Gold Nuggets and Waterfall Secrets: A Journey Through Trunkey Creek History
Gold Nuggets and Waterfall Secrets: A Journey Through Trunkey Creek History
They say fortune favors the bold, but in the heart of the New South Wales bush, fortune also favors those who know how to read the water. In my latest adventure, I teamed up with Nick from Picket Prospecting and my two sons, Lucca and Finn, to explore a hidden gem in the Bathurst region. We weren't just looking for a bit of color; we were hunting for solid nuggets tucked away in the bedrock crevices of a secret waterfall.
From the roaring falls of a hidden creek to the historic, silent mine shafts of Trunkey Creek, this trip was a masterclass in Australian gold history and the physics of "natural gold traps."
The History of Gold in Trunkey Creek
To understand why we were digging in these specific spots, you have to understand the history of the ground beneath our feet. Trunkey Creek, located south of Bathurst, was once a bustling hub of the Australian gold rush. Discovered in the late 1860s, the region became famous for its rich quartz reefs and alluvial deposits.
Unlike some fields that were "panned out" in a few years, Trunkey Creek had staying power. The pioneers built massive ball mills to crush the gold-bearing quartz, and today, the landscape is still scarred by historic mine shafts and the ruins of old mills. On this trip, we were privileged to access private land where the "ghosts of the past" are still visible—from untouched tailings piles to abandoned machinery [35:50].
Waterfall Physics: Nature’s Perfect Gold Trap
Many prospectors make the mistake of looking for gold in the wide, slow parts of a river. While you might find fine "flood gold" there, the big nuggets—the heavy hitters—are almost always found in high-energy environments like waterfalls.
Why Waterfalls?
Gold is incredibly dense (about 19 times heavier than water). When a river is in flood, the water has enough energy to move even large rocks and nuggets. However, when that water hits a waterfall, two things happen:
- The Drop: The water plunges downward, losing horizontal velocity.
- The Catch: Heavy gold drops out of the flow immediately, sinking to the lowest possible point.
Finding the "V" Crevice
During our hunt, we focused on a massive bedrock shelf right at the lip of a waterfall. We were looking for what we call the "V" crevice—a natural crack in the bedrock that acts like a riffle in a sluice box [29:34].
In these crevices, the heavy gold gets wedged in by the pressure of the water and the weight of the rocks above it. We used yabby pumps and crevice tools to suck out the packed-down material that hasn't seen the sun in decades. The result? A solid gold nugget that stopped us in our tracks [30:47].
Gear and Strategy: The Red, White, and Blue Sluice
Because my back was giving me some trouble, I had to be strategic with my movements. I used a back brace and relied on the boys for "moral support" (and a bit of heavy lifting).
Our Setup:
- The Sluice: We tested out a custom red, white, and blue sluice tray, representing a bit of American flair in the Aussie bush. We set it up in a natural trickle of the waterfall, using rocks to direct the flow [18:15].
- The Yabby Pump: This is essential for waterfall work. It allows you to reach deep into holes where a shovel can't fit, pulling up the "heavy" material that sits directly on the bedrock [09:24].
- Mini Classifier: To save my back, we used a mini classifier and bucket, processing smaller amounts of high-quality material rather than bulk-shifting dirt [18:56].
The "Dirty" Truth About Prospecting
Not every pan is a winner. In fact, we started the day with "zero pieces" and "mucky yuck" [04:36]. At one point, we were digging in material that smelled like rotting organics—the kind of dirt that usually yields nothing.
But as I told the boys, every empty pan is a lesson. It tells you where the gold isn't, which brings you one step closer to where it is [08:34]. When we finally hit the right crevice, the "dirty dirt" gave up a beautiful speck, and eventually, the nuggets followed.
Safety in the Bush: Snakes and Spiders
Prospecting in NSW isn't just about gold; it's about navigating the locals.
- The Spiders: We found a massive, fluffy spider hiding in one of our target crevices. Always clear your work area with a tool before reaching in with your hands [27:14].
- The Snakes: We had a close encounter with a Brown Snake—one of the world's deadliest—right where we planned to pan. In the Australian bush, you have to assert dominance but maintain eye contact and give them their space [41:28].
Final Reveal: Was it Worth It?
By the end of the day, we were "cooked" by the heat, but the results were epic. Nick pulled a monster nugget out of a crevice right on the edge of the falls—a piece so big it sounded like an anchor hitting the pan [31:17]. My pan was loaded with coarse gold and a few small gems, proving that the Trunkey Creek region still holds secrets for those willing to hike in and work hard.
Thinking of heading out? Remember to respect private property, stay hydrated, and always keep an eye out for that perfect bedrock crevice.
Watch the full adventure here: We Found GOLD Nuggets in a Secret Waterfall Crevice!
