Prospecting

[wombat57]

Just A quick question for everybody.I was just wondering if anyone does a bit of gold prospecting ?
I do a bit now and then.Never found enough to pay for the trip but it's a bit of fun.My best trip I ended up with 22 grams from a 3 day trip.But you also get the odd occasion where you find some relics of a bygone age which is just as much as much fun.

[Ds J]

In SA, prospecting anything valuable is very tricky and heavily legislated. You need a black partner to obtain a permit, and very much time because the paperwork is very slow.

[Skaaphaas]

Ds J, does that include gold panning? In Pilgrims' Rest
etc it is still practiced as a hobby by a few, as far as I know.

[Rick Pascoe]

Hi W, what detector are you using?

[wombat57]

currently I use a minelab GPX-5000.But I haven't been able to get out to use it in the last 6 months.

[Rick Pascoe]

I am currently using a Minelab Explorer SE and would love to get a CTX 30-30.(a companion to my Mod 94 Winchester). I get to the local beaches now and again and also up to one of our earliest gold mining areas. Unfortunately we are not allowed to possess unwrought gold here as I am sure we have some alluvial deposits in the area. The GPX like yours sells very well in Zimbabwe to the north of us where the users say they pay for themselves in about two weeks. Current cost of a GPX 5000 is over R50,000.00 in SA. Do you check the Minelab website regularly?

[wombat57]

Not as often as I should.I just don't put enough effort into it.If i put in a little more effort I am sure my results would increase.I have a friend that I have been trying to get a bit of help from but just can't seem to get the timing right.All he does is travel and prospect.His tally for last year was close to 100 oz.Not a bad income for a year.We are lucky here we can possess unwrought gold.All you need to do here is pay a fee to the government for your miners rights and you are good to go.Having your miners right allows you to prospect on all crown land.If you prospect without it on crown land the government can seize any gold you have found.for prospecting on privately owned land you don't need your miners rights but if you don't have them the government can still seize any gold you find.So it is much better to get them as it is very easy and only costs R180 and that is a one off fee.
But people are right with what they say the GPX-5000 is a very good detector.

[Ds J]

Ds J, does that include gold panning? In Pilgrims' Rest etc it is still practiced as a hobby by a few, as far as I know.

Skaaphaas, AFAIK the state turns a blind eye if people play a little bit, just like the "prospecting" done at Gold Reef City. But as soon as there is any money made from it, the state keeps a wary eye open. Just for the interest: I prospected enough real gold in half-an-hour in Gold Reef City to pay for my entrance when we were there as students.