Aussie Lapidary Forum
Fossicking and Rockhounding => Trip Talk => Topic started by: Ranger Itchy on January 21, 2018, 07:32:16 AM
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Hi Guys,
Off to Tingha for a week or so fossicking around the area from the 04-04-18 WHO'S in???????
More the merrier!!
Cheers Ranger itchy beers
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Hi Ranger Itchy,
Hubby and myself are up there's abouts also in April, but we are at the other end of your dates. Enjoy. ;D
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Is there nobody heading for Tingha? the week after Easter!!
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just put up a post. We are heading there on the 9th and 10th for a quick look around.
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Hi Bak,
I should still be there at that time, just look for the green Ford Ranger with the Blue Tongue camper and come and say hello!!
Cheers Ranger Itchy beers
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Hi Guys,
3 days to go, till I'm off to Tingha, not looking forward too the drive there, but can't wait to get up there!!
Cheers Ranger Itchy beers
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Have a good trip Ranger Itchy beers
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If this trip is anything like the last(2/3 of a bucket of crystals) in 3 days, in 2 weeks I should be able to collect a couple of buckets full!!
Cheers Ranger Itchy beers
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Well Guys, that trip is done dusted again, Hell of a drive from Melbourne!!
Stayed at Tingha Gems Caravan and Camping park with great hosts Rebel & Craig who couldn't do enough for there guests.
I would recommend for anybody going to the area to give them a try, fees for a powered site for a single are just $90 a week, I think that worked out to something like $13:85 a day you can't beat that. Park is always neat and tidy, and the amenities are always clean.
While your there say hello to Maxine and Paula who live in park(down in the corner near the amenities block) they love fossicking also and can point you in the right direction to find a crystal or 2.
I did have some good finds in the area, some just by discovering my own fossicking places and others by being shown by the local fossicking legend Jim Curtin.
It is well worth a trip to Jim's place on Old Mill Rd, have a look at his collection on what has been found around the area, he has some excellent specimens and he also has some for sale if you don't want to dig for them eg: he has a 44 gallon drum of smoky quartz crystals for $10 a kilo.
I also did a day at Tingha Sands, it was very dissapointing compared to last time, the mining operation has ceased but they are still allowing fossickers in.
Because mining ceased over a month ago all the material has dried out and is as hard as concrete and it is very hard digging to find anything, although I did find a very nice clear almost citrine crystal just specking around the old dumps over the back.
On Saturday the 14th of April we had a massive tropical storm go through Tingha, it started in the distance around 6:00pm and went through until about 9:30pm when it had passed over, literally thousands of lightning strikes, rain, hail and wind, it was a hell of a show from mother nature!
The next day in the afternoon I was talking to our neighbour who is a fossicker and ask how she had done that day, she said she had gone to Tingha sands and picked up a heap of crystals on the surface that had been washed clean by the previous nights storm, all she had to do was walk around and pick them up, I thought to myself, why didn't I think of that! another opportunity missed!
I will be going back to area again at some time, but I will be doing a lot more research next time, now that I know where and what to look for! I think google maps is going to become my best friend.
Whether you are an expert or novice it's worth a trip to this area!
Cheers Ranger Itchy beers [size=78%] [/size]
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Thanks for the heads up Ranger Itchy. I like that part of the world.
Cheers,
colza
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hey Ranger, we didn't end up getting to Tingha. We stayed an extra night at Girraween and an extra night at Inverell. We actually did a couple of sessions at Stannifer with the plan of going to Tingha if we couldn't find anything. That was our first time fossicking "in the wild" and we had a blast. The kids went strong for about 5 hours so plenty there to dig up. We also had a good day at Billabong blue with a few that I'm about to send away to get cut. Also did the drive to Emmaville for the mining museum. That place is incredible and the volunteers even better. So giving with their time answering the million questions my 8 year old had. I really want to get back and explore that area and Torrington later this year. Just wish there were places a bit closer to North Brisbane to have a dig.
Cheers
Brett
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;D So you don't know the Short-cut to Inverell ? Can do Gold Coast to Inverell in about 4hrs.. 8)
Gemster.... beers
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we're in Caboolture unfortunately (unfortunate for lots of reasons) so not sure if your shortcut is going to help us much. I've been looking into some areas near Stanthorpe which is reasonable for weekend with young kids
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Yeh know what you mean.... turn off is at Warwick and head west.... Have you had a look at Lowmead (Amethyst and Smokey) that is only a few hrs north of you... Stanthorpe is a bit of a hit and miss... Most areas are on Private property and the other areas are pretty much dug out as well...
Gemster.... beers
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Gemster,
How do you get o Inverell via the Gold Coast? It took me about 3.5 to 4 hours to drive to Stanthorpe from South Western Brisbane.
regards
Flash
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To give you an idea, Canungra is only 15min away from me. ;).. So a short run up to Cunningham's Gap. :)... Now, Instead of turning at Warwick, Head out towards Inglewood, you turn off before Inglewood into Stanthorpe/Inglewood rd, then into Greenup Rd, then to Texas, then Ashford, then Bukkulla, then Inverell. Most is 100kmh instead of the stop-start 50kmh at every Town.... Just watch out for 'Stinky' Wallabies... Greenup Rd area is notorious for them.. My count is 3 Wallabies and 1 bulbar and Guard so far... Man they are a solid and they STINK... ::)
Gemster.... beers
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Still looking at a good 4 hours to Lowmead so probably worth the extra 30 mins to New England area. I think we'll head down to Emmaville / Torrington area next and explore that area. Looks like some nice areas to camp although seems a lot of areas that used to be available are hard to get to these days.
Yeh know what you mean.... turn off is at Warwick and head west.... Have you had a look at Lowmead (Amethyst and Smokey) that is only a few hrs north of you... Stanthorpe is a bit of a hit and miss... Most areas are on Private property and the other areas are pretty much dug out as well...
Gemster.... beers
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Thx Gemster.
I thought it may have been a back way missing Warwick.
In my younger days I was comming home from a run to Stanthorpe in a Holden Shuttle van. One of our other service techs had a shortcut to Loganlea so I looked at the map and plotted a course via Queen Mary Falls to Boonah. It looked like a nice straight run.
The 2 hr run took about 3.5 hrs. Most of the road was dirt. Down the range was a loggers track that saw 50% of my spare fluoros break and part was two wheel tracks over some padocks.
But what I saw of the scenery was magnificent. King parrots abounded and I saw the 1 & only Wedge Tail Eagle I have seen in the wild take flight across the road in front of me and off the dive off the cliff I was driving along.
Mrs Flash would have kittens if we were to do the run now.
Regards
Flash
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Sounds like a Fun trip... ;D That has the 14 river crossings on that road ?
Gemster... beers
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Still looking at a good 4 hours to Lowmead so probably worth the extra 30 mins to New England area. I think we'll head down to Emmaville / Torrington area next and explore that area. Looks like some nice areas to camp although seems a lot of areas that used to be available are hard to get to these days...
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If you go to Emmaville you might want to contact Lord Thunder for lots of info and Sight-seeing...
He Lives at Emmaville and is on this forum...
Gemster....
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Sounds like a Fun trip... ;D That has the 14 river crossings on that road ?
Gemster... beers
Luckily it was the dry season. But it would make a great trip for a 4wd.
beers
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Only been through there once....Water was up to the bonnet of a Patrol... :D
Not a route to take in the Wet...
Gemster..... beers
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I hope to get back that way one day