Upper Jordan Catchment

Spent yesterday traipsing (16km) around the Upper Jordan catchment, once the richest alluvial goldfield in the world (the average 3.6 metre square ‘paddock’ yielded 200 ounces of gold!) with Spot and my two ‘boys’ Bryn & Matt. We found an old boiler surrendering itself to the forest amid a welter of other old mining equipment, as well as the ruins of two old miner’s huts, one of which still enriched by mementoes of my old hunting mate, the ‘legendary’ (late) Arthur Meyers with whom I hunted (this area) in the 80s and 90s.

This area has produced the largest sambar deer heads ever taken in Australia, some of which (eg a monster taken by George Allen, Arthur’s mate) have never been measured. Many of the watercourses have become a ‘sea’ of blackberries since my ‘time’ hunting there; one gully I crossed involved a struggle of over an hour to force my way through. At one point I had to carry the plucky Spot in my backpack…

Old miner's hut with some mementoes left by Arthur Meyers
Old miner’s hut with some mementoes left by Arthur Meyers – the hut is on the right near the end of the Ross Creek track. It needs some new timbers in the roof.
Old miner's hut
Old miner’s hut
The boiler is situated in a beautiful fern gully...
The boiler is situated in a beautiful fern gully…
Matt can fit in as well!
Matt can fit in as well!
And he can - Spot wonders whether he can come to!
And he can – Spot wonders whether he can come to!
Bryn checking he can fit into the boiler - as you do!
Bryn checking he can fit into the boiler – as you do!
Matt inspecting the steam release valve
Matt inspecting the steam release valve
Inside the boiler seems good enough to fire up
Inside the boiler seems good enough to fire up
The boiler site included many dry stone walls
The boiler site included many dry stone walls
Approx 8 x 1.5 m (wrought iron?) boiler
Approx 8 x 1.5 m (wrought iron?) boiler
Spot's hunting equipment
Spot’s hunting equipment
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