Metal detecting is a popular hobby across Australia, allowing enthusiasts to uncover coins, relics, jewellery and gold hidden beneath the ground. With the ri...
For Steve, prospecting started out as a solo passion.
“I have been prospecting for around five years,” he says. But two years ago, something special happened that turned it into something more meaningful.
“My father — 77 years old — asked me that he would like to tag along.”
What began as a simple curiosity quickly turned into a full-blown obsession.
“Well, in saying that... he caught the gold bug very quickly,” Steve laughs, “and loves the time out together — as do I.”
Now aged 77 and 55, the pair head out to their local creek almost every week. It’s become a ritual — just the two of them, some pans, and occasionally their Gold Monster 1000 detector.
“Most of the gold has been panned,” Steve says, “but some found with the GM 1000.”
While they’ve certainly picked up their fair share of colour, it’s the experience that counts most.
“We’ve always loved being out in the bush,” Steve shares. “It’s peaceful, simple, and we’re doing something we both enjoy.”
Each trip is a chance to reconnect — not just with the outdoors, but with each other. The clink of gravel in a pan, the quiet buzz of a detector, the shared thrill of spotting a fleck of gold — it’s quality time that means more than any nugget ever could.
There’s a kind of magic in sharing a passion across generations, especially one as hands-on and rewarding as gold prospecting. For Steve and his dad, the real treasure isn’t what they find in the creek — it’s the memories they’re making every step of the way.
