gem hunting at Nundle

[alleycat]

 My wife and I intend to visit Nundle with the van for a few days in early May I will have all the fossicking gear on board and any info on fossicking sites would be greatly appreciated. One site I have heard about is for clear quartz crystals. Hope someone on the forum can help out here.  Alleycat.

[Wwoofa]

Hi Alleycat, If you search the forum for Nundle you should be able to find write-ups on all the main locations.
- Hanging Rock - Quartz Crystals
- Duncans Creek - Zircons & Sapphires
- Prase Mine
- Coprolite location
You can also pan for gold in the creeks.
Regards, Paul

[Jimnyjerry]

Add warm jumpers to the list of things you will be taking to Nundle especially if you go up the top.

[Jamo]

There's also sapphires up in the hills near hanging rock and there's some really nice jasper that can be found on the gravel roads in the area as road base.


If you go a bit wider there is rhodonite, marble and jade in the Tamworth area. Haven't been to any of these spots, just heard that it is there.


Keep good records please Alleycat, we are hoping to do a club trip to Nundle in the next 12 months.


Happy fossicking 

[alleycat]

 Thanks for the info on Nundle Jimnyjerry and Wwoofa I now have enough info to spend a couple of weeks there. We will not though as this short break is taking the place of two months in Cairns and I have told my better half that the weather should still be a bit warm. This is my trade off fossicking trip by promising three months in Cairns later in the year. Jamo I will fill you in on our adventures when we get back home.
   Cheers  from alleycat

[MALACHI]

Have a good trip Alleycat. I'll be looking forward to reading about your finds. Just let us know if you end up putting your story in "Australian Gold Gem & Treasure". 

Mario 

[Jimnyjerry]

Alleycat the food in the pub used to be good and probably still is. 

Up past Shemba Dams above Nundle is a Arc-en-Ciel trout farm if you want to buy fresh or smoked fish to cook.

 

[MrSydney]

The food in the pub is definitely still good!  Nice relaxing setting out back.

[mick B]

I have lived in the NW - Tamworth Nundle region most of my life, this area does have some great gems, last year me and my wife drove into the prase mine at Hanging Rock, there is a sign stating that there is no longer access to 4wd vehicles and there is camera surveillance checking who goes in, there is a mobile number to ring, but I left my mobile at home, we drove in. As Jamo states there is jade and rhodonite in my region, there is no excess to any of the jade deposits as the area has either exploration licence or mining leases on them and you need to go through private land, it will never happen. The Tamworth NW region has heaps of rhodonite deposits but most of the good ones are on private land also.
   

[Jimnyjerry]

last year me and my wife drove into the prase mine at Hanging Rock, there is a sign stating that there is no longer access to 4wd vehicles and there is camera surveillance checking who goes in, there is a mobile number to ring, but I left my mobile at home, we drove in.

Why the camera and sign? SF/NP on a safety bender or the greenies on a rampage?
From memory mobile reception is useless there.

[mick B]

From memory the sign said authorized vehicle entry only, video surveillance, I was expecting a fine but its been more than 12 months, if I can,t drive in I won,t go, I have walked in at least 3 times.

[Jimnyjerry]

Sounds like the track is OK but the SF or council nannies have their undergarments in a knot. 

[Gem Ranger]

Hey MickB, when I was studying Geology on the table lands back in the 90's we visited one of the Tamworth region rhodonite deposits that was being mined. At the base of the fresh cuts there was a good amount of rich pink, semi crystalline rhodonite showing. Unfortunately the mine operators felt it had no real value and the black manganese ore, including rhodonite was being intermittently trucked out to get crushed and processed. I don't know if things have changed since then.

With the gold coast hinterland rhodonite deposit filled in and built on years back, there has been little if any rhodonite appearing at the Brisbane Gemshows. Its a bit of shame as good coloured rhodonite cuts a nice cab.

GR

[Ranger Itchy]

Hi Alleycat,

I am going to be in and around Inverell/Glen Innes in early May also, maybe we can meet up for lunch and discuss fossicking sites around the area!!!

Cheers Ranger Itchy

[MALACHI]

Have a great trip RI, I hope you find some good size colour to show off! 

Cheers
Mario