Australia’s richest gold mine isn’t built on classic quartz veins. This deep-dive into the Boddington Gold Mine explains how intrusion-hosted gold and copper formed, why Boddington produces more gold than any other mine in Australia, and how billions of dollars in metal were hidden beneath laterite in Western Australia. Discover the geology, mining history and economic significance of one of the world’s most unusual Archean gold deposits.
Metal detecting for gold is often portrayed as the easiest way to strike it rich, especially during periods of high gold prices. This article breaks down the real-world realities of attempting to metal detect full time, using Australian conditions as the framework while explaining why the same challenges apply globally. It explores the true cost of detectors, the problem of deep trash, intense competition, physical strain, ground depletion, and income volatility. From public land limitations to private access myths, this piece explains why metal detecting can work for a small number of people, why it fails for most, and what full-time detecting actually looks like once the excitement wears off.
With gold prices surging, hard rock gold mining is often seen as the logical next step beyond alluvial prospecting. This article breaks down the uncomfortable truth about hard rock gold mining, using real-world examples and Victorian legislation as the reference point. It explains why finding gold in quartz does not automatically mean a viable mining operation, how gold grade varies along veins, and why most quartz reefs are far more complex than they appear at the surface. From free-milling versus refractory gold to crushing, processing, legal limits, contamination, and physical labour, this piece explores the realities that determine whether hard rock gold mining can ever move beyond a hobby. While focused on Victoria, the challenges discussed apply to small-scale hard rock mining almost everywhere in the world.
With gold hitting record highs in Australia, many people are asking whether now is the time to quit their job and try to live off gold. This article breaks down the real-world realities of full-time alluvial gold prospecting, focusing on Australian conditions and the Victorian goldfields. It explores how alluvial gold actually forms, why gold distribution is unpredictable, and why a good find doesn’t automatically translate into sustainable income. From overburden and recovery efficiency to legal limits, competition, costs, and psychological pressure, this piece explains what full-time prospecting really involves. It’s an honest look at whether alluvial gold mining can support a livelihood, who it might work for, and why it fails for most people despite high gold prices.
Hidden beneath the quiet landscape of central New South Wales lies one of Australia’s most mysterious and valuable mineral discoveries: the Hera gold and silver deposit. Long believed to be a region dominated by traditional Cobar-style ore systems, the Cobar Basin was turned on its head when Hera revealed extreme heat signatures, exotic skarn minerals and a suspected but still undiscovered magmatic heat source. This extraordinary deposit produced hundreds of thousands of ounces of gold and silver while exposing a geological puzzle that continues to challenge experts. In this deep-dive exploration, we unravel the formation of the Hera skarn, the billion-dollar metals it hosted, and the unanswered questions that make it one of Australia’s most compelling geological mysteries.
