The Fossickers Way Visitor Guide

The Fossickers

WAY visitor guide

www.fossickersway.com

Touring route MAP

The Fossickers Way TENTERFIELD TORRINGTON EMMAVILLE

WARIALDA

BINGARA

INVERELL

BARRABA

MANILLA

TAMWORTH

NUNDLE 2

DEEPWATER

GLEN INNES

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Contents 16 18 20

The Fossickers Way Touring Map . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Welcome to The Fossickers Way . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Gems and minerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A holiday out of the ordinary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Nundle, historic gold town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Tamworth, capital of country . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Manilla, paragliders heaven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Barraba, birdwatchers paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Bingara, gem on the Gwydir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Warialda, warm country welcome . . . . . . . . . 15 Inverell, sapphire city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Glen Innes, Celtic country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Emmaville, a colourful history . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Tenterfield, historical district . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Accommodation and regional events . . . . . . . 23 Tourist information guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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Welcome to the

Fossickers Way

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A FABULOUS ROAD TRIP AND SO MUCH MORE...

here’s nothing better than hitting the open road to explore the diversity of your own country.

This great touring route combines vast, open landscapes, quaint country towns, historic buildings, friendly accommodation, fabulous local produce, an array of natural wonders, and a healthy dose of peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Add to the mix the opportunity to fossick for a rich array of gems and minerals, and you’ve found the perfect

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road trip. Welcome to the Fossickers Way! Weaving north through the Tamworth, North West and New England regions, the Fossickers Way is an accessible and varied itinerary with a diversity of experiences linked via good quality sealed roads and highways. Beginning near Nundle, 60km south-east of Tamworth, it heads north through Tamworth, Manilla, Barraba, Bingara, Warialda, Inverell, Glen Innes and Emmaville, before finishing up near the Queensland border at the idyllic town

of Tenterfield.

The route offers fantastic nature and outdoor experiences, weaving past world-class national parks and providing ample opportunity for hiking, horse riding, biking, boating, fishing, camping, birdwatching and, of course, fossicking. With a range of fossicking sites on offer, from privatelyrun properties perfect for beginners and families, to offthe-beaten-track locations suitable for more experienced prospectors, the Fossickers Way has something for everyone.

GEMS and minerals

of the

Fossickers way T

he Fossickers Way takes in natural geological wonders and some of the most mineral-rich areas of NSW. Here’s just a few of the treasures you might find – with a little bit of luck on your side!

SAPPHIRE Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide (Al2O3). While typically associated with the colour blue, they also occur in yellow, purple, orange and green colours, while ‘parti sapphires’ show two or more colours. Australia is one of the richest sources of sapphire in the world.

Because of the remarkable hardness of sapphires (9 on the Mohs scale – the second hardest mineral after diamond), they are also used in some nonornamental applications

such as shatterproof glass and armoured vehicles.

GOLD Gold is a chemical element which, in its purest form, is a bright, slightly reddish-yellow, dense, soft, malleable and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements, and is solid under standard conditions. The metal therefore occurs often in free elemental (native) form, as nuggets or grains, in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits.

QUARTZ Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth’s continental crust, after feldspar. There are many different varieties of quartz, several of which are semi-precious gemstones.

Since antiquity, varieties of

quartz have been the most commonly used minerals in the making of jewellery and hardstone carvings. The ideal crystal shape is a six-sided prism terminating with sixsided pyramids at each end.

TOPAZ Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine.

Pure topaz is colourless and transparent but is usually tinted by impurities; typical topaz is wine-red, yellow, pale gray, reddish-orange, or blue-brown. It can also be white, pale green, blue, gold, pink (rare), reddish-yellow or opaque to transparent/ translucent. Topaz is commonly associated with silicic igneous rocks of the granite and rhyolite type.

It typically crystallises in granitic pegmatites or in vapour cavities in rhyolite lava flows.

ZIRCON Zircon is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates.

It forms in silicate melts with large proportions of high field strength incompatible elements. The crystal structure of zircon is a tetragonal crystal system.

The natural colour of zircon varies between colourless, yellow-golden, red, brown, blue and green. Colourless specimens that show gem quality are a popular substitute for diamond and are also known as ‘Matura diamond’.

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A holiday OUT of the

ordinary HOW TO FOSSICK What you need: A pair of sieves (coarse and fine), a shovel, a bucket, tweezers for picking out gems, a cloth or hessian bag, a plastic container for findings, old clothes, gumboots, sunscreen, fly spray and a first aid kit.

Where to look: Sapphires, gold

and other gems, such as zircon, black spinel, garnet, quartz and more, can be

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found in the sides of creeks and in the creek itself.

How to fossick: Dig down

through the topsoil until you find the gem ‘wash’, a stony gravel which could vary in depth from place to place.

