Fossicking
Seek fortune and hunt for treasure, the Tamworth Region is a fossicking hotspot for all on a quest for gold, gems and minerals.
The Tamworth region makes up a large proportion of The Fossickers Way tourist drive that follows a route from Nundle stretching north for around 375km. The Fossickers Way, from Nundle to Manilla and Barraba and on to Warialda, Inverell and Glen Innes, is a tourist drive through wheat and grazing lands, the Northern Slopes and country towns built on the prosperity that came from gold and the developing agricultural industry. This area is considered among some of the world's richest gem areas and landscapes.
Gold and precious gems including sapphires, crystal, jasper and prase can still be found in the area and visitors are welcome to try their hand at fossicking at various sites in and around Nundle, and at Barraba and Manilla at established reserves at Ironbark Creek and Woodsreef, open for camping and bushwalking daily.
Throughout the area you can go fossicking for sapphires, zircon, jasper, prase, rhodonite, crystals and gold. The gold and precious stone mining heritage of the region dates back the 1850s when eager miners rushed to what was known as the Peel River Diggings which incorporated Nundle, Oakenville Creek, Happy Valley, Hanging Rock, and Bowling Alley Point. Among the rush of people were numerous Chinese; most looking for gold, but a few came to set up stores and gardens to supply the diggers. The majority left when gold petered out or new fields beckoned.
The key fossicking sites in the Tamworth region that allow public access are still found in the Nundle area along the Peel River and at Hanging Rock. Head out along the River Rd north of the village following the Peel River and a general public access point is on the western bank situated about 2.3km past Fossickers Tourist Park (Jenkins St). After heading around a large bend to the left and the river becomes quite close to the road, you have entered the ‘Swamp Creek Reserve’ which provides excellent fossicking opportunities along the Peel River.
Just on the right hand side of the road there is a pedestrian entrance point which allows access to a stretch of Swamp Creek. A little further along the road there is a general public access entry point as well. The Old Chimney fossicking area is about 7kms from the village of Nundle just after both the road and the river sweep around to the right. There is pedestrian access down to the eastern river bank.
For gold prospectors, to hire or buy all your fossicking equipment contact the Nundle Visitor Information Centre or Barraba Visitor Information Centre where you can receive an up to date listing of the local suppliers.
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From Nundle, keen fossickers can also head north to Manilla and Barraba following the Manilla River to seek further precious stones especially in the vicinity of Woodsreef Common in the Nangahrah and Ironbark Creeks around Barraba.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries has guidelines for fossicking in State Forests and it is recommended that they be followed in fossicking tourist areas to ensure the surrounding environment is protected.
Fossickers should not excavate, undercut or damage the bank of any watercourse, interfere with the flow of water in any watercourse, cause pollution of any watercourse, disturb mud or clay or fine silt so as to cause significant turbidity in any watercourse, drill or excavate a hole larger than 1m x 1m, damage or take any bush rock.
Budding geologists will find much of interest in the Tamworth region in addition to fossicking and gold panning. The area is often viewed as a fascinating geological region with the city of Tamworth centred on a major crustal fault. The Peel Fault line that splits folded, ancient marine sedimentary and volcanic rocks (to the west) from ancient, very deep water marine sedimentary and volcanic rocks to the east.
Drop into your local Visitor Information Centre for a copy of The Fossickers Way magazine or click here to visit the Fossickers Way website.