Metal Detecting Queensland Australia

After an amazing time metal detecting and stomping around Singapore it was time to do the same in Koala land!

We were staying on the gold coast South of Brisbane a massively popular holiday destination. Like Singapore the beaches are very clean or though not as clean as Singapore – you will still pull out a few bottle caps. The big difference is the size of the beaches. Where Singapore was a small area where everyone concentrates Australia has massively vast unending beaches on the gold coast which means everything is spread out over a huge area. Although Hot spots are to be found around the main beaches.

Some finds from the Gold Coast:

The main problem with the Australian beaches is that they have a giant machine that drives along the beach digging up all the litter (and treasures) as it goes about 5 inches deep. This means that on Australia’s main beaches you will have much more luck around the dunes and in the waves – nothing was found in between. I found plenty with the Ace 250 where the dunes end and the beach begins and in all the entries and exits or where people sit on the dunes.  Also remember these beaches have been detected to death already by the locals.

HOWEVER!!!!

We moved along to the Whitsunday islands in North East Queensland – The main holiday spots for the great barrier reef. We stayed at a resort on an Island called Long island and it was Singapore all over again. Small super clean beaches with masses of people concentrated in one spot with a bar and restaurant right on the beach aiding people in cash loss.

Detecting for about 3 hours each day I found over $250 (R2000) in coins and tons of jewellery. I even managed $85 in one day!

Finds from Whitsunday Islands:

The best part of detecting here was doing it in the company of Wild Wallabies that you can almost walk up to – see top right.

I stayed out the wet for this trip as you risk life and limb against the sharks and jellyfish. You even have to wear a full wetsuit to prevent stings. (Someone was airlifted to hospital in December). None the less it was paradise for detecting.

These holiday beaches on any island away from local detectorists, with super clean small beaches with plenty of tourists to fill them up are the holy grail of beachcombing.

There was even a shipwreck on the island with a British ship being marooned – after the survivors were rescued by the royal navy they played target practice firing cannon balls at the makeshift shelters the survivors built. But no cannon ball was uncovered. Also a local aboriginal legend says long island had a Spanish wreck and you can find gold coins in the sand at low tide.

We found plenty of Yellow Dollars but no Spanish gold.

Striking Gold!

I did however find a nice gold nugget – Probably an outback nugget a detectorist found and converted into a necklace when he joined the “1 ounce club” and then proceeded to loose again on holiday. Was offered cash for it in Aus but thought I’d hang on to it for a while. Who says the Ace 250 can’t find gold 😉 hahaha.

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Travel advice.

Some advice when travelling to Australia with a detector – I had no problem on the international Flights with the detector in Check in luggage. I decided then to take it on board hand luggage for the flight from Brisbane to Prosperpine (a hickville town in North East Australia). The security at Brisbane looked at it and wished my luck on the beaches. However on the return from Prosperpine airport which is about the size of a 2 car garage, the locals were freaked out by this unknown device and made me check it in at a cost of $80. At least my good old Ace it paid for itself.

If I travel again with my detector I would only take it in Check in luggage not carry on. Safe yourself the 3^rd degree interrogation and bomb scanning 😉

All in all I am much wiser about traveling with a detector and I will take mine with no matter where the holiday destination may be.

If you missed the Metal Detecting in Singapore post you can read it here.