opal :) of all kinds..
                      All the stall holders we talked to were very friendly and helpfull , and the whole thing is a credit to everyone that helped make it happen .
                       BUT . We camped at 3 Waters for the weekend , and fossicked with limited success on the
Saturday . Minerama had a field trip there too , on the saturday .
                        The guide sat in the car the whole day & read a book . Giving no guidance or help to his charges . Then when they left the property , 3 sets of seives , that the landowner had supplied , were not returned , they were brand new .
                         The land owner is not amused , and I wonder if this is the way field trips should be run
I'll leave the answer to that ,  up to you all .
Toodaloo

mehoose

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #183 on: March 12, 2012, 09:59:04 AM »
Hey ia1n great to hear from you.
Opals  Droo Sounds like I'd need a couple days there, enjoy a good yak. I found after the gemboree here my best plan of attack was to wizz around seeing what was on offer then plan my purchases to tie in with what was in my purse..damn that was a reality check..still left happy. Spent a good deal of time chatting with a few tailgaters.

Yep, Tiger, get them to add dinkum info to their web site. Did the Tunzi's, Dazlyn, Crystal World guys turn up ...they might have gone to the Vic show?

Man, wish I was there. Fingers crossed some pics will be added soon.  :D
Keep em comin!!!

Lord_Thunda

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #184 on: March 12, 2012, 10:49:46 AM »
Hi ia1n & All beers

All feedback on Minerama is most appreciated. It gives us an idea of what needs to be looked at & improved & what went well. I know the ppl Gav & I took out were very happy with their finds. Had some great feedback & will definitely be following up on a number of issues, including the way tour guides interacted with fossickers.

Talked to as many tailgaters / dealers as was possible with varying thoughts on how to improve Minerama next year & further. General consensus was for 7 days field trips starting Thurs, Fri, Sat with Sun being a rest/dealer/tailgater day & trips again Mon - Thurs. As for tailgaters / dealers they would be happy with Fri - Sun trading. How would this sound to ALFers?

So far, we have a 5 page submission being tabled at the next meeting. After this weekend I believe this maybe added to & anything else anyone wishes to add will be noted & discussed.

It was great to see so many ALFers there & hope everyone enjoyed themselves. 

Bob  beers

Findem

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #185 on: March 12, 2012, 08:56:24 PM »
As promised, pics from last Wednesday (Rainy Swamp) and Friday/Saturday (Yarrow Creek) are now up in Findem's Foundem album.
I haven't given a link as it never seems to work when I do it.  :(


LEAH: Added this picture in for you (you can click the modify button to see how I have added this with the smg tag).

Wwoofa

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #186 on: March 12, 2012, 09:57:18 PM »
Some nice finds there ... see you on Wednesday :D

Wwoofa

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #187 on: March 13, 2012, 08:06:11 PM »
I've been digging "west of GI" over the last two days .... found a couple of reasonable looking gems that should cut OK.  I must say that the eastern side which is mainly sand is far preferable to the harsh mud of the western side.  The weather was perfect again both days.  Sadly the trip is coming to an end ... last day tomorrow .... hopefully John has somewhere interesting in mind :D

Lord_Thunda

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #188 on: March 14, 2012, 11:58:48 AM »
They missed most of what I said but at least it there  ;)

http://au.prime7.yahoo.com/n2/news/a/-/local/13157955/treasure-trove-of-gems-video/

Wwoofa

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #189 on: March 14, 2012, 08:36:11 PM »
Went out to Yarrow ... "the crossing" ... with a bunch of ALFers.  Only found small stuff but good to catch up with people before we go our separate ways  beers

Mudpuddler

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #190 on: March 14, 2012, 10:42:51 PM »
Ted and Muddy's Minerama Report - photos in Minerama 2012 Album

Monday - Gunnedah

Set off at 7.10am under blue skies which was a change from rainy Canberra weather. Diverted from Boorowa-Cowra road by SES due to flood damage, so detoured via Young instead. Stopped for morning tea at Cowra, where they were pumping water pit of the car park in anticipation of the bridge going under, as water from Wyangala dam was about to arrive any minute. Didn't stay long unless we got caught.  River at Canowindra was swollen to the brink. Stopped for photo opportunity and pumpkin purchase from roadside cart, then continued onto Gilgandra for lunch. Blue skies continued till Gunnedah for overnight stop. (Photos1,2,3)

Tuesday – Leard State Forest
7am start from Gunnedah to Leard State Forest to look for thunder eggs. Lot of water lying around and yep, we got bogged at Boggabri. NRMA wouldn't help, so ended up getting help from a French geologist working for Blair Athol Coalmines. Took some video footage of a caterpillar procession. Also met some plumbers pumping away water and they put us onto another spot where there was thunder egg like concretions, common opal and agate. They also gave us some specimens of fossilised wood, some with coal forming in it. Had lunch on the go driving through Tamworth, and dinner at the Glen Innes RSL where we met up with Jerry. (Photos 4,5,6)

