A large gold nugget like this one has been found in Western Australia, about 500km north of Kalgoorlie. Photo: Dave Craw / University of Otago
By Macey Turner and Katrina Tap, ABC
Veteran prospector Chris MacGregor had one thought when he heard about a chunk of gold that weighed nearly a kilogram being found near a historical West Australian gold mine town recently - "you lucky people".
The 895-gram nugget found by prospectors near Sandstone, 513 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie, is worth about $165,000.
"I'm sure they put in the hours, which is what it's all about, and good luck to them," MacGregor said.
The Perth resident is one of many visitors making the most of a booming prospecting season in the region.
Amalgamated Prospectors and Leaseholders Association of WA president James Allison said the discovery of the large nugget showed "the big gold" was "still out there".
"With the technology now, there's a lot of people going over old ground and still finding gold - that's why all the caravan parks - they're all full," he said.
"It's just the allure. If you find an ounce of gold - that's about the size of a 10-cent piece - that's worth $5000."
Untapped market
Gold was first found in the region by prospectors Arthur Bayley and William Ford in 1892.
Australia's Golden Outback chief executive Marcus Falconer said finds such as the Sandstone nugget were "important" in keeping the mystique of the Goldfields alive.
"People decide to - like back in the gold rush days - come to seek these things out," he said.
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder mayor Glenn Wilson said the current record high gold prices had certainly excited people.
"There's gold fever getting around at the moment," he said.
"It's great to see that people are making the most of what is a very buoyant gold price."
Prospectors have been flocking to the region for 130 years but Wilson said gold tourism was a largely untapped market.
"Prospectors might spend up to three or four months out on the land looking for that elusive nugget," he said.
"I think there's a massive opportunity - to harness and to further understand what that prospecting community does deliver."
Guides booked out
Greg and Liz Watson own a company that operates guided prospecting camps about 60km north of Leonora.
Greg and Liz Watson thought the pandemic would ruin their gold tourism business but say demand has skyrocketed since. Photo: ABC Goldfields: Macey Turner
Liz Watson said the demand for their tours was insatiable this season.
"We've had to expand the amount of people we have on the tours," she said.
"This year I'm turning away six to 10 people a day, at least."
Despite the obvious demand, the pair said running a gold tourism business involved more than just teaching people how to find the shiny stuff.
"They have to be cut out for it, because you're dealing with so many people," Greg Watson said.
"Anyone coming into it needs to really have a serious look at it.
"You need to have full insurance. You need to be accredited in some way."
Gold not the only goal
Vicky Smith went on her first tour with the Watsons in 2023 and said she enjoyed the isolation and open landscape more than the idea of finding gold.
So when the Watsons needed an assistant she traded in her child protection job for a six-month stint in the red dirt.
"It's lovely to be out here," she said. "This is just a completely different world."
Despite an almost lifelong commitment to combing through the scrub in WA's gold country, MacGregor and his detector - affectionately dubbed the "Wailing Wand" - are yet to hit the jackpot.
"It's a very rare thing to come by - you've got to put in the time," he said.
Chris MacGregor has been prospecting on and off for more than 40 years after picking up his first piece of gold at the age of 11. Photo: ABC Goldfields: Katrina Tap
MacGregor said finding gold was only part of the joy of prospecting.
He said he would keep sleeping in his swag under the stars for as long as he was able.
"Don't do it for the gold - come for everything else that's out there," MacGregor said.
"If you get some gold, it's a bonus."
Safety the priority
Allison said tourists hoping to strike it lucky were welcome in the region, but stressed that safety should be the number one priority.
"We've seen many, many cases over the years of prospectors getting lost and perishing, and they're found within 50 metres of their vehicle," he said.
Last year the bodies of a father and son were found after they went missing while prospecting in the Murchison region.
The body of Vietnam veteran William Wadsworth was also found last year, months after he went missing while prospecting near Norseman.
Allison said water, food, shelter and a personal locator beacon were indispensable for prospectors, who should also let people know of their plans.
"It doesn't matter if you're over-prepared," he said.
"You should be always looking at the 'what if'."
- ABC