Place the coarse sieve on top, fine sieve on the bottom and shovel some wash into the top sieve. Wash this in the creek water, then check all the large stones for a glossy appearance in the

top sieve before throwing away those not required.

Then wash the contents of the fine sieve separately, removing all debris and silt.

Tip the contents onto a cloth or hessian bag and closely inspect for gems.

TOP TIP: Equipment can be hired at several points along the Fossickers Way, including private fossicking sites, caravan parks and a number of visitor information centres.

the rules

of Fossicking

7 REASONS TO TAKE A FOSSICKING HOLIDAY 1. BEAUTIFUL SCENERY The richest fossicking areas in the region are also some of the prettiest parts of NSW. Fossicking sites are generally located at water sources, near creeks, streams and rivers, and often in pristine wilderness environments.

2. KEEPS THE KIDS BUSY While mum and dad’s idea of a holiday might be camping by a creek and relaxing with a good book and intermittent tea breaks, the kids probably don’t agree. Fossicking keeps them busy while mum and dad are free to either join in or relax.

3. AN AFFORDABLE HOLIDAY A fossicking holiday won’t break the budget. Travel by car and then camp or find affordable local accommodation in the small country towns that service fossicking areas. In many cases, you can also rent gear if you don’t want to buy your own.

4. FIND SOMETHING OF VALUE Fossicking is mostly a game of luck and if yours is good you might just find

something of value to either sell or have made into a sentimental piece of bespoke jewellery.

5. GET OFF YOUR SCREENS AND INTO THE GREAT OUTDOORS Fossicking is a great way to engage kids in the natural world and gives them an activity that doesn’t involve a screen. And once they find their first hint of colour, they’ll be hooked.

6. A GREAT GEOLOGY AND HISTORY LESSON Do you know how many millions of years it takes to make a sapphire, or why it is that gold is so often found in creeks, or that Chinese mine shafts were round rather than square so spirits can’t hide in the corners? They say the best way to learn is to do, so help your kids’ education and take them fossicking.

7. QUALITY FAMILY TIME Fossicking is something everyone can enjoy, from young children to older retirees. Enjoy time together as a family while you search for natural wonders.

• In NSW you don’t need a permit to fossick (except in state forests), but there are rules and expectations nonetheless that need to be observed for the enjoyment of all involved. Here’s the low down.

DO • Use hand tools including a pick, hammer, shovel, sieve, pan, shaker, basin and metal detector • Obtain permission before entering private land • Leave property and gates as you find them • Respect the natural environment • Take all rubbish with you • Leave the ground as you find it – fill in holes with original material DON’T • Use power-operated equipment including jackhammers, dredges, spading tools and explosives • Disturb more than one cubic metre of any soil, rock or other material during any single period of 48 hours • Dig on roadways • Enter private land without permission • Interfere with native wildlife and plant life • Pollute the ground or water • Disturb livestock • Carry firearms or other weapons More information: https://fpos.fcnsw. com.au/A-Guide-to-Fossicking-inNew-South-Wales.PDF

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Nundle Did you

know?

The famous Peel Inn was won by the Schofield family in a game of cards in the late 1800s. It’s still in the family today

T FOSSICKERS TOURIST PARK A caravan park as quaint as the town itself, Fossickers Tourist Park is set on rolling grasslands on the banks of the Peel River. Powered and unpowered caravan and camping sites are set among established trees, while cabins are modern, comfortable and available in a range of configurations. Some enjoy views across the river to the Valley beyond, while others look out onto the gardens and tennis courts.

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ucked into the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, in the breathtaking Peel Valley, lies the charming village of Nundle. Home to just 300 people, Nundle is perched atop the banks of the Peel River, where fossickers can try their luck searching for gold.

Nundle punches well above its weight when it comes to warm country hospitality, quirky events and a vibrant sense of community. It’s home to the famous Peel Inn, a grand historic pub with an award-winning beer garden, and a range of boutique shops including the fabulous, vine-clad Odgers and McClelland Exchange Store which sells rustic, country-style homewares.

And not to be forgotten is the annual Nundle Dog Race, which draws visitors from far

and wide, and the Nundle Go for Gold Chinese Easter Festival, which should interest most people with this guide in their hands. Nundle also plays host to a program of events as part of the renowned Tamworth Country Music Festival. Add to the mix the historic Nundle Woollen Mill, nearby Arc-en-ciel Trout Farm, the Dag Sheep Station and a fantastic array of accommodation, from scenic

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facts • What You Might Find: Gold, sapphires, crystals, zircons • Equipment Needed: Gold pans and sieves, hammer and pick

THE PEEL INN Dating back to the 1860s, The Peel Inn is a grand corner pub built in the gold rush, when it was one of 16 pubs in town. It’s the last remaining, and serves a mean feed for which people campsites to boutique bed and breakfasts.

THERE’S GOLD IN THEM HILLS

Reef gold was first discovered in Nundle in 1852, with alluvial gold found as early as 1849. Today, the ruins of old mine workings and equipment are dotted around the valley and the mountains.

WHERE TO FOSSICK

For exact fossicking locations pop into the Nundle Visitor Information Outlet.

Swamp Creek, gold

Follow the River Rd approx.

3.5km until you come to Swamp Creek. You can fossick in the open spaces of the Creek and Peel River, roughly 700m upstream to a property boundary.

Hanging Rock, crystals

Head 8km out of town towards Hanging Rock and turn into the lookout road.

Park at the picnic shelter 200m in then, staying on the top side of the gully, start

travel from far and wide. Its award-winning beer garden overlooks the Peel Valley, while the upstairs motel rooms provide respite for weary fossickers.

walking parallel to the gully down the hill until you come across some diggings.

Forest Way, sapphires and zircons

Turn onto Forest Way, opposite the Hanging Rock turnoff and continue 7km until you come to Duncan’s Creek Rd. Stay on Forest Way for another 400m, then park on the left hand side of the road. Head into the trees on the right of the road about 20m until you see diggings in a clay material.

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Tamworth

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ith a deserved reputation as Australia’s ‘Country Music Capital’, Tamworth offers visitors so much more than a thriving music scene, although it certainly has that.

Named the “perfect country town” by Australian Traveller magazine, Tamworth is the best of both worlds; it has the ease and charm of a country town with the facilities and convenience of a modern city.

Located on rich pastoral land surrounded by forested hills, Tamworth enjoys a backdrop of breathtaking scenery and promises unlimited adventures for

the outdoors enthusiast, from biking to horse riding, kayaking and more.

Its fertile soil makes it a productive agricultural region and in recent years this has given rise to a burgeoning food and wine scene. Tamworth should be on the radar for any foodie worth their salt, with a calendar of food and wine events, excellent cafes and restaurants, and regular farmers markets that celebrate the region’s growers and makers.

The Tamworth Country Music Festival is held over 10 days in January and

Did you

know?

The Tamworth Country Music Festival is the biggest music event in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the premier music festivals in the world

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comprises more than 2800 events and more than 750 individual acts across 90 different venues. It’s an ungated festival experience like no other – add it to your bucket list!

THE PIG AND TINDER BOX Tamworth’s hippest dining establishment, ‘The Pig’ – as locals lovingly refer to it – marries a classic pub vibe with that of a slick contemporary cocktail bar. The charming historic bank building houses a modern warehouse-style interior that serves as the dining hall, bar and kitchen. Food is served from midday until late, seven days a week, and tasty share plates and woodfired pizzas are the name of the game.

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facts • Tamworth is a regional events and sporting hub, with worldclass facilities including the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre and the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre.

• Considered the home of country music in Australia, Tamworth enjoys a fabulous calendar of live music year-round, and offers visitors the chance to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Big Golden Guitar.

Manilla Did you

know?

Manilla is a world-class centre for hang-gliding, paragliding and other forms of sky sailing

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ocated just 30 minutes’ drive north of Tamworth, the small town of Manilla has its roots firmly in the agricultural sector, but also has plenty to offer outdoors adventure enthusiasts and history buffs alike.

In recent years the town has earned a reputation as a world-renowned centre for paragliding, with nearby Mount Borah having served as the location for a world championship event.

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Fishermen will find plenty to catch, with the Manilla River, Lake Keepit and Split Rock Dam offering the opportunity to dangle a line, while the nearby Warrabah National Park is sure to keep bushwalkers, kayakers and fishermen happy.

Manilla’s town centre streetscape is alive with beautiful period architecture featuring distinctive facades, leadlight windows, pressed metal ceilings and ornate balconies.

facts • Manilla is a fabulous inland fishing destination, with a number of locations available including the Manilla River, Lake Keepit and Split Rock Dam. • Manilla is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘winding river’

MANILLA HERITAGE MUSEUM The Manilla Heritage Museum includes the Pioneer Park, the Yarramanbully schoolhouse, a Chinese Memorial Garden and even a ‘platypusary’. In the early 1900s, Harry Burrell, amateur naturalist, photographer and filmmaker, began his research into the biology and life habits of the platypus and in 1927 he published his findings in his book, The Platypus . His work is held at the museum.

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Barraba

for two other mining villages (Woodsreef and Gulf Creek) that were located near Barraba and were about the same size, but have since been abandoned. Diatomite is still mined around Bell’s Mountain.

MOUNT KAPUTAR NATIONAL PARK

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ocated midway along the Fossickers Way, Barraba is nestled in the heart of the Nandewar Ranges and is surrounded by natural beauty.

Straddling the Peel Fault, a geological fault line that runs from north to south, the district is an exceptional area for fossicking and gem hunting.

Barraba has many natural attractions, from towering mountains and ancient rock formations, to rare flora and fauna species. Climbing nearby Mt Kaputar by 4WD or foot affords breathtaking views, while Horton Falls is quite a splash, plummeting 83m to the valley floor.

The Barraba area is renowned for birdwatching, which can be enjoyed along any of the 14 ‘bird routes’

in the area, a natural tourism attraction that won the region an award for environmental tourism.

Split Rock Dam is located 15km south of Barraba and, along with the local rivers, the district offers fishing for Murray cod, golden and silver perch, and catfish. Split Rock Dam is also a wonderful facility for water-sports and other activities such as sailing, water skiing and camping.

In the 1850s, gold was discovered at Woodsreef, Ironbark and Nangahrah creeks and at Crow Mountain, which in its time made way

Did you

know?

Barraba is a rich beef growing area home to many of the country’s leading cattle studs

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A rugged island of wilderness towering high above the surrounding Western Plains, Mount Kaputar National Park is the footprint left behind by a series of volcanic eruptions that moved across this area between 17 and 21 million years ago.

Worth exploring is the 4WD-only Barraba Track, which runs to the summit of Mt Kaputar via some of the most westerly rainforest in the state before reaching an altitude of 1510m at the summit. From there, on a clear day you can see an almost unbelievable 10 per cent of NSW. Stop past to check out Horton Falls, located just off the track and plummeting a stunning 83m.

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facts • The beautiful Playhouse Hotel, where you can enjoy a meal and theatre performance, is housed in premises formerly known as the Central Hotel, the oldest of Barraba’s four pubs • If the kids fancy a break from fossicking, the Barraba Swimming Pool is an excellent example of a country pool, with a water slide and huge pool toys available

Bingara Did you

know?

School children in Bingara are known as the ‘Orange Police’, as they maintain and harvest the orange trees that line Finch Street. The town also hosts an Orange Festival

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ingara is a pretty place with a friendly and healthy environment that oozes peace and tranquility, but a sleepy town it is certainly not.

Like the river upon whose banks it is built, there is an undercurrent that reverberates through Bingara, creating a vibrant, energetic and productive community.

Things get done in Bingara; ideas and dreams come to fruition. Take, for example, the many stunning art deco

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facts • What You Might Find: Gold, crystals, garnets, rhodonite, petrified wood, serpentine and diamonds • Equipment Needed: Gold pans, fine sieves for the garnets, pick and hammer, shovel

buildings on the town’s main street. The most significant of these is the Roxy Theatre Complex, a striking feat of deco architecture that was faithfully restored to its former splendour and reopened in 2004 as a cinema, performing arts venue and function centre.

Meander down the main street of Bingara and you’ll be dazzled by the countless examples of art deco shop fronts with charming, ornate pressed tin awnings and

THREE CREEKS GOLD MINE Three Creeks Gold Mine is a small, working commercial mine that opens its gate to tourists looking to experience gold panning for themselves.

Run by the warm, friendly Joy and Paul Myer, guests are welcome to find a place to camp in the natural bush setting, and are offered lessons in panning for gold and digging for crystals. Equipment is available to rent or buy, and there are several stations set up for cleaning and sorting.

The drive in via Upper Bingara is very scenic on an unsealed road that weaves through forests of statuesque, thousand-year-old grass trees and passes historic schoolhouses and homesteads.

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MYALL CREEK MASSACRE MEMORIAL A simple monument on a hill 24km north-east of Bingara via the Fossickers Way and the Delunga-Ashford Road, the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial marks a dark stain on Australian history. It’s the site where, in 1838, 11 white men rounded up and murdered at least 28 Aboriginal men, women and children for a crime there was no evidence they committed. Seven of the men were hanged for the crime, the first time in Australian history white violence against Indigenous people was punished.

interesting glass facades.

Anyone with an interest in architecture will adore this lovely town.

Bingara has plenty to offer the fossicking crowd, too, with a wealth of gold, rhodonite, jasper and more to be discovered. Whichever road you take out of town you’ll find a spot to fossick.

The discovery of gold in 1852 brought a flurry of prospectors to the region and the tradition continues today,

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albeit to a much smaller degree than in those gold rush days. To see a working alluvial gold fossicking area and working commercial mine, tourists can visit Three Creeks Gold Mine.

A stamper battery stands on the site of the former All Nations’ Gold Mine on the southern outskirts of Bingara, and is an interesting piece of historical memorabilia that is worth checking out.

WHERE TO FOSSICK Three Creeks Gold Mine, gold

From town head 15km south towards Tamworth then turn left at the sign for Upper Bingara. Travel approximately another 6km to the site, which is signposted.

Ruby Hill, garnet

Travel 19km south of town towards Tamworth, then turn right at the Ruby Hill fossicking sign. The site is the tree-covered hillside.

Warialda Did you

know?

The Legend of Cranky Rock suggests the popular nature reserve is so named because a ‘cranky’ Chinese man who was accused of murder was chased by the police and evaded capture by leaping to his death from the rock

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onsidered the oldest town on the Northwest Slopes and one of the oldest settled anywhere west of the Great Dividing Range, Warialda was established in earnest in the 1830s. It’s an attractive, historic town with interesting architecture and a scenic location perched on Warialda Creek.

Warialda is known for its relaxed pace of life and its warm country welcome.

It has a long rural history and also enjoys some pretty fabulous geological wonders, including the breathtaking Cranky Rock Nature Reserve.

Known as the place where ‘the birds of the east meet the birds of the west’, Warialda

also boasts a fabulous variety of birdlife, making it a popular destination for birdwatchers.

Cunningham’s Rest marks the spot where the Fossickers Way turns right onto the Gwydir Highway, and the region has a few key fossicking sites where prospectors can dig for opalised wood, jasper, quartz and more.

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facts • What You Might Find: Petrified wood, jasper, chert, agate, quartz, amethyst and chalcedony • Equipment Needed: Gold pans, fine sieves, pick and hammer, shovel

WHERE TO FOSSICK Tigers Gap, opalised and petrified wood

Head 5km east of town on the Gwydir Highway

Old Gravel Quaries, ironised and other woods, jasper quartz and chert agate

Fossick in the old gravel quarries either side of the road leading to the airstrip road.

CRANKY ROCK NATURE RESERVE Just 8km east of town, Warialda’s foremost geological wonder, Cranky Rock Nature Reserve, contains a cluster of boulders that have settled into interesting and beautiful arrangements beside Reedy Creek. A millennia of weathering and gravity has crafted this natural work of art, and several walks are available (including over a suspension bridge) to take in this natural wonderland.

Camping is available.

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Inverell

I PIONEER VILLAGE Located to the south of the town on the opposing side of the Macintyre River, the Inverell Pioneer Village is a collection of preserved 19th century homes and buildings that have been assembled to depict an historic colonial village.

The buildings include a post office, a printing office, a pub, a miner’s hut, a church, a hall, a school, a blacksmith’s hut, a telephone exchange, a farrier’s shop, a shearing shed, a cottage which displays a collection of gems and minerals, and a homestead with a stringybark roof which serves as a museum for artifacts of the era.

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nverell is a charming rural centre located on a sweeping bend in the mighty Macintyre River.

Defined by its riverfront parklands and charming streets lined with heritage buildings, Inverell is a mixed farming district that produces maize, grapes, wheat, barley, olives and oats. But since the mid1800s Inverell has also been known for the mining of tin, sapphires, zircons and diamonds.

These geological blessings allowed Inverell to prosper financially, and on a noncommercial level have made the area a popular waypoint for fossickers looking for topaz, quartz, silver, sapphires and more. There are a number of fossicking areas surrounding Inverell, both public and private.

Inverell is also heralded for its arts and culture.

It’s home to the excellent Inverell Art Gallery, which is located in a gorgeous historic building and combines a gallery with

a craft centre and studio workspace.

Inverell is on the doorstep of some excellent outdoor recreation locations, from Copeton Dam outside town to Campbell Park on the riverfront in the heart of the city.

The latter is a beautiful stretch of parkland with established trees and a fabulous playground for the kids, and even has a rotunda where performances are sometimes held. Driving into Inverell from the west, the park makes a wonderful first impression of the town.

Inverell produces wine that is unique to the area due to the cool winters and high altitude, and local vignerons are putting the region on the wine lovers’ map by winning awards at wine shows around the country.

And of course, wine and olives go hand-in-hand, and in Inverell grow alongside one another in perfect harmony.

There are numerous cellar doors and olive groves to visit in this region.

THE KURRAJONG MEMORIAL The Kurrajong Memorial is a memorial to the men of Inverell and surrounds known as ‘The Kurrajongs’, who were the largest single contingent of men ever to leave a country town to enlist.

In January 1916, a group of 114 men left Inverell to fight in WWI. They were given the name ‘The Kurrajongs’ from the name of the hardy evergreen Australian tree.

Travelling by train and visiting the neigbouring towns of Warialda and Moree, their numbers swelled to 150 by the time they reached the Narrabri Army Depot Camp.

Most of the men subsequently enlisted in the 33rd Battalion AIF being raised at Armidale, NSW, at the time.

WHERE TO FOSSICK Seven Oaks Fossicking, sapphires

Head north-east on Kings Plain Rd for around 20km until you come to the signposted site. Guided fossicking and equipment hire available.

Did you

know?

In its heyday, this region supplied around 80 per cent of the world’s sapphires

Billabong Blue Fossicking Park, sapphires

As above, except drive a little further along Kings Plain Rd until you come to the signposted site. Guided fossicking and equipment hire available.

Stannifer Crystal Area, jellybean crystals, citrine and quartz

From Inverell, head south on Tingha Rd for 10km until you come to Gilgai. Continue another 15km and turn left onto Old Mill Rd then drive for 8km. The fossicking area is either side of the road within a 200m radius of the stream.

Staggy Creek, diamonds, topaz, quartz and black tourmaline Head west on the Gwydir Hwy and turn left at Copeton Dam Rd. Continue for 23km and turn right where signposted.

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facts

• What You Might Find: Topaz, quartz, diamonds, petrified wood, rhodonite, tourmaline, sapphires, diamonds, tin, grass stone and jellybeans • Equipment Needed: Gold pans, fine sieves, pick and hammer, shovel

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Glen Innes

REDDESTONE SAPPHIRES Located in the Glen Innes Visitor Information Centre, Reddestone Sapphires is a family owned retail outlet with a long history in the local sapphire game. It sells fine cut and polished sapphires in a range of colours, including fine blue, gold, yellow, green, pink and partie.

Reddestone sells both loose stones and fine jewellery, and offers other services including cutting and polishing your own rough stones and repairing heirloom jewellery.

Even if you’re not in the market to buy, it’s worth calling in to see the truly stunning and high value finished product of that which you’ve waded around creeks and streams to find.

Did you

know?

parks, Washpool The largest confirmed sapphire and Gibraltar found on the Reddestone Creek Range. These offer was a blue weighing 151 Carats pristine wilderness (in the rough), which cut to 47 walking tracks, Carats. In today’s market 4WDing and camping it would realise over opportunities. $700,000 Options for fossicking are plentiful: from the privately run sapphire len fossicking parks, to the Innes is blessed with challenging Kookabookra, World Heritage National suitable for experienced Parks, rich history and fossickers, or Glencoe, where heritage, great food and a young families can try their thriving creative community. luck. It’s little wonder, then, The region is also home to that Glen Innes is home to one of the richest deposits the largest annual fossicking of sapphires in the world, gem and jewellery show in making Glen Innes the perfect NSW, Minerama, which runs destination for fossickers. every year in March.

About half-an-hour Minerama attracts gem from Glen Innes are lovers, rockhounds and the neighbouring World outdoor adventurers, and Heritage-listed national includes a three-day program

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of guided fossicking field trips to suit both beginner and experienced gem hunters.

Glen Innes is also rich in historic buildings, so the selfguided heritage walk around town is recommended. It’s an attractive town with sprawling parklands, set amidst rolling countryside dotted with granite boulders and historic homesteads.

Glen Innes is also home of the Australian Standing Stones, the national monument to all Celtic pioneers who settled in Australia. The Australian Celtic Festival runs the first weekend in May each year and celebrates all things Celtic.

WHERE TO FOSSICK Three Waters High Country Holidays, sapphires and zircons

Head west on the Gwydir Hwy for 1.4km, then turn right on Emmaville Rd. Travel 4km then turn right onto Bullock Mountain Rd. Travel around 9km then turn left at the sign

LAND OF THE BEARDIES HISTORY HOUSE MUSEUM AND RESEACRH CENTRE

for the property. Contact Steve on 0417 452 649.

Aroona Glen Elgin, sapphires, zircon, topaz, quartz, gold panning

Head east on the Gwydir Hwy for 27km and turn left into Yahna Rd. Travel 5km then sharp turn right into Morven Rd and continue for 6km. Toilet facilities available on site. Equipment available for hire. Phone Rob on 02 6734 4274 before travelling out.

Kookabookra, topaz, quartz, crystals and sapphires

From the visitor information centre head south on Church St to first roundabout then left into Oliver St, which becomes Red Range Rd. Drive another 6km before turning right onto Pinkett Rd. Travel 39km then turn right at the tennis courts before Sara River Bridge and proceed across the ramp.

There is 700m of fossicking west of the bridge on both sides of the creek.

The Land of the Beardies History House Museum and Research Centre’s collection showcases the history of the Glen Innes district and the items on display here are local in nature, with links to people and places in and around Glen Innes.

Today there are over 10,000 items on display and the research centre has over 300,000 cards recording the history of the area, along with over 12,000 photographs. The collection is constantly growing as a result of donations.

The research centre here is an excellent resource for people tracing their family history within the district, with information stretching back to the 1800s.

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facts • What You Might Find: Sapphires, zircon, black spinel, garnet, quartz, topaz, tourmaline • Equipment Needed: A pair of sieves (course and fine), shovel, pick, bucket, tweezers, container

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Emmaville

Did you

know?

with a population of just 520, but it still has more than a few Emmaville was originally named tricks up its sleeve.

