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Author Topic: NSW - Grabben Gullen  (Read 24563 times)

Wwoofa

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NSW - Grabben Gullen
« on: April 26, 2016, 11:57:07 AM »

April's location is Grabben Gullen.

You may wish to change your "Next Location of the Month" vote now that this one has been covered ... http://aussielapidaryforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=5028.0

Grabben Gullen is a small town located in southern NSW.  It is approx. 55 km north-west of Goulburn.  The fossicking area is not actually at Grabben Gullen but instead is west of the town on Sapphire Rd.  Directions to the fossicking area from Goulburn are as follows:

> From the corner of Addison St and Faithful St (Goulburn) travel 1.8 km along Addison St
> Continue straight ahead onto Gurrundah Rd, travel 9.3 km
> Turn left to stay on Gurrundah Rd, travel 22 km
> Continue straight ahead onto Biala-Gurrundah Rd, travel 7.6 km
> Turn left onto Grabben Gullen Rd, travel 120 m
> Turn right onto Biala-Gurrundah Rd, travel 10.4 km
> Turn right onto Sapphire Rd, travel 5 km

You should now be at a bridge over Grabben Gullen Creek.  GPS location 6172834S 55707275E (WGS84).

You have two options for fossicking.  Either park below the bridge - there's a track just after the bridge on the right (heading north) and dig in the part of the creek that you can access from there or visit the land owners (Owen & Jenny) and pay a small fee for access to the creek from their property.  They are very friendly people and can provide directions to the many tracks and places to dig.  The track to the owner's house is 300m after the bridge on the left (heading north).

You can find sapphires and zircon in Grabben Gullen Creek in a range of colours and sizes.  Another interesting gem you might find is a variety of feldspar that has a "play of colour".  The gems are found in the creek and the banks using the usual wet sieving methods.

Some nice specimens of sapphire, zircon and feldspar cut by fossickeract (Ted) ...









Some pics of the creek ...







« Last Edit: April 26, 2016, 12:09:15 PM by Wwoofa »

Jimnyjerry

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2016, 01:19:57 PM »
Please do not under cut banks or leave a mess.  There has been some users of the area over the last few years that have caused concern to the local farmers and the council.  we do not want to lose this fossicking opportunity.

BTW there is no camping in the fossicking reserve next to the road bridge.
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.

Jamo

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2016, 10:01:19 PM »
BTW there is no camping in the fossicking reserve next to the road bridge.
Why no camping? Last time I was there I didn't see any signs. It is a beautiful spot with lots of space. Didn't find much in the way of stones though.  :P
Baaa humbug, not enough fossicking time!

MissyP

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2016, 03:08:54 AM »
You're right Jamo it is a lovely place to visit and there aren't any mind boggling stones but I also get the odd red zircon and the rutilated quartz is quite nice to use. I  only live ten minutes away so I pop down a few times a month. Unfortunately the people that have been there in the last few months have really carved it up, huge holes in the embankments and creek side. I was talking to Owen and Jenny the other day and they have been inundated with people wanting to go on their property, both of them are actually not very well so could I respectfully suggest that ALFers stick to the public area, if you head upstream you can still walk the creek and fossick. Please don't misunderstand the reason for my comments, I'm not trying to keep any secret places on their property to myself, my motivation is purely concern for Owen and Jenny.

Mungoman

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2016, 09:03:42 AM »
G'day, I'm a local of Goulburn and love to go to G.G and have a play. Over the last couple of years there's been big gun fellows come down with their high bankers, walbankers, and they have basically gutted the creek bed, sides and now they're working on the banks.

It pains me to see this sort of wanton destruction going on, with the perpertrators being recognised as fossickers and prospectors by those in power.

Maybe we should be restricted to sieves and pans.

And there will be people who say it's just human nature to want to have all the lollies in the tuckshop - yeah well, bugger human nature.

 I sat there one spring morning in the quiet and watched an echidna walking up the bank, looking for a way across the creek. He found a bit of a spit, walked out until he couldn't walk any further, then he started swimming. His swimming style was submerged freestyle (I kid you not) and every 4 strokes, his little snout went up in the air, like a snorkel. He reached the shallows on the otherside but was confronted with a perpendicular drop off, where the bank had been undercut, so he stuck his claws in the earth to start climbing, all the while using his tail to prevent him from sliding back when he detached his front claws to get a new purchase.

