Newbies heading for Harts Ranges

[Ruth]

Hi all, we are planning a field trip for our small West Aussie Lapidary Club to the Harts Ranges, and hope to be at Gem Tree by the first week in July. We would really appreciate some advice on tools, good places to go, and maybe even the chance to tag along of there will be another club up there.
We do trips in WA but the fossicking is very different here (no public fossicking areas for eg.)
We will have three vehicles (4WD) and will be coming via the Great Central Road, so will be out of electronic range for a bit.
I spent a day and a half at Gem Tree about 5 years ago and the fossickers there were wonderful about showing me places to fossick for such a short time and I found some nice Zircon and Garnets.
Looking forward to hearing from fellow rock hounds.

[Aussie Sapphire]

This discussion may be of interest to you:

http://aussielapidaryforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=5981

[darttrev68]

Hi, I'll be up in the Harts Ranges around that time. Always happy to hook up with fellow fossickers. I will be somewhere near Mount Palmer on the 1st, out in the Entia Valley around the 5th and back at Mud Tank on the 9th. Looking for epidote, sphene, kyanite, iolite, beryls, feldspars, garnets and zircons - plus whatever else there is to collect. I'm mostly looking for crystallised mineral samples, as I'm not really a cutter, just an avid mineral collector.
 

[Ruth]

We will be at Gem Tree from the 6th, for about a week, so tell us what to look out for and we'll keep an eye out for you. Maybe we can meet you out at Mud Tank around the 9th. I am hoping to be able to access WiFi at Gem Tree so that I can check messages. We are leaving here (Perth) this Sunday (25th June).
Ruth

[darttrev68]

I'll be driving a white 1998 Pajero with NSW plates. I'll have my patented shaker table at Mud Tank hunting for crystalline specimens. We may cross paths near the garnet fields, so I'll keep an eye out for WA plates.

[Ruth]

That sounds great. We'll be a convoy of three - NIssan Patrol, new white Isuzu MUX and a Mazda BT50. Interested to see the shaker table!

[darttrev68]

Change of itinerary. I'll be at Mud tank around the 3rd of July and then out to Entia Valley on the 5th. We might see you near the Garnet fields around the 9th.

[darttrev68]

Currently at Gemtree, site "Beryl". Heading over to Mud Tank today and tomorrow for the zircons. Might see you there...

[Deipin]

Newbies heading to the Plenty tomorrow. Hoped to camp with 30ft bus at Mudtank...can we get in?

[Rusted]

You should be good to go, its a few years since I was there but even then there were large vans camped at Mudtank.

[Deipin]

Thanks Rusted.
Yes we got in and had an lovely peaceful time out there.
Found lots of zircon bits, nothing worth writing home about though.
It's a beautiful quiet spot.

[Gemster]

Thanks Deipin, Glad you had a good time.... What condition was the Plenty Highway in?
   Im heading out there Next Year... Hopefully...

  Gemster.....