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Author Topic: Nundle - Hanging Rock  (Read 16763 times)

Wwoofa

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Nundle - Hanging Rock
« on: February 25, 2009, 05:34:20 PM »
Starting from Nundle township head out to Hanging Rock. After about 7.5km (just before you arrive at Hanging Rock township) you will see a road on your left that goes to Niangala. Almost opposite on the right is the track to the Hanging Rock lookout (it should be sign-posted). Turn right down the track to the Hanging Rock lookout and park on the righthand side almost immediately (maybe 50m). If you look down the hill you will see a rough track heading down into the gully. GPS coords are 6516193N 56327429E (WGS84).

Excellent clear quartz crystals can be found almost anywhere in this gully. You can speck for them after rain or sieve in the top soil or you can dig & try to find quartz veins & break them open hoping to find vughs containing crystals.

If you head down the track to the bottom of the gully (500m?) you will find an area where a lot of digging has been done. The track into the gully is only suitable for 4wd vehicles.

[smg id=242 type=preview align=center width=400 caption="Quartz Diggings at Hanging Rock"]

[smg id=246 type=preview align=center width=400 caption="Quartz Crystal from Hanging Rock"]

jad

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Re: Nundle - Hanging Rock
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2009, 09:24:36 PM »
Would this quartz crystal gully be Morgans gully or Opossum Gully? I'm sure it would be obvious once their, but just planning out my trip...

 beers
JAD



Wwoofa

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Re: Nundle - Hanging Rock
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2009, 07:22:14 AM »
Hi JAD,
Need to do a bit of research to find out if it has a name.  Opossum Gully is the one that is noted for Nephrite but I haven't seen any of that at the top end of this gully.
Regards, Paul

Wwoofa

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Re: Nundle - Hanging Rock
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2009, 08:44:22 AM »
Hi,
According to the Australian Mines Atlas, the Nundle prase mine is located on Opossum Gully.  That's near Hanging Rock but not the same gully as the quartz xls. Have a look at the info I wrote about the Prase Mine for more info.
Regards, Paul

soccermum

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Re: Nundle - Hanging Rock
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2009, 12:07:27 PM »
Hi all
I've just joined but saw Nundle and jumped on. We've collected many peanut butter container loads of crystals from this Hanging Rock site. We've also explored a little further (maybe 20m) down the road but on the left hand side and found more there...no where near the size of what you find on the right hand side.
The prase mine is a little difficult to find. If you take the main road from Nundle to Hanging Rock, you pass the right hand turn to the lookout. Keep going along the main road until you see on the right hand side of the road, a green soapy looking rock - forgive me for not knowing its name. It looks like a mine at the top but if you drive past all the diggings and follow the road behind all the diggings (must have 4WD - or good legs to walk it) then you will eventually come to the prase mine...from memory you keep veering left. It is a very hard rock so unless you are happy to take the off cuts, bring a substantial crow bar or heavy duty hammer.
I hope this is of some use...I don't have a GPS and have been living off local knowledge and mud maps to find these things :)
Just one more bucket of dirt to sift through...

mehoose

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Re: Nundle - Hanging Rock
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2009, 12:14:42 PM »
Hey soccermum, good entry post and thanks.
WELCOME to ALF!!! :D
Keep em comin!!!

soccermum

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Re: Nundle - Hanging Rock
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2009, 12:30:15 PM »
You are very welcome. I'm overwhelmed with the generosity everyone shows on the forum - it is helping me enormously to plan our next trip so I hope I can give a little back too.
Just one more bucket of dirt to sift through...

jad

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Re: Nundle - Hanging Rock
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2009, 12:50:08 PM »
...a green soapy looking rock - forgive me for not knowing its name...

I think, but not 100%, that this is actually Serpentinite (Not Serpintine). I believe it's part of the Serpentinite belt that roughly runs between Hanging rock and Bowling Alley Point.

JAD



geriatricgipsy

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Re: Nundle - Hanging Rock
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2009, 12:07:43 AM »
Dear JAD and Soccermum,  I have always thought that the greenish chalky deposit found just as you turn off to the Prase Walk was Serpentine.  I won't argue the technicalities, but it is very similar to the Serpentine deposits found further north near Nowendoc.  Regardless, it is a good lapidary stone, soft enough to carve and polishes well.  I have made eggs the size and colour of emu eggs out of it.  It polishes best on a diamond leather buffer rather than the traditional tin oxide.  If you are only working small pieces then it cdan be polished with my bride's fingernai buffer.  One small problem is that at least half the varieties of Serpentine also contain Asbestos fibres, so always wear a mask when playing with it.  Luv & kisses.... Patrick.

 

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