O'Briens Creek Topaz August 2013

[Gemhunter]

I will be at the O'Briens Creek area between the 14th and 19th August if anyone is around drop in and say hi. I don't really know this area and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on where to fossick etc
 

[alleycat]

I dont claim to have had big success at O'Brien"s Creek, as I have usually dug in the creek bed where everyone else has for donkeys years. All the big finds I have seen have come from the top area above the jump up. Unless someone else can give you better information, ask the manager of the camp area. I hope you get more information, and have a successful trip  Regards  Alleycat

[knight62]

Hi,
Unfortunately John has passed away, but I was there last year an found that the water courses an th other side of the creek are best to dig in and clean right around the rocks in it and you will find topaz, usually the topaz falls or is stuck in there and it will have a clean face. 

[alleycat]

  I haven't been there for a few years, but I am planning to spend a few days there around 14th - 18th of October. Sorry to hear about John, as I had a fair bit to do wih him over a few years. My query is ,what is the stuation with the Camping Ground. Is it still open and if so is there a phone number to put me in touch. I know it will be hot, but I have always gone there at this time of the year. I am open to any information about the camp area.  regards Alleycat

[dughug]

Alley Cat- I have just come through O'Briens Creek a week or so ago the camp ground is still open there were about 30 vans there when we were there cost is $10.00 per person per night. You may like to travel from Mt Surprise and stay at a van park there.

[alleycat]

 Dughug  Thanks for the info on O'Brien's Creek. We won't be there till about 12th-15th Oct.

 Usually there is practically no one left there by that time and we do take the van in. We usually spend one night at Mt. Surprise Van park and drive in to see what the road is like first. We were new to caravaning the first time and did not know about dusty roads. Took a whole day to clean the van out. I fish and have red claw nets, so hopefully we will get something one way or another.

[Woodsy]

I was there about 4 weeks ago and they had just started grading the road so it should be a good drive.

I got about 50 smallish stones from this location. -17.995786, 144.039161 Sorry can't remember what the creek was called.

It was a fantastic spot. You are in the shade but won't get much of a breeze. You will need a 4wd to get over Elizabeth creek and up the first jump up to get to this site. 

[Lefty]

I was there about six weeks ago, not fossicking, just stickybeaking. We were visiting my wife's family who all live in Mareeba and on the tablelands and took a day trip out to Mt Surprise for a look.

Nice enough looking campground - very nice, flowing creek beside it. We drove through and stopped just past the sign to Tourmaline gully for a bite to eat. I specked along the road and picked up a couple of small smokey quartz crystals.

On the way back out we stopped at the hut that had the sign out the front advertising blue topaz for sale but there was no one home. In a room at the front, you could look through a steel grate door and see a table about half covered in bags of the stuff. What a bummer he was away - dad had given me money to buy him some. Eventually got some back in Mt Surprise but it wasn't the blue stuff.