2 days Ago By Nathan Mawby
Dozens of Australian properties are being advertised with gold prospecting on the cards for their next owner this summer. From Victoria’s golden triangle to Crookwell, Wattle Flat and Lower Duck Creek in NSW, as well as Georgetown in outback Queensland, sprawling properties in area’s known for their rich history are up for grabs. But experts have warned not every bush block is the same when it comes to trying to turn real estate into paydirt.
RELATED: Gold Gypsies: reality TV duo put regional Victorian property on the market Victorian prospectors turning bush blocks in the state’s golden triangle into hot property Propertyology: Aussie cities with home prices tipped to go nuts in 2025 The Gold Gypsies reality stars have prospected across WA, Queensland and Victoria, where they are currently based. The pair rose to fame in the gold hunting world as part of Aussie Gold Hunters on Foxtel’s Discovery Channel and have subsequently built a global fan base with social media videos attracting up to 300,000 viewers. And while some parts of the country are hard going in summer due to searing temperatures, keeping an eye out for properties along rivers, creeks and streams, or with damns and other water features on them, can be vital to success when searching for a gilt address.
Gold nuggets found in Victoria’s golden triangle by prospectors. A watercourse like that along 1762 Hootons Road, Lower Duck Creek, in NSW can be important for gold hunters. The pair rate Victoria as the best place in Australia for amateurs to go hunting for gold.
The world’s largest gold nugget, the Welcome Stranger, and the world’s largest nugget found by gold detector, the Hand of Faith, were both unearthed in Victoria’s golden triangle — a region that includes towns such as Dunolly, Talbot and Wedderburn. “It’s the best spot in Australia, and the chances of getting lost in Victoria’s goldfields are a lot less than other states,” Ms Clark said. They are currently selling a bush block they’ve been using as a base in Wedderburn, and have revealed they found a golf-ball sized nugget in a public forest nearby late in 2024.
Gold Gypsies Chris and Greg Clark with real estate agent Kat McKay — and some of their golden finds. CA 40-41 Sec 3 Calder Highway, Wedderburn, is the Victorian bush block being sold by the Gold Gypsies, who are happy to give some prospecting tips to their buyer. “We haven’t found gold like that since we were using machinery in WA,” Ms Clark said.
For those wanting to find their own, well, prospect, the pair advise breaking out the history books, and some old maps, to make sure gold really has been found nearby. Alternatively, downloading the Trilobyte geology smartphone app will give you access to a live map on your phone that includes gold finds. Properties along waterways are also often a good bet, as are those that have signs of past prospecting such as gold-rush era fireplaces and shacks.
CA 127E McDonald Rd, Llanelly, in Victoria is also listed for sale with gold prospecting rating a mention in its advertising. 89 Caldow Rd, Woodvale, in Victoria is also up for grabs a less than an hours drive from Wedderburn — but much closer to major regional city, Bendigo. Prospectors and Mining Association of Victoria president Jason Cornish said more people had begun looking to buy a cheap bush block to search for gold, with the number of people in the state holding miners rights rising from 40,000 before the pandemic to 78,000 last year.
“People love the thrill of chasing the nuggets, and there’s health and social benefits to going out to the bush,” Mr Cornish said. With summer storms moving across parts of the country, he added that it was possible topsoil would be washed away and trees toppled to unearth previously buried nuggets. Brett Frazzani was among those to buy a bush block to embrace gold prospecting in 2024.
“I have found a little bit of gold in the space of two or three months,” Mr Frazzani said. With gold-hunting relatives in the area steering him towards the block he bought, he’s happy with the finds — but not planning to turn professional. Some of the properties espousing local gold prospecting are a bit more than a bush block, like 88 Batterham Lane, Wattle Flat, in NSW.
45 Saint George St, Georgetown, is the only property advertising local gold prospecting opportunities for sale in Queensland today — and it backs onto Etheridge River. “I don’t go out there with the thought that I will make myself rich or anything,” he said. “I’m more interested in the memories and the fun doing it and the excitement.
For when the detector goes off and you’re wondering is it a bullet or is it gold or a bit of old miners junk. “And once you do find a bit, you just get gold fever and it’s in your blood.” – Look at maps for any where gold has been found; – Prioritise properties with seasonal creeks or dry river beds; – Download the Trilobite geology smartphone app to see where gold has been found in nearby Crown land on a live map; – Look around properties for old gold rush fire places: a bit of glass and debris sticking out of the ground, which can be a sign of early gold prospectors having set up camp in an area; – Look for nearby forest areas that have been raked as this can indicate a prospector has found gold there and cleared detritus to search for more.
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