Residents in a small Queensland town say gold fever is 'deadset real' with the prospect of striking it rich drawing thousands of people in each year.
Leigh McGrath's metal detector hums away as he rifles through the bush in search of gold.The 54-year-old has turned his love for fossicking into a job running prospecting tours in central Queensland's gold heartland, Clermont.
Mackay Isaac Tourism development officer Brianna Baggow said there were about 2,500 long-term prospectors visiting Clermont annually."It's almost double the town during that peak season."The small town's golden history began in 1861 when alluvial gold was first discovered in the area." it's not just Clermont, it's the towns on the way — it's your fuel, it's your food, it's your accommodation … it helps everyone," he said.
"I was over the moon … just a dirty great chunk … I couldn't believe it at the time because I've never held a nugget that big," he said.Mr McGrath — whose Jack Russell is aptly named Nugget — said it could be difficult for first timers to strike it rich.For example, he said up-ended trees could be a good place to look, because gold could be found under the roots."The gold doesn't come to the machine, you've got to go to the gold.
Tourism Prospect Prospecting Digging Nugget Price Skyrocket Detector Nuggets
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