I have read about Australia since I was 12 years old. The Aboriginal People, the animals and reptiles, the vast empty spaces and the GOLD have all been of endless fascination to me. I have always wanted to live there, or at least visit, but I never managed to get to Australia. Finally, in 1999, when I was 49 years old, I was encouraged by my wife to make my dream come true and so I decided I would go to Australia.

Making the decision to go started a chain of actions I was completely innocent of. I had no idea the amazing number of decisions, choices and details necessary to bring about the reality of my dream. Would I go solo? Would I take an organized tour? How much money would be needed? How much equipment would I need? What would the weather be like? How would I get around? Do I need a Passport? Do I need a Visa? These were some of my logical questions.

I had a list of worry-questions also. What if…I lose my stuff, have problems with the airline, don’t like the people I end up with, the guide rips me off, the flies are unbearable and so on and on… Well, accept the risks and get on with the trip was the attitude I adopted to deal with the uncertainties of life. The decision made, I set about gathering information. I ordered the two leading Australian gold magazines, found some advertisements for Gold tours in a leading American treasure magazine and did an Internet search for Gold Tours. From these sources I selected several offers for guided gold tours and wrote letters detailing my desire to spend a month in Australia chasing my golden dreams. Among the companies contacted were two American and about five Australian; they all returned information in some form. The prices and service varied quite a bit and most of the responses ignored my need for special arrangements. So, I chose the guide that returned the most personal response and showed the most interest in my desires…Doug Stone. Doug answered all of my questions and was very willing to arrange an additional tour with a very good gold hunter, Larry B.

Having selected my guide, I had to wire money, something I had not done before. If you wire money, be sure to arrange an immediate acknowledgement from the recipient because the bank will not take any responsibility for the funds, only the sending of the funds. I suffered several tense days waiting to know if Doug received my money or if some other person was enjoying an unintended gift! Also, realize the exchange rate is very good for U.S. dollars; an Australian dollar costs about 57 cents American…so be aware of this when shopping costs for tours. Be sure to get a good supply of Au dollars and travelers checks as cash can be hard to get in the small towns of the Outback.

Then I realized I needed a passport. Give yourself at least six months to complete this process, better yet get one now. You will need a Visa to visit Australia; the travel agent will take care of this electronically for you but be certain you get a paper copy also. You can ago to a web site and review Australian regulations, I strongly urge this…they don’t do things the same in Australia. Observe the rules about produce, they are not fooling about these things. Also, there are many laws and regulations regarding fossicking, mining and prospecting, it is important that your guide be aboveboard about these things. When you make your airline reservations give yourself an extra day or two, and remember you will lose a day getting there and you will get it back when you return. The extra day is to rest and allow for travel problems, lost luggage, etc.

Your guide will give you a list of items to bring, especially bring sunscreen…it really is needed in Western Australia. I was saved from losing the car several times because I had, and used my GPS, Australia is very different from most places I have been in the USA. Take a package of aloe-based wipes…they are very useful. Limit your wardrobe to things that are useful…they won’t get formal in the Outback.

Spinifex - it is quite common in parts of Western Australia and is pointy and prickly grass and grows in huge patches, it is not a problem to the Aussies – they wear shorts most of the time and are pretty tough – once I adjusted to the needley stuff I got through it well enough. Also the critters are in and under the spinifex so watch your feet and hands. The natives will regale you with snake and spider tales, it is true lots of things will kill you there, but that is true here in America too…be knowledgeable and cautious and you will do fine. Take a head-net large enough to fit loosely over your hat, the flies were not bad by Australian standards but I used mine and soon enough many of the others in our tour started using theirs. Learn to enjoy instant coffee; I never had a decent cup of coffee after I left the Sydney Airport. That was my greatest hardship… and, by the way, when they start talking about “having tea” they mean lunch or dinner, I was getting worried because no one mentioned eating, only “having tea” until I got a translator that explained “tea” is some sort of meal other than breakfast.