Wednesday – Rainy Swamp
Went on one of John’s regular Wednesday trips.  Were meant to go to Yarrow Ck but instead went to Rainy Swamp as, despite its name, the road in was actually drier. True to form he found oodles of sapphires and zircons while everyone else found a few bits of colour. Met up with the Grahams and Michael and Jan. Nice to put faces to Jamo and MG. (Photos 7,8,9)

Thursday – Scrubby Gulley

Successful day topaz hunting at Scrubby Gully with Jerry, Michael and Jan. Michael and Jan had been several times before and knew the right place to go, bit like John at Rainy Swamp. We muddled through and found a few nice potential cutters, but nothing like their haul! Michael showed us some of his facetted topaz, including his favourite Portuguese cut that looked good. 3km round trip to and from the creek, but well worth another expedition sometime. (Photos 10,11,12)

Friday – Pretty Valley
Another lovely sunny day, bit too much sun for some who stripped off in the creek (not me though!) Plenty of small zircons and sapphires, but unfortunately no cutters except for Ted’s find of an enormous smoky citrine quartz crystal. (Photos 13,14,15)

Saturday – Lonewood
Today went to Lonewood where gravel wash had been bulldozed for people to sieve and speck.  Some people found some good stones, and one couple found a particularly nice zircon. Processed 12 buckets of gravel without any luck, but found a few opaque pieces specking. Big thanks to Andrew and Leah! (Photos 16,17,18,19,20)

Sunday – Tradeshow

Caught up with Jerry and Paul at the Tradeshow for one last time before having to head home. Got a few bargains – quartz clusters, agates, ammonites - and sapphires to make up for the ones I couldn’t find out in the field.  Also bought some little plastic gem boxes for all the cutters I’m going to find next trip. Thanks to Captain Mendoza and Lord Thunda for leading the Minerama trips we went on. Hope to see everyone again same time next year (or before if you’re down Canberra way – don’t forget our Rock Swap coming up on 24/5 March!)


mehoose

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #191 on: March 14, 2012, 11:00:53 PM »
LOL, looked at the pics before reading, now to go back and check a name or two  ;)

Thanks for the write up Muddy and the fabo pics. Now I don't feel so far away from it all.  :-* :-* :-*
Keep em comin!!!

Jimnyjerry

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #192 on: March 15, 2012, 05:06:00 PM »
Still recoverying from the last 9 days.
Have not even looked at my sapphires.

wed - roamed around the wilds of Stannifer
thur - Scrubby Gully with the usual mob (ted, muddy, mic & jane)
fri - bad choice picking Kensilgrove no one got more than a speck or two all day.  Very tired from sieving basalt gravel and lifting big rocks.
sat - Lonewood was great thanks Andrew & Leah.
sun - zoomed thru show (hi ted & muddy) then off to secret spot with Woofa  ;)
mon - west of GI with Woofa  ;)
tue - west of GI with Woofa  ;)

All round a good trip  ;D,
Great to catch up with a lot of people including cmg. ;D
Only downer was having a favourite plastic bucket walk at the Lonewood dig along with its crunchy gravel. Someone else had the same happen. >:(
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.

Wwoofa

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #193 on: March 15, 2012, 06:24:23 PM »
The weather was so good I decided to stay an extra couple of days around Inverell.  Today I went out to Wallangra for Tourmaline in Quartz & do some sight-seeing.  I've been meaning to do that for many years and just never had a spare day.  The fossicking site is actually quite good with lots of good specimens around.  I've been told that you can find crystals if you dig but I didn't try that cos I was having a "rest day".  Then I went to the nearby limestone caves & waterfall.  Both were very interesting and have been well setup by the national parks.  I'd definitely recommend the Macintyre Falls for anyone interested in bush walks or photography.  Tomorrow I'm going to dig up some tumbling quartz & drop into Tingha Sands.  Home Saturday via the Armidale Show.

Capt. Mendoza

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Re: Minerama
« Reply #194 on: March 15, 2012, 08:33:03 PM »
Was great to catch up with other alfers. Really enjoyed helping out with pretty valley and lonewood. Showed an older couple how to sieve and they found a few dogtooth sapphires. Was great to see their satisfaction...  Lonewood was great, big thanks to Andrew and Leah! Saw some very nice cutters in the hands of some happy fossickers...

Look forward to seeing everyone next year, if not sooner with mini-minerama...  :D
8)  www.JewelleryPirate.com.au/blog - The Jewellery Pirate's fossicking adventures...

 

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