John's New England Minerals and General Geology Blog

Saturday, 12 April 2014

THE CASCADES, YARROW CREEK NEAR GLEN INNES NSW AUSTRALIA

THE CASCADES, YARROW CREEK

NEAR GLEN INNES NSW AUSTRALIA

The Crossing is in the centre, the long pool is on the left

This section of Yarrow Creek lies between Garnet Corner and The Crossing (click to go to the Blog List page for information on these locations). In dry weather, it is possible to park in the centre of the area, otherwise walking upstream from the crossing is the best option.

It can be divided into three parts. The uppermost is the cascade area itself. Immediately below Garnet Corner, the stream descends steeply through a drop of about 10 metres to a blockup of large granite boulders. There are numerous small pools and cracks on the way down. Some good gemstones have been extracted here using yabby

The beginning of the pool

pumps. However, a lot of sand has washed down from the Garnet Corner diggings as fossickers have dug and sieved over the years. This may have been washed further downstream by floods since the beginning of 2012.

Boulder blockup and the pool

No doubt there will be good finds made amongst the boulders one day, but it will take a lot of work to shift all but the smallest of them.

The middle section is a long

pool, commencing immediately below the boulders. Within 2 or 3 metres of the rocks, the water will be over your head. Good for swimming (brr) and perhaps ideal for a wetsuit and snorkel equipped fossicker. The 13 carat sapphire in the picture came from the edge of the deeper water. There are some large boulders in the pool immediately after the deepest part and then sand takes over. Some nice cutters have been found among the boulders.

Finds including the 13 carat stone

The final section leads to the rock barrier which crosses the creek another 100 metres or so further downstream. Wash is scarce along here but some good stones have come from the pool just above the barrier and by digging under the left bank (facing downstream).

There is an extensive alluvial flat on this bank which probably conceals former channels of the creek. Naturally, no-one knows where they are and they are probably loaded with gems.
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All New England and other Geology blogs and videos

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Limestone Caves of NSW

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1147003616874115974/2430103125095714141

Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1515863000684737715

Shoalhaven District Geology.

My finds at Minerama in 2007

Thursday, 6 March 2014

KELLY’S HUT CREEK NEAR GLEN INNES NSW AUSTRALIA

KELLY’S HUT CREEK NEAR

GLEN INNES NSW AUSTRALIA

Kelly's Hut Creek

It’s surprising how few tributaries Yarrow Creek has upstream of the bridge at Pinkett. A search on Google Earth will allow you to follow the creek upstream from the bridge quite easily. On the left bank (facing upstream) there are a few minor tributaries, of which Rainy Swamp Spring Creek is the most interesting. See the blog on Rainy Swamp for information here. Further up there are Mt Slow Creek and Log Paddock Creek near the Mt Slow road bridge. Upstream from there Frenchies Swamp Creek is practically the only one. (See here for information.) These creeks all carry gemstones.

There are one or two right bank tributaries, but the only sizable one is Kelly’s Hut Creek which rises in the

distant hills towards Guyra as does Yarrow Creek itself. This creek is crossed on the Mt Slow road about 2km before the Yarrow Creek bridge. There is no signpost, however.

The point where Kelly’s Hut Creek meets the Yarrow is not easy to locate. It is a very rocky place and it so happens that the tributary runs under a lot of boulders and is easily missed. For those who are familiar with Dwyer’s property (for a long time a popular fee-paying fossicking area), you take the tracks leading upstream as far as you can go, park near the dingo fence, go through the big hole in it and walk upstream. Kelly’s Hut Creek is on the right about 400 metres further on.

If you actually do this, you will be trespassing on the neighbouring property. All of Yarrow Creek and Kelly’s Hut Creek past the dingo fence are not on Dwyer’s property. Please note that on the various Minerama and Baptist Church Fossicking Group trips, we did have permission from the landowner but as the access track is not passable when the country is wet such outings were rare. In fact, the last of these would have been in 2004.

