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Haven't looked up gold mining here in South Australia. I know there was a rush out East a long time ago. We're known for opals and uranium. I know which one I'd rather stumble on :)

Sounds like you need a geiger counter instead of a metal detector. :) Now that you mention the Opals, I remember watching some episodes of Outback Opal Hunters. That would be really cool to find in the wild.

We have an opalised plesiosaur in the SA museum. That would have been fun to find.