Sorry, its late, and I’m tired.
I apologise in advance if my grammar, spelling or punctuation isincorrect or this post doesn’t clearly relay the message intended.I just thought I should post this, a week after I promised.
I’ll link this post to a previous one I did at the end of April ofthis year, for continuity of reading.
I’ll also create a PDF file with the photos from last week’s tripfor interested readers and attach it to this post.
As I mentioned previously, there were no obvious signs of prospectingactivity onmy vixigt to me but, that doesn’t mean it has occurred.
So, I headed out to the Granya tenement again lastThursday.I didn’t make it to Bethanga for a couple of reasons, which I’ll detail below.TheGranya tenementisgold only, whereas, the Bethanga tenement is copper/gold.(See my previous post and links regarding historical mining in that area).
Theregistered address of the Granya tenement (EL006517) is Firebrace TrackBullioh.
The approach to Bullioh, along the Murray Valley Highway (B400), is low laying through the Tallangatta Valley and, is mostly cattle land which forms one extremity of Lake Hume.As you get closer to the tenement, you can see hills rising in the distance, some of them densely wooded, as you head into the highlands of NE Victoria towards Corryong. (see photos in the attachment).
Turning off the Murray Valley Highway and on to Granya Road, theroad becomes steep and winding.
Once near the top of the rise (and halfway toGranya) I came across Firebrace Track, opposite Mount Granya State Park.The track showed on my map as about 10Kms long but, was shorter, as I ran intoprivate property with the road ending. The surface was unsealed but was wellgraded and I could comfortably do about 40kph in a car.The area was mostly bushland with steep sides into a valley below on my right side.
As I turned off Granya road onto Firebrace Track, I noticed a pink ribbon attached to the pole.I went back and checked my photos from late April and noted that the ribbon was a new addition.
About 1km down the track, I came across a small shrub on my left (photo missing but geological photos attached for those that may make something of it) that also had a pink ribbon tied to it.I stopped the car and got out for a look, thinking that maybe the ribbon was a marker for something?There was nothing obvious to been seen to me.I got back in the car and drove about 3kms on, which was the final destination of my previous trip.
Still feeling like a backpacker being driven intoBelanglo State Forest, i stopped and got out.I walked further than before and saw other warning signs, and several tracks that went off in different directions. (photos attached).
Around the spot where I saw the warning signs in myprevious post regarding “beware of old mine shafts … keep to the tracks”I also came across a dog baiting and bee site sign.Try as I might, sadly, I couldn’t find an old mine shaft. I saw several tracks that went off in several directions, probably only suitable for 4-wheel drive vehicles.They were steep and went to the left (opposite side to the valley below that I described earlier).I walked down one for about 400m but gave up, as my car was unlocked, and I didn’t think I would discover anything more?
Driving further than I did on my previous visit, (let’ssay 4-5 kms in), I came across several private properties, all displaying signsof ‘private property’, keep out!’
I am unsure if where I visited initially was stateland but, it was very obvious that at 7kms in, everyone was saying keep out, privateproperty.
My phone discharged mid visit, which is why I nevermade it to Bethanga.Saying that, the Bethanga tenement is much larger and undulating.In my previous visit to Bethanga, it was very hard to ascertain exactly what activity may have been going on as, without a drone, nothing could really be seen
I did see evidence of quartz rocks and other geologicalfeatures at Granya, that others may see something in, which I would appreciatefeedback on @Paperbark(Photos attached).
Driving past my previous ‘end point’, whichwas about 3.5kms down Firebrace Track, I came across several signswarning about private property and to keep out.
I saw one property that had something like cattleherding equipment and another (to my right which I couldn’t get a photo of) thatwas of ‘interest’ to me.’
(Note to self, check phone battery level before leaving home or put a charger in the car).
·120 Talgarno Gap Road (EL006920 - Bethanga PorphyryCu - Au)
This is the Bethanga tenement I didn’t visit this time,sorry.
I didpass one car on the track on my return, who slowed and spoke to me, who obviouslyowned one of the private properties, sadly didn’t have the courage to askquestions … sorry.
(20min delay)