For about 2km above the junction there are many rocky areas. The gemstones are identical to those in Yarrow Creek, including pyrope garnets. The creek then turns at right angles and runs parallel to Yarrow Creek, though at a distance of about 2km from it. From this bend on, no more gemstones have been found. Searches of the literature through DIGS were fruitless; in fact the one reference I was able to locate stated categorically that, apart from quartz, at no point were any gemstones located. Nevertheless, the various maps showing the location of sapphire deposits in New England always include Kelly’s Hut Creek, showing the very part that I am claiming is barren to be productive and the part that we know is productive to be barren.

If you ever get a chance to fossick here I know you will enjoy it. You will also be able to verify what I have written about the place. As a guess, I think that the lower part of Kelly’s Hut Creek is probably a former course of the Yarrow, though just how this came about I can’t work out. The presence of garnet in the alluvium (found only in the Yarrow and some of its tributaries) implies that at some point in time a source of garnet must have been somewhere upstream. The geology of the catchment area of Kelly’s Hut Creek today suggests that this is unlikely. If someone unravels this mystery one day I will be glad to correct any errors in what I have written here.

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All New England and other Geology blogs and videos

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Limestone Caves of NSW

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1147003616874115974/2430103125095714141

Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1515863000684737715

Shoalhaven District Geology.

Friday, 31 January 2014

FRENCHIES SWAMP CREEK NEAR GLEN INNES NSW AUSTRALIA

FRENCHIES SWAMP CREEK

NEAR GLEN INNES NSW AUSTRALIA

The Yarrow Creek junction 2013

Frenchies Swamp Creek is one of only two tributaries of Yarrow Creek over the entire length of the two properties we have regularly fossicked. The other one is a mere trickle and hardly noticeable. Just who Frenchie was I have no idea, but the swamp bearing his name covers a swathe of country between Yarrow Creek and the Mt Slow road near the Henry River bridge.

You might think that swamps are unlikely places to find gemstones, but it has been the swampiest ground at Pretty Valley that has been the most productive, so it doesn’t pay to jump to conclusions. In the case of Frenchies Swamp, the creek flows through some rocky areas along its course and gemstones have been found in all these places. I have followed the main creek up to the limit of the last swamp (about 4km from Yarrow Creek)

3 carat zircon

and gemstones are to be found in the gullies running into the swamp there. There are more small tributaries running into the swamp around its margin but I never had the opportunity to check these out.

The junction with Yarrow Creek is not obvious except when water levels are high. It can be followed up to the first swamp (about 400m) through rocky ground with quite a bit of typical quartz gravel in places. How this got there through kilometres of swamp is one of those little mysteries. The junction is at “Sue’s Favourite Spot”, just below the "Glory Hole" section.

The gemstones are identical to those in Yarrow, with perhaps a lower

Corundum fragment 1998

garnet percentage. The fact that there is any garnet at all is significant, because it implies that the source of the mineral must be in the catchments of both creeks. There is another possibility, that the swampy ground represents a former course of the Yarrow and that there are in fact large gemstone deposits present under the swampy areas.

It’s been quite a while since I checked out anything but the lowest part of the creek. In fact, it’s been 12 years since I went much further than that. Access is complicated by the fact that we never had a 4 wheel drive vehicle and relied on others on the few times we went there. Walking from The Crossing is the best bet, allowing 20 minutes to the point where the track crosses the creek.

I’m looking forward to hearing of good finds there one day. The landowner certainly believes that Frenchies Swamp Creek has more potential than Yarrow Creek. I hope he proves to be correct.

Check out the videos and blogs of Sue's Favourite Spot and the Glory Hole for more information and ideas.

Photographs are unfortunately rather few. Sorry about that. The only one of a day's best finds was done on a scanner. Be assured that there were many good finds made over the years.

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All New England and other Geology blogs and videos

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Limestone Caves of NSW

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1147003616874115974/2430103125095714141

Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1515863000684737715

Shoalhaven District Geology.

Best finds from an outing in 2006

Monday, 6 January 2014

“DOWN THE HILL” YARROW CREEK, NEAR GLEN INNES NSW AUSTRALIA

LIST OF ALL BLOG ENTRIES TO DATE

10.2 and 4.9 carat sapphires

Thanks to Google Earth. "Down the Hill" is in the centre

Many visitors to Glen Innes have enjoyed a day’s fossicking at “Down the Hill”, both on our Wednesday Baptist Church trips and during Minerama. I’ve written about the place in two previous blog entries (Quartz at Down the Hill and The Big Sapphire). Several videos have also covered the area (one, two and three). Click on the links to go there.

