DOTM – Mark aka ‘Harry Diculous’

Tell us about yourself?

Like a lot of hobby gold prospectors, I started later in life. I wished I had started earlier. I guess a lot of prospectors think that. With working, businesses, family and commitments it wasn’t something that I had perused. My hobby escape in my younger years was motorcycle adventure touring on special designed off-road sidecars. This activity took us, by “us” I mean my partner and I, through all corners of Western Australia. Mainly inland, living in the bush and travelling for weeks at a time. It was my partner’s suggestion “Deb” that we should combine prospecting with our adventures.

We researched how this would work, and the research opened up ideas we hadn’t even thought of. Not doing things in half we started on this journey down the prospecting rabbit hole. Deb being a stickler for research spent a couple of years researching, reading everything gold prospecting related and teaching herself the ins and outs of Tengraph. Of course, our forays into practical prospecting were trial and error. After a couple of years, we started to get the hang of it. We met some wonderful people in the process and with a little bit of help we were off.

What interested you to buy your first metal detector and why did you try Coiltek coils?

With our new direction and hobby our first metal detectors were GM1000 quickly replaced by an SDC2300 for Deb, and I bought a GPX 5000. The GPX 5000 came with a bag of coils and TBH I wouldn’t know one coil from another at that time. That said, I found the green one felt the best and it found me some small bits of gold. I changed that detector out for a GPZ7000 and Deb used the SDC.

Time goes on and we had pegged out first lease by now. Deb sees my 7000 was producing good gold so she changed to a 7000 as well. She loves it and still uses it to this day. I heard talk of the GPX 6000 doing well, so I thought I have to try one of those.

A trip down to Reeds Prospecting to hire one. On our first trip out I was super impressed, finding seven times the cost of the hire in gold. Of course I had to buy one. The next time I went away with it I hired a Coiltek 14 x 9” and a 9” Goldhawk. I found some good gold with the 14×9 but when I tried the 9” it blew my socks off.

I was finding gold I had missed with the 11” mono on the 6000 and gold I had missed with the 7000 on some ground we had pushed, even in holes I had dug and walked away from. I can only assume I must have dismissed it for swarf on the 7000, the GH 9” mono gave a clear, strong gold tone, there was no mistake. The GH 9” mono has found me a lot of nuggets, shallow and deeper targets. A couple of five grammars at 10” easy as.

I will purchase one of the GH9” and next on the agenda is to try out the GH 10 x 5”. I have seen some excellent results with the 10 x 5 from a friend of ours.

How has prospecting benefited your lifestyle?

Deb and I are so glad we took up gold prospecting, it has completely changed our lives. It has given us a real purpose and pleasure. We almost live and breathe the hobby now. We have made some wonderful friends in the goldfields and prospecting is our main focus. We look forward to spending time on our leases researching, planning, trying new ideas out, and just getting away from it all. We spend about 6 weeks a year at the moment, but I hope we will have more free time in the future.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start metal detecting?

I help out at Reeds Prospecting occasionally and my favourite part is talking to people who want to get into prospecting for the first time or newcomers perhaps struggling to get it all together. I know what that is like, and I am happy to give help and information, usually in light hearted way.  I remember all the help we got when we first started, and I am happy to pay it forward.

Remember guys, you are never too old to start but if you are younger don’t wait until it’s too late.

What has been your most significant experience or find to date?

The whole prospecting experience has been significant to us. We have had some great finds, hundreds and hundreds of nuggets with some being quite memorable.

I remember finding a beautiful 28g nugget under some leaves “not buried” after I kicked an old can out of the way.  I have yet to find an ounce plus but have found quite a few over half an ounce. Deb found a nice 57g specimen in a deep wash that had close to an ounce of gold in it.

Who or What inspired you to start detecting?

In my case I was inspired by my partner Deb, I guess her influence was that I was willing to go along with her “crazy” idea. What a great choice and challenge that was.  I/We wouldn’t change it for anything.

 

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