So, will you find gold? If your guide guarantees gold you may want to wonder how he can make that guarantee…we had about 20 people in our group, at least one never got any gold and almost everyone had days with no gold found. I went three days in a row without a nugget and was getting a little down-in-the-mouth, then I found four pieces and was happy again. I tried very hard to enjoy every thing about my trip, I wanted to really partake of the entire experience of seeing the Australian Outback, and enjoy being somewhere I might not get to see or be again.

The following is most of my diary for the entire journey with Doug:

I enjoyed all facets of my tour and will always be grateful to all the Aussies that I was with. I loved the vast empty spaces, the total lack of city noise, walking on the oldest exposed land on the planet and, of course, searching for the biggest nugget ever…but I didn’t find it…maybe next time!

My special thanks to Doug Stone and his associated Orlando; Ian and Harry, they were good to me from the start; Greg, Robin and Peter and others whose names I have misplaced; and Bob A. and his father, they told me many great stories and also gave me two beautiful boomerangs. All my gold hunting mates helped make my dream come true.

Thursday, last day of the tour and I was still hoping for the BIG ONE. I was a little desperate to make a great find, or at least more little nuggets. Gold is the reason we are swinging the coil, listening for that deep, faint sound that will turn into the mother of all nuggets. Well, patience and determination are good traits for a gold hunter, desperation is not. I have rarely found gold when I got greedy (desperate) for the yellow rocks. Nonetheless, I was determined to keep at it to the bitter end. So, after the morning hunt I had Orlando drop me off a few miles from camp. I would work my way back to camp.

Along the way I was startled by two kangaroos that burst out of the brush within thirty feet of me. They are wondrous animals, bounding over the terrain on two legs and a big tail. What a sight! One of the things I enjoy about nugget hunting is that I can look around and enjoy the beauty of the landscape wherever I may be. As I hunted my way back to camp, I realized my state of mind was not allowing me to pay proper attention to the call of the nuggets. So I decided to head back to camp and enjoy the afternoon with my gold-mates, and a beer, or two.

Carltons Midstrength Beer, I love that stuff…wish I could buy it here in the States…like many other things, Australians do beer different than we Americans. When you order your first beer in Australia, you will be asked for brand and strength (alcohol content) – so now you know and you won’t sound like a tourist, just say, mid-strength please.

The next morning everyone packed and said their goodbyes. All the people with gas powered vehicles headed back to Nullagine to hopefully fill their tanks. The gas delivery had not arrived on time and several of our group were counting on filling up in Nullagine as they had passed on the available fuel in Marble Bar because they thought the price was too high (Australians can be a bit thrifty). The Outback delivery system is a bit unpredictable – never pass up an opportunity to top off your fuel tanks, you can be stranded for a very long time in the vast empty spaces of Western Australia.

After Doug finished his business in Nullagine, we set off to meet up with Larry B. at Melrose Station, a huge sheep ranch in the southern part of Western Australia. We traveled all day on washboard roads at 40 or 50 miles per hour. Most of the roads in W.A. are not paved and maintenance is sparse. The basic mode is to take the middle of the road and play chicken with oncoming vehicles if they are your size; however, always yield to the Road Trains, they will always win! We drove all day heading south and only saw four or five vehicles the entire day. I was thrilled to pass through so much of W.A. and see geography, plants and animals I have read about through the years.

It is a long way to anywhere from Nullagine, some time midday we stopped at the roadhouse near the Tropic of Capricorn. We spent the night camped out on the side of the road. Doug and Orlando scrapped some odd bits together and called them “tea” while Peter and I made a fire. I always was amazed at the casual use of cooking fires in the Outback. When the Aussies decided to make tea they would pull the car over, kick some sticks together and have a fire. Then they would drive off and leave with little concern…this was very different than fire use in the States, it has been a practice for ages long past, no criticism intended, mates.

