collapse

Author Topic: Locations near Melbourne  (Read 17138 times)

Cainozoic

  • ALF'er Gold Member
  • *
  • Posts: 114
Locations near Melbourne
« on: June 01, 2010, 02:40:33 PM »
I am new to this forum and feel like I am the minority being from Victoria, has anyone done any prospecting down here and if so could you recommend a fossicking site(s) for faceting material? The best I can find is quartz crystal and some smokey. I have recently found a very small location for topaz in the Strathbogie ranges but it is hard work for very very low yeild,

Cheers Cain :)
Old rockhounds never die, they just petrify.

Lapis Lupinus

  • ALF'er VIP
  • *
  • Posts: 500
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2010, 08:58:38 PM »
G'day Cain I'm also from Vic. I really appreciate al the info on sites in the northern states, but like you I'd love to know more about good fossicking sites here in Vic. I've found good smokies and quartz crystals near Powelltown. Also, Mt Shadwell quarry at Mortlake (Western Vic) produces the odd facetable peridot. I've aso tried to find stuff about the Strathbogies but without any luck, so your picture of topaz from there made my mouth water. Did you have to get landowner's permission? If so, how?    It'd be great to hear from anyone who knows some spots

Wwoofa

  • ALF'er VIP
  • *
  • Posts: 2512
    • Wwoofa
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2010, 09:14:24 AM »
Hi,
I assume you are aware of Mooralla where you get some of the best smokey's in the world.  The only other well known location I know of is Mortlake.  I'll do some research and see if I can find any other info.
Regards, Paul

jad

  • ALF'er Platinum
  • *
  • Posts: 259
    • Folderless - Information & Knowledge Management
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2010, 10:58:14 AM »
In Northern Vic near Springhurst you can find Amethyst. Access was difficult a few years back due to idiots exploiting surrounding farms - check with the Albury Lapidary club.
I have found grey lace agate and smoky quartz from a creek bed just outside of Eldorado. Chalcedony and Carnelian can be found along these creeks. Gold, topaz and diamond is known in the area also. Check this dimond pic from near beechworth: http://museumvictoria.com.au/mineralogy/images/html/diam.html

The Beechworth information centre may have more info.

Also, the Chiltern Mt Pilot national park used to be open for fossicking if your seeking some exploration - Worth checking that fossicking is still permitted!

That's about all I know - I want to explore VIC again one day myself.

 beers

JAD



Cainozoic

  • ALF'er Gold Member
  • *
  • Posts: 114
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2010, 02:15:23 PM »
I have tried all those locations with varying degrees of success. Moralla has yet to produce any faceting material at all. A mate of mine, who flooded the world market informs me that he only ever got one piece that could produce a four mm stone from there. The topaz is on crown land so drop me an email and I'll let you know where to look. I have heaps of smokey qtz and I'd really like to cut something more valuable. Thanks for all the info. I'll keep looking :)
Old rockhounds never die, they just petrify.

rally

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2010, 08:11:05 PM »
I am new to the forum and very new to fissicking. I blame my seven year old son who has been fascinated with "rocks" since the lapidary display at tumbling waters (rubicon). Today we went up into the Strathbogies, we really don't have to much of an idea of what we are doing but had fun none the less. Did a fair bit of driving around the east end of the ranges in the state forest not sure if you are allowed to fossik there but we had a poke around in the head of Brankeet Ck. From thewre went for a drive past the abondened crystal mines. A drive past thehells hole sluice and then black ck no 2 rd showed us the two main gelogogies in the area. I don't think we found much more than quartz but he is happy and we had a fun day out.

Aussie Sapphire

  • Global Moderator
  • ALF'er VIP
  • *****
  • Posts: 3354
    • Aussie Sapphire
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2010, 08:12:54 PM »
I don't think we found much more than quartz but he is happy and we had a fun day out.

Sounds like a successful day then - a great day with your boy!!

welcome to ALF.

cheers
Leah
Aussie Sapphire - The Lapidary Warehouse

mehoose

  • Global Moderator
  • ALF'er VIP
  • *****
  • Posts: 3725
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2010, 08:24:01 PM »
Welcome to ALF Rally.
Might I suggest you join in a local lapidary club. Your son will have a few years yet before he can try using the wheels but this will allow you to join clubs on their field days. (Down here it doesn't matter if you tag along with another club, so long as you are a member for insurance purposes). They'd be able to show you tumbling and flat lapping which you could do at home. He could also be taught gem tree making etc.
Now there's nothing from stopping him learning to facet either, tho you'd be the best judge of whether he was capable of sitting still. LOL.
Keep em comin!!!

rally

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2010, 03:48:35 PM »
Out again today this time 5 year old daughter came too. No real luck but plenty of fun. proper sieve arrives this week which should help lots :D

rustyryan

  • ALF'er Silver Member
  • *
  • Posts: 98
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2010, 01:06:05 PM »
Hi all,

I am new to this site, and relatively new to fossicking.  I live in Melbourne also and want to go fossicking at Mortlake, has anyone been there recently?  what is the process to get access to the quarry?

