Email:  secretary@mitchelton.lapidaryclub.com.au

Telephone:  07 3351 1038. 

Address:  46 Ferneydell Street, Ashgrove.

Post:  PO Box 181 Everton Park Qld  4053

Tall Tales

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FIELD TRIP REPORT Cloyna / Windera      by Kevin Oliver

What a great long weekend it was without the heavy rain that was experienced in Brisbane. Neil and Sue, Kevin, Jean, David and Pauline, Carolyn, Denise and Bev, Neville, Lloyd and John made up the camping party. The Holbrook Heritage Caravan Park and camping ground provided more than ample facilities for rock hounds with hot showers to relax those muscles after a hard day fossicking, large camp sites, BBQ facilities, and seated area around an open air fire where it is possible to forget the pressures of city living by watching the fire and listen to it crackle in the still night air.

Most importantly the proprietors, Bob and Grace, provided a friendly atmosphere in which Club Members were able to relax. The field trip to Cloyna / Windera from Saturday 29^th April to Monday 1^st May was a great success. What was needed was a keen eyesight to find good pieces of jasper, petrified wood, agate and crystals. Areas visited included Cloyna Jasper Fields and a couple of other areas. It is unfortunate that they are in the grips of a drought which meant that ploughing of the paddocks had not been undertaken for years, but sometime it will recommence and the earth will give up it’s treasure. Even though the surface was not turned over, there was sufficient material for everyone to find something special. Neil and Kevin gained more than they bargained for when they strolled through a farm to talk to the farmer. Taking everything into consideration it was, as I have said before, a great long weekend! 

Holbrook Caravan Park Murgon    by Kevin Oliver

 

For Rockhounds visiting Murgon and the Jasper Fields in Cloyna / Windera one of the better places to stay is the Holbrook Heritage Caravan Park which is situated 5 Km south east of the Murgon Post Office on corner of Barambah Rd and Borcherts Hill Rd.. It would have to be described as a ROCKHOUND’s DELIGHT with more than sufficient facilities provided to satisfy everyone.

The Caravan Park is in an open spotted gum forest setting. Out of the 31 large powered sites 15 of these are circular drive through sites designed around a slab homestead styled amenities block with toilet and showers catering for wheel chairs, hot and cold water to showers and laundry. There are BBQ facilities, an open fire place for those nights around a blazing fire. Accommodation can be organised by contacting Grace or Bob Pratt at the Caravan Park on 074 168 1085 or by mail to PO Box 164 Murgon, Queensland 4605.

FIELD TRIP REPORT- Glen Innes     by Geoff Beikoff

 

The campsite was on private property in the Glen Innes Area. The grass on the creek flat had been effectively mowed by the resident cattle and with the running stream containing crayfish and Murray Cod provided an ideal setting for the weekend. There was a little rain about and the nights were cool and this provided good sleeping conditions (two blankets).

Saturday started out at the campsite with overcast skies and fine misty rain. None of us would have been surprised to see a Scotsman or two, bagpipes, kilts and all come marching over the hills playing "Scotland the Brave" or some such tune to suit the morning conditions. After all we were in the middle of "Celtic" country. However, after starting out and traveling west to our camp site the skies were clear and blue. The Group ( Marie, Don, Des, Shirley, Lorne, Neil Sue, Jean, Ross Lynette, Neville, Geoff, Pip and Tara) traveled through some beautiful New England countryside to where Quartz Xls and Tourmaline were sought after amongst some beautiful red eucalypts. When enough samples were gathered or hungry became a problem, we travelled across beautiful countryside to the neat town of Inverell. Here the group was introduced to a café, which produced hamburgers, which according to our reliable information made page 265 of the Guinness Book Of Records. They were enormous.

After lunch we proceeded to a private sand mining operation near Inverell. Incidental to the sand there was also quartz xls and even on occasions Topaz was to be found. The larger pieces of items from their operations had been pushed up into large heaps by bulldozers and like mountain goats the group scrambled all over them fossicking for quartz xls and other things. The wife of the operator had similar interests to ours and showed some faceted materials and sold some bags of quartz xls. After a money stop at Glenn Innes and a fuel stop we proceeded back to the campsite.

Sunday turned out a little better weather wise and we travelled only about ten k's to an old molybdentite mine called the "Allied". There were some fine (large and small) specimens of quartz xls gathered here. Since we were close to camp lunch was partaken there and we then proceeded to "four wheel drive" our way through impenetrable jungle Populated with wild wombats and other dangerous animals, as Sue was to discover. Don assured all that the name of "The Gully" for our dig was simply a name but Sue unearthed a giant red-bellied black snake and jumped so high that she tried to grab a tree branch. Unfortunately she missed the branch but no matter, she caught it on the way down.

Having found a few crystals and the true flavour of the Gully we proceeded through more impenetrable scrub and near vertical 1000 foot hill faces covered in giant boulders to another mine, called the "Place". More quartz Xls were found including some small very clear smokey quartz. The number of mine shafts through solid rock and the mullock heaps were silent testimony to the energy and doggedness of the old miners. We then fought our way out of the wilderness to the comforts of our campsite.

Monday turned out fine weather wise and all, except Don, Marie, Pip and Tara packed up. Some people returned to the Place for some more digging as this was an excellent site. Many thanks are due to Don & Marie who organized the weekend. Everyone had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Just ask Lorne about the big Murray Cod that he caught?

FIELD TRIP REPORT- STANTHORPE    by John Nedwich

The campsite on the Stanthorpe trip was very spacious. Five groups had the complete Stanthorpe Show grounds to ourselves. A few members stayed at external accommodation. Most of us travelled down Friday afternoon just in time to set up camp before dark. We were up early on Saturday morning and ready to go to the first days fossicking site by 8am. Eight vehicles and fifteen people headed off from the show grounds at 8am as planned.

Today's fossicking site had been organized by Don Romer and was to a private property just up the road. We had at this site two large mounds of wash and sand which had been dredged from a creek bed to be able to sieve through. Most of the finds here were smoky quartz crystals. Though not plentiful, there were some fine specimens found. The day was quite cool and a welcome change to the weather we had experienced in Brisbane recently. Ross & Lyn digging in their spot

Sunday morning we were greeted with very grey cloudy skies and the threat of rain. However, we headed off at 8am to our fossicking site for the day. This site was in the tailing area of an old tin mine not far from Stanthorpe. Here the gravel was a little more prolific as the sand had been sieved from a majority of the wash with piles of pure gravel waiting to be sieved. Before we started sieving most members made a specking tour of the large area where wash had been deposited. "Look What I found Sue".

Several pieces of clear quartz were specked here before we started on the hard work. By lunchtime most members had found several pieces of both smoky and clear quartz. After lunch most people packed up and started heading for home. At this time of the year the apple and pear crop is just starting to be picked, and the peaches were just about at their end so there were some chances to buy some freshly picked fruit at orchards and stalls before we headed home. General View of the fossicking site. Many thanks are due to Don Romer who organized entry to the two fossicking areas. Everyone had a great time and found a few stones to take home.