“Down the Hill” lies downstream of “Through the Fence” and upstream of “Underground River”.

Down the Hill is an area with many rocky outcrops and, most notably, an abandoned channel through which the creek only flows in flood. At one time this was the most productive area, but the old diggings have mostly filled with sand and no-one seems too keen to spend the day removing it when they could search among the rocks. At the lower end of the channel the wash was at least two metres below the overlying sand. The last we saw of it, there was lots of black jack and

Cliff O'Brien digging in the old channel 1998

presumably gems, but we were beaten by inflowing water and finally by a flood which filled up the hole with sand. Maybe one day, during a drought, fossickers will get another chance to experience the thrill of working this spot.

At some time, probably in the 1960’s, a small mining operation operated at Down the Hill. There was the remains of a shed or hut when I first visited the place in 1988 but hardly any sign of actual mining. This was on the flat immediately below where we parked. The only other sign of previous visitation was a Tamworth 1 pint milk bottle I found in the creek just below old hut site.

4.3 carat sapphire, 11.6 carat zircon (July 2008)

One day's small finds - December 2009

The gemstones are the usual ones for Yarrow Creek – sapphire, zircon, pyrope garnet, the occasional topaz and enstatite and, of course, quartz. My one and only cuttable ruby came from here, as well as my largest sapphire, best dog’s tooth crystal and biggest quartz

0.3 carat ruby

Snowing July 2008

crystal. This is more a reflection of the sheer quantity of wash we found than its superior quality.

It’s a place I have never tired of visiting.

https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos

https://johnsnewenglandminerals.blogspot.com/2013/12/list-of-all-blog-entries-to-date.html

All New England and other Geology blogs and videos

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1325599670344725659?pli=1

Limestone Caves of NSW

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1147003616874115974/2430103125095714141

Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1515863000684737715

Shoalhaven District Geology.

Snowing: July 2008 - the same day as the gemstone group above was found! July 2008

Sunday, 22 December 2013

LIST OF ALL BLOGS AND RELEVANT VIDEOS

USE THE SEARCH BOX TO LOCATE BLOGS AND VIDEOS OF INTEREST

25th March 2024 Where Are Sapphires Found?

12th March 2024 Kingsgate Mines 1988 Part 5 Extracts from Previously Published Sources

12th March 2024 Kingsgate Mines 1988 Part 4 Description and Location of the Main Pipes

10th March 2024 Kingsgate Mines 1988 Part 3 The Geology of Kingsgate

7th March 2024 Kingsgate Mines 1988 Part 2 Kingsgate Minerals

5th March 2024 Kingsgate Mines 1988 Part 1 The History of the Kingsgate Mines

2nd March 2024 Minerama Book 8 Sapphire (1999/2000)

1st March 2024 Minerama Book 7 Bismuth (1998)

28th February 2024 Minerama Book 6 Fluorite (1997)

28th February 2024 Minerama Book 5 Wolframite(1996)

26th February 2024 Minerama Book 4 Topaz (1995)

24th February 2024 Minerama Book 3 Cassiterite (1994)

23rd February 2024 Minerama Book 2 Beryl (1993)

22nd February 2024 Minerama Book 1. Molybdenite (1992)
19th October 2017: THE INVERELL METALLOGENIC MAP AND DATA SHEETS

Video Link
11th October 2017: THE GRAFTON-MACLEAN METALLOGENIC MAP
Video Link
6th February 2017: STAGGY CREEK GEM FOSSICKING AREA INVERELL
1st January 2017: BLATHERARM CREEK TORRINGTON TOPAZ FOSSICKING
5th December 2016: TOURMALINE IN QUARTZ LOCALITY WALLANGRA NSW