Cheers, :)

Wwoofa

  • ALF'er VIP
  • *
  • Posts: 2512
    • Wwoofa
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2010, 01:31:21 PM »
Hi,
A couple of ALFers have been there lately ... hopefully they will see your post & let you know.  If you don't get any info PM me and I'll try to find out for you.
Regards, Paul

rustyryan

  • ALF'er Silver Member
  • *
  • Posts: 98
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2010, 03:39:56 PM »
Thanks Paul,

Sorry but i am new to this stuff, what as PM stand for?

Cheers,

mehoose

  • Global Moderator
  • ALF'er VIP
  • *****
  • Posts: 3725
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2010, 04:22:11 PM »
Private message Ryan  :D
See the little voice box under Woofa's avatar? Click on that and send him a message. To see if you have a message, look up in the top bar where it says My Messages, a number will pop up if you have one. Then you just click on it.
Welcome to ALF.  ;D
Keep em comin!!!

rustyryan

  • ALF'er Silver Member
  • *
  • Posts: 98
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #13 on: December 23, 2010, 06:10:49 PM »
Thanks Mehoose, much appreciated.

Cheers, ;)

Jamo

  • ALF'er VIP
  • *
  • Posts: 1706
  • Gippsland Rocks!
Re: Locations near Melbourne
« Reply #14 on: August 24, 2011, 08:51:52 PM »
Hi all, bit late on this one, but have some info which may be useful.

Joining a Lapidary club is the best bet as they have lots of contacts for field trips and when you go on a trip with a Victorian club you are also covered with public liability insurance.

I am in Warragul Lapidary Club (West Gippsland) and we head out each month fossicking. We are probably a little more active in the fossicking department than most clubs. The good thing about going out with a club is you have like minded people to go with and you can learn from their experience and knowledge.

As far as trips in Victoria Warragul Lapidary Club have numerous places we successfully search for agate, thunder eggs, sapphires, gold, crinoidal marble, malachite/azurite, ankerite (all within a couple of hours of Warragul). If you are part of a club we would be happy for your club to jointly join us on a trip. We don't have individuals or non-club members come along on our trips, as club members are generally better at maintaining a good code of ethics when it comes to fossicking and locations.

It's a great hobby and I'm hoping to head out this weekend for a fossick for citrine & smoky quartz. Happy fossicking!  8)
Baaa humbug, not enough fossicking time!

 

Recent Activities

Nundle - Fossicking Access to the Peel River by opal light
[March 29, 2024, 10:07:16 AM]


Blue Hills quarry and Sapphire bend access at Oberon by opal light
[March 29, 2024, 09:46:26 AM]


Armidale to Tenterfield by Bucket
[March 28, 2024, 02:40:56 PM]


Recently cut gems (AB Facet Designs) by mehoose
[March 28, 2024, 01:41:37 AM]


New mast and quill assembly by RoughCreations
[March 27, 2024, 08:46:05 AM]


Lapidary Industry Turmoil in the USA by tinker
[March 26, 2024, 02:48:04 PM]


Garnet by RoughCreations
[March 26, 2024, 11:13:38 AM]


Faceting machine head assembly. by Faceting Frank
[March 21, 2024, 09:56:28 AM]


Apex Indexer by RoughCreations
[March 20, 2024, 11:53:34 AM]


Club Badges or Pins by Suparoo
[March 16, 2024, 07:39:39 AM]


vib flat lap restoration by lewy
[March 10, 2024, 09:35:09 PM]


Save the Gemfields. by pc bowe
[March 09, 2024, 05:34:58 PM]


Novice in need of advice on Opal by Bucket
[March 09, 2024, 03:28:07 PM]


Glen Innes, Mud maps and private property by MrSydney
[March 08, 2024, 02:38:53 PM]


18ct Wedding Ring by Rusted
[March 08, 2024, 10:22:07 AM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal