Latest news with #fossicking
News.com.au
03-08-2025
- News.com.au
NT Police searching for 76-year-old Victorian Dave Haywood, last seen near Tennant Creek
Concerns for the welfare of a father out on a fossicking trip in the Northern Territory have been raised by his family after he failed to contact them for days – an uncharacteristic behaviour, according to his younger daughter. Dave Haywood, 76, had not contacted his family since Friday, August 1, his youngest daughter Lisa said. 'He calls his wife pretty much every night, especially while he's travelling and he's on his own,' she said. Ms Haywood, who lives in Melbourne, said her Dad was out on a fossicking trip in the Northern Territory, and was last seen in the Tennant Creek area. He was travelling to Top Springs, Ms Haywood said, and had spent the night at Threeways Roadhouse. 'We know he left Threeways Friday morning and went south to Tennant Creek,' she said. 'And then he was saying he was headed north back north towards Elliot.' But he had not been heard from since, she said. The family had contacted police, she said, who 'pinged' her dad's phone south of Elliot. But despite his phone ringing, no one was answering, she said. 'We haven't heard nothing,' she said. Ms Haywood said her dad was driving a 2011 white Toyota HiLux, with Victorian registration 1IL 8HB. He was also towing a small trailer, she said.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Couple's incredible $3,000 find in deep hole after digging for months in Aussie bush
For more than 20 years, Cherië and Michael have spent countless hours searching for 'elusive' treasures on a rural piece of land they also call home. Through rain and sweltering heat, the Aussie couple have 'dug deep' in the hope of unearthing their 'next brilliant find' in Queensland's Sapphire Gemfields. And it appears their persistence is paying off, with Michael recently discovering a roughly $3,000 'beauty' glimmering deep inside in a 2.5 metre hole he had been chipping away at for months. Video footage capturing the 'magical' moment shows the fossicker hone in on 'something that just popped out'. After removing rock chucks and dirt using his hands and a pick axe, Michael exclaims 'holy dooley' as he pulls the 183-carat sapphire from the ground. Speaking to Yahoo News, Cherië explained that the couple have multiple off-grid mining claims about six kilometres from Rubyvale, a precious gemstone area that attracts both commercial interest and amateurs. 'We live on the mining claims, and we have done for a bit over 20 years with our five children,' she said, adding they leased the area where the gem was found about two years ago. 'About two months ago we started that hole, and we have found little pieces but that one he ended up catching on camera. You just never know… you see a glint and you think 'oh is it one?'' 183-carat gemstone revealed to be a parti sapphire While the large gem is 'nice stone', Cherië admitted it's 'not perfect' and does have some issues. In its current state its worth about $3,000. 'It looks like a bit of a parti sapphire,' the mum said, meaning it has a natural blend of multiple colours. 'I think it has a little bit of yellow, blue, maybe green.' For now, the stone will be tucked away, but the couple hope to be able to retrieve a couple of five to 10-carat pieces which will then be sold at Cherië's shop Sapphire Gem Cuts. 'I'll get Michael to saw it up into little pieces, and then just take the parts off that aren't gem quality,' she told Yahoo, noting buyers often like knowing the origin of where and how the stone was found. 🏕️ Aussie families flock to campground in search of $10,000 treasure Man's 'very rare' find at famous campground after digging for six hours 💎 Man's incredibly rare discovery in Aussie dirt after wild weather Aussie couple still hoping to unearth 'retirement stone' Since moving to central Queensland, the couple's dedication to the thrill of the chase hasn't waned, with the pair even delivering their two youngest children on one of the mining claims. 'You might hit a patch where you get stones, and then you might go for six months or nine months without getting much at all,' Cherië, who grew up camping in the gemfields with her family, told Yahoo. Last year Michael unearthed a very clear 123-carat parti sapphire worth up to $12,300 while fossicking, she added, but they have also found 300 to 500-carat 'bombs', meaning they are 'not good quality whatsoever'. 'We're still waiting for the big one. We're still hoping to find that retirement stone,' she said. And they're not the only ones. While travelling families and their young children were once a rare sight in the gemfields, the demographic has changed since Covid, Cherië explained. 'It's great to see the families come out. I think it's an experience that you can't get anywhere else. It's very special.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Aussie's 'magical' $3,000 discovery in deep hole after digging for months
For more than 20 years, Cherië and Michael have spent countless hours searching for 'elusive' treasures on a rural piece of land they also call home. Through rain and sweltering heat, the Aussie couple have 'dug deep' in the hope of unearthing their 'next brilliant find' in Queensland's Sapphire Gemfields. And it appears their persistence is paying off, with Michael recently discovering a roughly $3,000 'beauty' glimmering deep inside in a 2.5 metre hole he had been chipping away at for months. Video footage capturing the 'magical' moment shows the fossicker hone in on 'something that just popped out'. After removing rock chucks and dirt using his hands and a pick axe, Michael exclaims 'holy dooley' as he pulls the 183-carat sapphire from the ground. Speaking to Yahoo News, Cherië explained that the couple have multiple off-grid mining claims about six kilometres from Rubyvale, a precious gemstone area that attracts both commercial interest and amateurs. 'We live on the mining claims, and we have done for a bit over 20 years with our five children,' she said, adding they leased the area where the gem was found about two years ago. 'About two months ago we started that hole, and we have found little pieces but that one he ended up catching on camera. You just never know… you see a glint and you think 'oh is it one?'' 183-carat gemstone revealed to be a parti sapphire While the large gem is 'nice stone', Cherië admitted it's 'not perfect' and does have some issues. In its current state its worth about $3,000. 'It looks like a bit of a parti sapphire,' the mum said, meaning it has a natural blend of multiple colours. 'I think it has a little bit of yellow, blue, maybe green.' For now, the stone will be tucked away, but the couple hope to be able to retrieve a couple of five to 10-carat pieces which will then be sold at Cherië's shop Sapphire Gem Cuts. 'I'll get Michael to saw it up into little pieces, and then just take the parts off that aren't gem quality,' she told Yahoo, noting buyers often like knowing the origin of where and how the stone was found. 🏕️ Aussie families flock to campground in search of $10,000 treasure Man's 'very rare' find at famous campground after digging for six hours 💎 Man's incredibly rare discovery in Aussie dirt after wild weather Aussie couple still hoping to unearth 'retirement stone' Since moving to central Queensland, the couple's dedication to the thrill of the chase hasn't waned, with the pair even delivering their two youngest children on one of the mining claims. 'You might hit a patch where you get stones, and then you might go for six months or nine months without getting much at all,' Cherië, who grew up camping in the gemfields with her family, told Yahoo. Last year Michael unearthed a very clear 123-carat parti sapphire worth up to $12,300 while fossicking, she added, but they have also found 300 to 500-carat 'bombs', meaning they are 'not good quality whatsoever'. 'We're still waiting for the big one. We're still hoping to find that retirement stone,' she said. And they're not the only ones. While travelling families and their young children were once a rare sight in the gemfields, the demographic has changed since Covid, Cherië explained. 'It's great to see the families come out. I think it's an experience that you can't get anywhere else. It's very special.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Yahoo
Aussie families flock to remote campground in search of $10,000 treasure
Aussie families are flocking to a remote campground with the hope of unearthing their very own treasure. During peak tourist season, Simon Harrison, who manages O'Briens Creek Campground in Far North Queensland, said it's not unusual for gleeful travellers to run up and show him the potentially valuable gemstone hidden in their hand. 'You get the disappointment where they think they've got something, and then you get the ones where they've got a real good treasure,' he told Yahoo News. Every year, the campground near Mount Surprise attracts thousands of visitors from around the country and overseas with the lure of possibly discovering a valuable stone in the designated nearby fossicking area. 'People start turning up over Easter… when the weather starts getting cooler, then you get all the fossickers coming out because they don't want to be digging in the heat,' Simon said. Since taking over the job in 2017, Simon said he's watched 'the demographic of the park change from fossickers only' to lots of young families with 'camper trailers and kiddies'. 'They can do their yabbying and all the kids have got all their little paddle boards,' he told Yahoo. And for the price of a night's stay and a one-month fossicking licence — which costs just under $10 for an individual and $13 for a family — they can have a crack at unearthing a pricey piece of history. Man's 'very rare' find at famous campground after digging for six hours 🧍♂️ Gold prospector's incredible find in 'remote' Aussie bush: 'Amazed' 💎 Man's incredibly rare discovery in Aussie dirt after wild weather Aussie campers make 'fantastic' discoveries after heavy rainfall While there are 'good finds' every year, the campground manager revealed travellers had recently made several 'fantastic' discoveries. 'We've had really good rains the last four years so there's been a lot of movement in the creek,' he explained. 'Your money stone here is aquamarine. It's rarer than the others, but there's some good aquamarine finds.' One of the most valuable stones he has seen so far was a 96-carat aquamarine that was 'perfectly clear, perfectly coloured', and worth roughly $10,000. However, the main stone that visitors are chasing is topaz. 'O'Briens Creek is known for the big blues that you can get here, and the different quartz. We get smokey quartz, we get citrine, we get amethyst.' But for Simon, the real prize is the people. 'You get the good experiences with the people. I get the joy of being able to see the stuff as it comes in, and then I post it [online] so everyone else can see it.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
