From Exploration Geologist to Your Gold Prospecting Guide
I've spent decades hunting for gold in Western Australia — first as a exploration geologist, then as a passionate hobby prospector. Here's why I started sharing what I know.
I Was Paid to Find Gold in WA
For years I worked as an exploration geologist, and my job was literally to find gold across Western Australia. I spent my days reading the landscape, interpreting geology maps, drilling prospects, and learning — at a level most hobbyists never get access to — exactly where gold forms, why it stays where it does, and how to predict where the next deposit might be hiding. The regions I worked, the methods I used, and the geological understanding I built during those years are the foundation of everything I teach now. It gave me a perspective that almost no recreational prospector has — and it changes everything about how you approach the field.
Nearly 35 Years With a Metal Detector
Long before I was a geologist — and all the way through my career and beyond — I've been out in the WA bush with a metal detector. My first finds were mostly luck. But as my geological knowledge grew, so did my results. I started prospecting differently: choosing ground deliberately, not randomly. Reading the landscape before I swung the coil. Understanding why gold was in a particular patch and using that to find the next one. The moment I realised most beginners were struggling not because of their equipment or their effort — but because nobody had ever shown them how to think geologically — was when I decided to start sharing what I knew.
What I Teach — and What I Don't
Geology for Prospectors
Just enough geological knowledge to find more gold. Not a university course — practical, field-ready understanding.
Location Research
How to find prospective ground using publicly available tools before you ever leave home.
Western Australia Focus
WA-specific advice. Regions, regulations, and conditions that apply here — not generic global advice.
Beginner Friendly
No assumed knowledge. If you're just starting out, or have been going out for years with nothing to show, you're in the right place.
No Equipment Bias
I don't do equipment reviews or detector tutorials. My focus is where to go and what to look for, not what to swing.
No Water Methods
No panning, sluicing or dredging — this is WA. Dry country, dry methods.