It took him about two minutes to climb the opposite bank - when he reached the top, he gave a little 'WHEE', which I could hear from my side of the bank, and then he trundled off into the blackberries, in his search for La Femme.

That's what I want to see while sieving and panning, not the bloody mess that some people make.

Jimnyjerry

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #5 on: April 27, 2016, 11:16:25 AM »
Totally agree with you Mungoman  :)

Sadly there are clowns and opportunists in all walks of life.

A guy got caught and prosecuted for using a jack hammer at Porters Retreat and for dropping the level level of a forestry dam in a drought at Oberon when he put it through a highbanker and not back into the dam. The rangers needed it for their pine trees and fire fighting.

Down Ulladulla way some clown has been using a battery angle grinder to cut fossils from the rock platforms. >:( The locals are not happy.
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.

Gemster

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2016, 01:28:50 PM »
And up Torrington a 'Local' has been using a Dingo Digger. :o.... When you try to report him, nothing happens.....  ::)..... Protected Species?.... ::)

 At GG they even undermined the bridge and the local Council had to spend thousands to fix this damage..... ::) You can see that damage Again around the piles of the Bridge in the pics....


   Gemster.... beers
« Last Edit: April 27, 2016, 01:30:56 PM by Gemster »
I swing a 12-pound hammer,smash gibbers by the ton
I used to think it convict work,but now i think it's FUN

MissyP

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2016, 05:33:24 AM »
Mungoman, you nailed it! I don't just go there for 'treasure' (otherwise I wouldn't go at all lol), as you say I go there for a play and to just relax. As I've mentioned before I have MS, so I can't do any major digging but I am happy with the scraps and most of all I use the time to enjoy a bit of life. Wow, using a digger blows me away though! Such a shame people turn a nice hobby or pastime into a joke like that. I've been doing a little research on Lost River and thinking of going for a look. It's Wheeo Creek which basically runs through that main area of the district so I guess we'll see.

Mungoman

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2016, 08:12:52 AM »
By perchance MissyP, do you have a copy of the Gunning Geological 1-100 000 map? I reckon the lost river system could be good, looking at all that Tertiary basalt, and knowing the explosive nature behind the formation and finding of those beautiful coloured stones. Unfortunately nearly all of what you speak of is on private land, and fossickers don't come with the best recomendation to farmers - too many open gates, untended fires and dogs chasing stock - nevertheless, all it takes are one or two fossickers with the right idea, who leave things as they find them and trust is re-established between farmer and fossicker, and trust and serenity prevails.

MissyP

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2016, 01:34:32 AM »
No Mungoman, I don't have a copy, unfortunately. I do know a landholder who has property on Lost River but there is also a bridge crossing out there, which is where I thought I would go and have a look to see what its like. It's about half hour drive from home so I might as well wait for a nice day and check it out. :)

Mungoman

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2016, 08:49:55 AM »
Go to...   http://www.geoscience.gov.au/cgi-bin/mapserv?map=/nas/web/ops/prod/apps_www-c/mapserver/geoportal-geologicalmaps/index.map&mode=browse&layer=map250&queryon=true

and you'll find geological maps at various variations are available to be downloaded. If you look at them, specifically Gunning and Crookwell, they indicate historical and where working mines are - they also indicate on the Lost River system where the sapphire deposits can be accessed.

Good luck, Jon.


MissyP

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2016, 04:16:45 AM »
Thanks Jon, sounds like we oughta take a trip out there one day ;)

Mungoman

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2016, 08:45:57 AM »
If you're up for it MissyP, why not?

MissyP

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #13 on: May 04, 2016, 09:58:26 PM »
Sure thing Jon, let's organise a day that suits...I'm out this Sunday and 13th-20th of May. :)

Mungoman

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Re: NSW - Grabben Gullen
« Reply #14 on: May 06, 2016, 10:01:26 AM »
The 20th is good for me MissyP - meet you at the Bridge?

 

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