3rd August 2016: THE TIN-MINING INDUSTRY IN NSW 1911 (BOOK)
Video Link
22nd July 2016: TOPAZ LOCALITIES WEST OF TORRINGTON
6th March 2016: SMITH'S MICA LODE TORRINGTON
12th January 2016: HISTORIC NSW MINING PHOTOGRAPHS 1901 (slide show) Video Link
2nd January 2016: HISTORIC NSW MINING PHOTOGRAPHS 1900 (slide show) Video Link
1st January 2016: GADEN'S LODE GULF ROAD EMMAVILLE
12th December 2015: THE ASHFORD LIMESTONE CAVES
2nd December 2015: HISTORIC NSW MINING PHOTOGRAPHS 1897-99 (slide show) Video Link
21st November 2015: SPECIMEN HILL, THE GULF NEAR EMMAVILLE
7th November 2015: HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE HILLGROVE MINES (slide show) Video Link
17th September 2015: THE GULF FLUORITE MINE NEAR EMMAVILLE
14th July 2015: CASSITERITE CRYSTALS FROM ELSMORE NEAR INVERELL Video Link (slide show)
24th June 2015: ALLUVIAL DIAMOND MINING IN THE NEW ENGLAND REGION OF NSW AUSTRALIA Video Link (slide show)
6th June 2015: "KINGSGATE HISTORIC MINING PHOTOGRAPHS" (slide show) Video Link
9th May 2015: THE RUBY HILL GARNET DEPOSIT NEAR BINGARA NSW
6th May 2015: GEM DEPOSITS ALONG THE SARA RIVER NEW ENGLAND NSW
2nd May 2015: "TORRINGTON HISTORIC MINING PHOTOGRAPHS" (slide show) Video Link
26th March 2015: "GLEN INNES DISTRICT FOSSICKING TRIPS" (slide show) Video Link
10th March 2015: SAPPHIRE DEPOSITS AT BACK PLAIN NEAR GLEN INNES
25th February 2015: SAPPHIRE DEPOSITS IN THE EBOR DISTRICT
9th February 2015: CUT GEMSTONES FROM THE GLEN INNES DISTRICT (slide show) Video Link
22nd January 2015: SCREW TIN: EMMAVILLE'S UNIQUE CASSITERITE FOSSILS
10th January 2015: "UNCUT GEMSTONES FROM THE GLEN INNES DISTRICT" (slide show) Video Link
2nd January 2015: SURFACE HILL GEM DEPOSIT GULF ROAD EMMAVILLE
21st December 2014: SAPPHIRE DEPOSITS NEAR THE GWYDIR HIGHWAY EAST OF GLEN INNES
16th December 2014: "RAINY SWAMP" (slide show) Video Link
12th December 2014: THE EMERALD MINE NEAR EMMAVILLE
26th November 2014: REID'S COPPER MINE MINE NEAR EMMAVILLE
26th November 2014: "GARNET CORNER" (slide show) Video Link
15th November, 2014: WEBB'S CONSOLS AND RELATED MINES, STRATHBOGIE NEAR EMMAVILLE
8th November 2014:"THE CROSSING" (slide show) Video Link
28th October 2014: "THE BLACK JACK HOLE" (slide show) Video Link
8th October 2014: "THE GLORY HOLE" (slide show) Video Link
1st October 2014: "SUE'S FAVOURITE SPOT" (slide show) Video Link
28th September 2014: THE OTTERY MINE, TENT HILL NEAR EMMAVILLE
25th September 2014: "THE BOTTOM END" AND "THE BLOCKUP" (slide show) Video Link
16th September 2014: "THE OLD MINE" (slide show) Video Link

10th September 2014:"THROUGH THE FENCE" (slide show) Video Link
7th September 2014: WEBB'S SILVER MINE, NEAR EMMAVILLE
3rd September 2014: "DOWN THE HILL" (slide show) Video Link
27th August 2014: "PRETTY VALLEY" (slide show) Video Link
6th June 2014: JONES SWAMP CREEK, GUYRA TO INVERELL ROAD

18th May 2014: THE RED ROCK SAPPHIRE DEPOSIT NEAR GLEN INNES

12th April 2014: THE CASCADES YARROW CREEK NEAR GLEN INNES

7th March 2014:KELLY'S HUT CREEK NEAR GLEN INNES

1st February 2014: FRENCHIES SWAMP CREEK NEAR GLEN INNES