The next day we arrived in Meekatharra and Doug decided to do some footwork for future tours. After we set up in a caravan park we went detecting. The place where we stopped was covered with ironstone, even more than the usual. However I managed a half gram bit and Orlando found ironstone with quartz and a little gold. He was not thrilled with it but I was fascinated with it. To me that piece of ironstone/quartz/gold rock is the embodiment of Australian Gold Hunting. I badly wanted to find my own piece but had not, so I bought Orlando’s piece in case I failed in my quest.

Monday morning was arrived in Lenester, did some shopping, and headed out to meet Larry B. I was more anxious about this phase of my trip because I would be left alone with a total stranger with whom I would have to spend the next ten cays in close proximity…I have never been known as the most social, or talkative, guy so this could be very difficult for me. Along the way Doug told me Larry was not very talkative, especially in the morning. Boy, was Doug misinformed! I made the mistake of telling Larry what Doug had said about him not being a talker and he then made every effort to prove Doug wrong.

After Doug, Orlando and Peter drove off, Larry loaded me in his Toyota and we went detecting. As we were driving around his leases he gave me a short history of the area and prospecting lessons. Chris Gholson wrote a good article relaying the many tips Larry imported – get a copy and give it a read. Larry always was on the lookout for gold poachers on his leases. He seemed to feel violated at the thought of anyone else getting his gold…I had to wonder what he might do if I found the Big One, but I never found one big enough to cause any concern. After getting to know Larry I realized his efforts to protect his way of life were quite justified…I found a little piece right off that first afternoon, and thought it was an auspicious start. I also found a stone scrapper at our first stop. Larry also showed me some tektites that are common there, however, I never did find any.

As we were driving about, I saw the tail of a goanna lizard as the goanna went into its burrow. Unfortunately the weather turned very cool and I could not find any snakes or lizards as I detected along. I really wanted to see a death adder, brown snake and some of the big lizards, but fall is not the best time for reptiles. Maybe next time. I did see many more emus and kangaroos in southern Western Australia than in the Pilbara. I was fascinated and thrilled at every sighting of each animal while in Australia.

Every day I was with Larry he tried to teach or show me some new aspect of Australian Gold Hunting. The tales Larry told and the knowledge he has were both beyond my comprehension, what an exciting way to earn a living. I am grateful to Larry for his patience with me, and for his efforts to get me onto the gold.

The following is the rest of my diary recording my days in Australia.

Friday – travel day Saturday – saw two emus, lots of roos – went detecting in Meekathara and found one small bit; saw several emus and roos. Had dinner ”tea” in the hotel pub. Stopped at pub with “Scimpys” but there was none, turned out to be false advertising.
Sunday – rain
Monday – last day with Doug. Meeting Larry B. at Melrose Station. Said goodbye to Doug, Orlando and Peter. Larry took me out to one of his leases where I found a pretty ˝ gram bit…steak for dinner.
Tuesday – no gold
Wednesday – A.M. 3 pieces, one over ˝ oz…I hope! Very rough and pretty; P.M. two little pieces.
Thursday – one piece A.M. and one piece P.M.
Friday – wandered around all over for three hours and found a piece within thirty feet of where I left my pack…after all that exercise! Late P.M. Larry picked me up and we went out northeast about 51 miles.
Saturday, the 12th of August – good to be out again, and away from the TV, noise…two small nuggets.
Sunday – still hoping for a real trophy – no gold
Monday – last full day 2 pieces A.M., 5 pieces P.M. Saw lots of emus and roos on the way back to Melrose Station.
Tuesday – LAST DAY. Cloudy and warm…found small piece right away. Wandered around hoping until I lost interest. We packed up and drove to Leonora. We toured the museum and saw the great big hole in the ground. Larry is a good guy, but I am tired of talking and listening…I have had a great time here in Australia.
Tuesday – back in the USA…good to be back where I don’t have to have everything repeated…33 nuggets total for the trip.