Fossicking Northern nsw

[Scottyb]

Can any one help me with some advice on good areas to fossicking in northern nsw?

[Jimnyjerry]

Hi Scottyb welcome to ALF. 

Best bet for local information would be a lapidary club.
see http://gemlapidarycouncilnsw.org.au/clubs/

Looks like you have one in Bryon.

If you fossick in State forests you will need a permit from http://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/visiting/activities/fossicking
unless the site is a declared fossicking reserve.

With National Parks in NSW all you can do is look at he rocks but not collect.

In Fossicking Locations on this forum there should be some local info for you as well if you go through the topics.

Hope this info helps.

[Findem]

"With National Parks in NSW all you can do is look at he rocks but not collect."
Some of have been known to look at she rocks too, Jerry! 

[Jimnyjerry]

"With National Parks in NSW all you can do is look at he rocks but not collect."
Some of have been known to look at she rocks too, Jerry! 

my bad typo
should have put she or he rocks 

[Bunyip]

We are new to the NR area and like to poke around. Been doing some geo study and  pretty keen to look with fresh eyes

[MakkyBrown]

guess no one won't to give away fossicking sites haha

I can't help Scotty as I'm down in Tassie. But sharing spots it's a hard one, most of us like to help but posting your favorite spot online is a danger imo. Most of us take our fair share(probably less given my luck finding sapphires) but when those digging for a living hit your spot it's game over. A couple of sapphire spots down here in Tas have been completely hammered after they were posted about online, youtube clips etc. Best to share spots via pm with posters you know if you want some left for yourself when you visit your spot again.

[daruthe]

I would like to bring to your attention a website I have been creating for just this kind of thing - check it out NSW fossicking spots. After a little bit of scrolling and zooming you will find a few spots around the north eastern NSW area.

[Gemster]

Hey Scottyb the closest mines to you would be Drake area on Tenterfield road.....lots of old and some newish gold and silver mines. the whole area has several old gold mining sites as well as Euingar (spellcheck please) state forest. just down the road .... lots of creaks to walk up there and big smokey quartz crystals, amethyst crystals bigger than you AND me could carry together....seen one about 1.3m long double termated and took 5 men to get it out...they are there but very hard to find...my mates house brick smokey cluster is one of my favs...Also you have a few old gold mines in the Mullumbimby area....watch out for SNAKES lots of them at Euingar

HEY daruthe went to your site and all I could get up was some google maps with no info...problem or work in progress???

[daruthe]

HEY daruthe went to your site and all I could get up was some google maps with no info...problem or work in progress???

So that I don't hijack this thread, I will respond to this over on the main thread for my site here on ALF

[Speckee]

Other side of Casino, Mallanganee. Can look for Labradorite.

[Gemster]

No worries...pm soon with gps locations and directions... Give me a day or three....
also volcanic opal at Tintenbar....

Handy at removing SNAKES are we...they seem to follow me from one local to another GRRR        
 

[Bunyip]

No worries...pm soon with gps locations and directions... Give me a day or three....
also volcanic opal at Tintenbar....

Handy at removing SNAKES are we...they seem to follow me from one local to another GRRR        

Had my fair share of Cobra action in the Indian ghats fossIckIng for dIamonds rubIes etc.... one time we shared a swimming hole with one. Already crossed paths with a decent size red belly in drake ...seemed pretty chilled unlike the Aussie Cobra...very grumpy snake indeed

[Mushy]

My family lives just out of Goonellabah and McLeans Ridges, as kids we'd check out the gravel washes after a decent flood in the local creeks (we'd also ride the flooded creeks on boogie boards, but that was before the world went mad with safety issues - we knew when the barbed wire fences were coming up). Would usually find all sorts of goodies. Got some nice smokeys from Ewingar in Jan. Tried to find the honey opals on Rocky Creek in Jan but alas took the wrong track - (a track I've riden several times in the past)

[Gemster]

SNAKES you more than likely came across what some call the Clarence Valley Tiger snake ...a new cross breed they say.... but man are they aggressive...herd of them or crossbreeding in the eastern brown snake Scottyb

[Bunyip]

The King brown or Tiapan is a very close relative of the Kerala King Cobra. However the King Cora is very chilled unlike our very aggressive Tiapan. The locals in India revere and worship the snakes (strIct catch and release polIcy) and as they are very smart I guess they see little threat unlike the ones here. I did hear many stories of King Cora, how they stand over 2m above you and bite down on your skull piercing it causing instant death, king Cora also spray venom in the eyes causing instant blindness.