Vegetable Creek after the Chinese The Emmaville market gardens that supplied Mining Museum the tin miners. It was changed is the town’s main in 1882 in honour of the then attraction, having Governor General’s wife, opened in June 1999. The whose first name quaint museum includes was Emma impressive mineral and fossil displays, featuring the nationally renowned ocated just a half-hour Curnow Collection as well drive from Glen Innes on the as a photography gallery mineral-rich Mole Tableland featuring more than 200 is the historic mining town of historic photographs of mines Emmaville. Formerly known and miners. The adjoining as Vegetable Creek, the little Foley’s Museum also features township boomed with the a beautiful bottle collection discovery of tin in 1872. It and a range of farm was estimated that in the machinery and working tools early 1900s the population that hark back to yesteryear. was around 7000, including In the 1960s and ‘70s, 2000 Chinese people, who Emmaville came into the formed a large part of the spotlight when tales of the mining community.

Emmaville Panther emerged.

These days, the town emits There are no big cats native a sleepier, more laid back vibe to Australia, yet since as far

L

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back as 1958 there have been panther sightings around Emmaville. Is it actually real or just a legend? No one knows, but there is certainly a sense of mystery in the surrounding region.

At nearby Torrington State

MOLE TABLELAND The Mole Tableland and its surrounding area, including the Torrington State Conservation Area, is a plateau of granite standing 200m above the surrounding countryside and covering an area of around 3000 square kilometres.

This unique region is rich in topaz, tin and tungsten resources and is unusually rich in flora and fauna.

There are 750 plant species here, 34 of which are rare or endangered. The Mole Tableland is considered one of the largest deposits of quartz-topaz rock in the world.

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facts • What You Might Find: Topaz, tin, emerald, flourite, aquamarine, gold • Equipment Needed: Small pick, shovel, fine and coarse sieves

Conservation Area you can get off the beaten track and discover dramatic views and granite formations, have a fossick, indulge in some serene camping and enjoy peaceful picnic spots.

WHERE TO FOSSICK Torrington State Conservation Area, emerald, fluorite, aquamarine, gold, tin

From Emmaville, travel north-east for 7km on the Wellington Vale Rd to Tent Hill and turn left into Tent Hill Rd. Travel 18km to Torrington, then 10km north on Silent Grove Rd to the turn off to the Blatheram Camping Area. If coming from Deepwater, proceed 26km north-west on the StannumTorrington Roads.

Experienced fossickers only, beware of dangerous old mine workings and shafts.

It is recommended that you stay within known fossicking areas.

EMMAVILLE MINING MUSEUM Emmaville’s main attraction, the Mining Museum, started as the dream of Jack Curnow who had the bakery in Emmaville, which closed in 1969.

After the closure he and his wife used the shop as a museum for their collection of minerals and photographs. The collection was eventually bequeathed to the community of Emmaville with the hope that the town could start a museum.

With the help of the then Severn Shire Council a band of volunteers

started things rolling. The Severn Shire purchased the old Foley’s Store in Emmaville and the volunteers began remodelling the building to house the Curnow collection.

The Museum now houses many other private collections including the Jillett, Gibley, Morris, Key, Maskey, and Trethewey collections of minerals, in addition to over 200 photographs of mines and the people who worked them, some of which date as far back as 1893.

Emmaville Emerald Mine and Geology Centre

Call into the Mining Museum for directions.

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Tenterfield Did you

know?

Beloved Australian poet Banjo Paterson married his sweetheart, local girl Alice Walker, in Tenterfield

BALD ROCK NATIONAL PARK Featuring the largest exposed granite rock in the Southern Hemisphere, a climb to the top of Bald Rock rewards bushwalkers with an expansive panoramic view unequalled in the New England Region.

At 260m above the surrounding bushland, 750m long, 500m wide and at close to 1300m above sea level, it feels like a remote, ‘top of the world’ experience from the summit.

Collections of granite archways, scattered boulders, ravines roping their way through the terrain and a pile of enormous, smooth granite stones balancing strangely across each other are all there to be clambered among and explored by anyone willing to make the trek.

You can opt for a gentle 2.5km climb to the summit or, alternatively, you can challenge yourself with a short, but steep, climb up the face of the rock.

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A

quaint town tucked up near the Queensland border, Tenterfield is easy on the eyes and rich in Australiana and nation-defining history – from bushrangers and wartime training through to political speeches that shaped our nation. This is infamous bushranger Captain Thunderbolt’s former stomping ground, and his bush hideouts are dotted in and around town.

It was in Tenterfield that Sir Henry Parkes gave his famous Federation speech, so in a sense this unassuming little town is the birthplace of a nation. The Sir Henry Parkes Museum commemorates this fact and is well worth a visit.

Tenterfield’s streets are bursting with heritage-listed buildings, many dating back to the mid-19th century, while the preservation of a number of landmark sites, including the Tenterfield Saddlery, award the township

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facts • Tenterfield was catapulted to historical significance when Sir Henry Parkes gave his famous Federation Speech at the Tenterfield School of Arts • Peter ‘The Boy from Oz’ Allen was was born in Tenterfield, and his grandfather’s Saddlery, the Tenterfield Saddler, is an icon in town, and open select days a distinctive Federation feel.

