Episode 1
New England Sapphires

A leisure, pleasure and treasure adventure for all the family.

Autumn in Emmaville

Easter long weekend the Gem seek Crew headed off west of the ranges to their favourite spot of Emmaville in the north west of NSW.

The magnificence of autumn out West with the turning colour of deciduous trees and milder climate makes it an ideal time to visit the area. Seeking gem stones & the people who seek them our quest as always.

We were honoured to participate in a fundraising event to support cancer research organised by a remarkable cancer sufferer and fellow gemstone enthusiast Wendy and her husband Honky (Peter) and sadly since the filming of this event Wendy has left us for heavenly gem fields. Her courage and commitment in the face of adversity was remarkable and will never be forgotten.

What other excuse did we need for a trip out west, especially with outstanding bush facilities next to the Seven River, provided by our other good friends Peter & Julie.

We left early to make good use of the day filming & catching up with friends along rout. When we finally met up with Peter and got a mud map to the site our anticipation of a great few days filled with fossicking, filming, fishing and socializing was boiling over.

Down the track we headed deep into the bush we ploughed for several kilometres. Coming into a grassy knoll, we spotted the shack. An 1840’s miners shack completely decked out with wood combustion stove, bunk beds, table & chairs even the kitchen.

Sink, all lovingly assembled, along side the Seven River. Other great facilities included a wood hot water system made out of two 18gallion kegs, a tree shower plus a great camp fire such survival comforts.

We began to settle in before dark, each with our own chores the camp came together. Our first night under a billion stars & full moon, the guitars came out and the tales were told as the holiday break began.

Saturday began early setting the yabby trap and surveying the best sapphire fossicking spots along this renowned river. Gravel is always on the move for sure but here we found mounds of ironstone rock in the old creek beds by the mega ton.

At an average of $10 per cubic meter in mining conditions this was a fossicker’s night mere. So we turned our thoughts more towards fishing, and replacing the lures we kept loosing, by hope fully winning the “lure” raffle on offer at the cancer fund raising event, that afternoon.

Wendy the remarkable women who organised this event was currently undergoing chemo therapy for reoccurring breast cancer. Having suffered many treatments, side effects and psychosocial repercussions over two years, of this insidious diseased, she remained an active member of the Emmaville community. Amongst her contributions she was a professional seamstress, having created exquisite ball gowns, bridle attire, costumes and clothing for all occasions. An avid fossicker along side her husband Honky, she also cut and polished the gem stones they found together. While always offering a helping hand to who ever had a need, she will be sadly missed by all.

Cancer affects us all directly or indirectly in some form so from a quiet drink with a couple of friends the idea to bring the community together for a fundraising social day grew.

What a fun afternoon everyone had, Easter Bunny and his helpers the rainbow fairy and miniature bunny arrived on the town fire engine to scatter eggs and fairy dust.

The most adorable children paraded for the judges, proud of their Easter bonnet creations, and rewarded with more Easter eggs.

There were raffles galore, craft stalls, a sausage sizzle, and cake bake off, a chocolate wheel, and highlighted by The Horse POO lotto?????????? WHAT IS THAT YOU SAY, we asked the same? Well it seems they fatten this little miniature horse up with plenty of feed then walk it around a numerically marked out grassed area until she delivered her gem, and the square it drops on is the lucky winner. Patrons bet on which will be the lucky square. Well in this case the prize had to be divided between 75 & 76 as it was an even split.

Gem seek released our first limited edition theme song CD which was very exciting for us and well received by the community and now on sale at the Emmerville Mining Museum.

An auction of unique items highlighted the evening program as too the growing number of bald patrons as they shaved for cancer research. In a geographical area with so few palliative care resources this community needs all the help it can get, yet here they were giving.

The high light for us was to see Wendy line dancing down the main street with other cancer victims & survivors in union, to the tune of “ I will sail my vessel until the river runs dry” a powerful symbol of courage.

No Gem seek adventure would be complete though without some bush walking and gem stone find. While seeking out the ultimate treasure one becomes immersed with the energy of the bush. Never having indulged in the New Age crystal energy theories I now wonder if the revitalising energy one feels out in this particular area has any connection with the richness of crystal deposits found there?

Honky was the leader of this expedition telling a tale of a mine yielding green stones. Upon finding an old digger’s camp outside Torrington we investigated the area further on foot. In this land of short timbers we came across a huge area dotted with old mine shafts. The enormous effort made to mine this area in days gone by was apparent every where, and we marvelled at the miner’s endurance in their search for tin.

Excitement grew as we found our way into a huge cave through a small opening in the cliff side of a main shaft. Not the most inviting of places with piles of bat faeces and bugs, but the awe and intrigue we experienced was straight out of an Indiana Jones movie, as this massive mine opened up to us. Al was in his element, digging away at the back of the deepest drive. Could this green colour we found in thick quartz lines be the precious emeralds of Torrington or the ever common fluorite, only time would tell?

The miners of old had often by passed precious gem stones in their quest for Tin, making our exploits to extract this green stone easy in comparison. But the cramp conditions thin air and stench drove the need to escape for fresh air & rejuvenation. So after filling our old hessian bag with green treasure we began the arduous job of the climb out, up the ropes we’d slithered down on, camera gear and all.

Back at base we marvelled at our find and the daring adventure down Green hole as we named it, while we sieved and washed our bag of treasure, yielding a pile of green crystal like stones. Some pieces were quiet shattered due to the hardness of the quartz surrounding and restricting their growth. Others found in white clay material were clearer and a darker green. But alas this precious green stone was only fluorite.

How good & full was that, for a long weekend? Especially the fresh Cod cooked in the coals of the fire, and the great footage towards our documentary series.

Who knows where the crew will venture next but you can be sure we’re be finding and filming and digging and filling, so until next trip stay safe.

Gemseek.

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