Dining options are plentiful, with a selection of friendly pubs, cafes and restaurants to choose from. Tenterfield is fast gaining a reputation as a gourmet food and wine destination, offering a number of local wineries, farm gates and award-winning butchers.

WHERE TO FOSSICK

Fossickers should confirm directions with the visitor information centre before travelling to the sites. Head to E Mine for emerald and quartz, Cow Flat for emerald, quartz, topaz and crystals, and Lady Kate Mine for quartz and beryl crystals.

Accommodation & events

ACCOMMODATION Looking for accommodation along the Fossickers Way? You’ll find hundreds of listings at Travel In. From caravan parks to boutique hotels, B&Bs to farmstays, you can read reviews and book your ideal accommodation at Travel In.

For information on accommodation, food outlets, activities and local characters on the Fossickers Way, head to www.travelin.com.au or ask at a local visitor information centre.

REGIONAL EVENTS MINERAMA

Held over three big days in Glen Innes in March, the Minerama festival showcases the buried treasures of New England’s Celtic country.

Browse over 100 stalls trading in gemstones, fine jewellery, crystals, beads, fossils, mineral specimens, arts, crafts and more, as well as lapidary tools and supplies. There are guided fossicking field trips for all levels, as well as displays and entertainment throughout the event.

EMMAVILLE GEMFEST

Emmaville Gemfest is held over the long weekend in October each year at Emmaville Caravan Park, and attracts a diverse range of people – from those wanting to fossick for the very first

time to highly experienced fossickers.

Browse the specimens on sale at the various trader sites and the Emmaville Mining Museum and join in on a number of tag-along field trips. Look forward to finding topaz, tin, emerald, fluorite, aquamarine and gold.

INVERELL SAPPHIRE CITY FESTIVAL

Held each October, the Inverell Sapphire City Festival has a history stretching back more than 60 years and is run by the community, for the community.

The festival encompasses the Gem and Mineral Festival and Lapidary Club Tours, allowing visitors access to areas not usually open to the general public.

The 10-day festival is a highlight of the local social calendar with thousands

flocking to the poet’s breakfast, street parade and finale evening, complete with Fireworks Spectacular.

Festival details can be obtained from Tourism Inverell.

NUNDLE GO FOR GOLD

The annual Nundle Go For Gold Chinese Easter Festival attracts over 16,000 people and honours the significant role of Chinese and European miners and storekeepers in the development of the Nundle and Hanging Rock townships.

The festival includes striking lion and dragon dances, traditional Chinese dance by the multicultural communities, panning for Nundle gold, live music, traditional food stalls, Chinese-themed craft and plenty more activities for families to enjoy.

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Visitor

info guide

www.fossickersway.com NUNDLE VISITOR INFORMATION OUTLET 103 Jenkin Street, Nundle 02 6769 3026

visitnundle@bigpond.com www.nundle.com.au

Open 9am-4pm daily, except Christmas Day and Good Friday

TAMWORTH VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE 2 The Ringers Road, Tamworth 02 6767 5300

trc@tamworth.nsw.gov.au www.destinationtamworth.com.au Open 9am-5pm, 7 days a week

MANILLA VISITOR INFORMATION OUTLET

197 Manilla Street, Manilla 02 6785 1207

visitmanilla@bigpond.com www.destinationtamworth.com.au

BARRABA VISITOR INFORMATION OUTLET The Barraba Bakery, 81 Queen Street, Barraba 02 6782 1024 Saunders Fruit and Veg, 83 Queen Street, Barraba 02 6782 1253

trc@tamworth.nsw.gov.au www.destinationtamworth.com.au

BINGARA VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE 74 Maitland St, Bingara 02 6724 0066

bingaratourism@gwydir.nsw.gov.au www.bingara.com.au www.facebook.com/BingaraNSW

Open 9am-4.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday and Sunday

WARIALDA VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE

Cnr Holden Street and Gwydir Highway, Warialda

02 6729 0046

warialdatourism@gwydir.nsw.gov.au www.warialdansw.com.au www.facebook.com/WarialdaNSW Open 9am-4pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday and Sunday

INVERELL TOURISM INVERELL

11-31 Campbell Street, Inverell 1800 067 626 or 02 6728 8161

tourism@inverell.nsw.gov.au www.inverell.com.au www.facebook.com/TourismInverell

Open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, 9am-2pm Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, closed Christmas Day and Good Friday

GLEN INNES VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE

152 Church Street (New England Highway), Glen Innes 02 6730 2400

tourism@gisc.nsw.gov.au www.gleninnestourism.com.au www.facebook.com/GlenInnesTourism Open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, 9am-3pm Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, closed Christmas Day and Good Friday

TENTERFIELD VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE

157 Rouse Street, Tenterfield 02 6736 1082

info@tenterfieldtourism.com.au www.tenterfieldtourism.com.au www.facebook.com/visittenterfield

Open 9am-4.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm Saturday, 10am-2pm Sunday

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