More suisek candidates

[fossil finder]

No particular formal expertise pb but have been knocking around fossicking, collecting and carving gemstones for 14 or so years. Made some trips out west to Yowah to look for yowah nuts and the 'Ridge'(Lightning Ridge) multiple times. Anyway thats another story for another day! I took the opportunity just now to photograph some more suiseki for ya all! Firstly is a thunderegg from northern NSW that I call 'The Brain'




Second is a bigger thunderegg I got a few years ago I call the 'Turtle Wax Turtle'





Finally for today another slick bit of alluvial chert I call the 'Three Legged Starfish'

[bonsaiboy50]

Hi, The two thundereggs look great. Where did you find the Brain? Was the other one found near Doon Doon?

[fossil finder]

Good spotting! Yes it came from the Doon Doon area that is now underwater and called Clarrie Hall Dam. In about 1970 my father took me up Doon Doon creek and I met an old fella living in a tiny tin shed 6 inches from the roadway. I remember wondering where all his possesions were as he was totally surrounded by thunder eggs and jasper the area was known for. Apparently there were grooved boulders down in the creek where Aboriginals ground stone implements.

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[bonsaiboy50]

Like you I fossicked Doon Doon with my father in the 70's. We also collected some large eggs from the top of Doon Doon mountain. I have attatched a pic of my very first suiseki, a piece of rhyolite from Doon Doon creek , just up from the bridge.

Good spotting! Yes it came from the Doon Doon area that is now underwater and called Clarrie Hall Dam. In about 1970 my father took me up Doon Doon creek and I met an old fella living in a tiny tin shed 6 inches from the roadway. I remember wondering where all his possesions were as he was totally surrounded by thunder eggs and jasper the area was known for. Apparently there were grooved boulders down in the creek where Aboriginals ground stone implements.

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[fossil finder]

Wow that's pretty amazing! I'd love to time travel back to before the dam was built and check ot all out again. Don't get me wrong because that is a lovely rock you have there but what about it attracted you over finding thundereggs, jasper and quartz in the 70's?

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[peterb]

Hi fossil finder
Love those rocks , what are thundereggs and how are they formed
Peterb

[fossil finder]

Thunder Eggs simliar to a geode but are a product of volcanoes. You have probably seen large hollow roundish geodes with inward facing purple amethyst crystals. Thunder Eggs are formed in the gas cavities that form in cooling lava hence the spherical shape. These cavities are infilled at a later time with agate, chalcedony or common opal. The outside of a thunder egg is the same geologically to the parent rock. The Tweed valley is actually the caldera of a huge volcano probably over 50km across. Doon Doon is very close to Mt Warning the slower eroding magma chamber evident today. The tourist center at Murwillumbah has some huge thundereggs several hundred kilograms in size

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[peterb]

Very interesting , enjoy reading about different types of rock and stuff . Sometimes wish I had studied geology or something ln that line
Peterb

[AndyC]

Hey Guys.... Love fossicking myself and have spent a lot of time at Nundle (nr Tamworth). Shall be going to Tingha in January to try our luck there. Have picked up some good suiseki rocks while looking for my fortune in gold and gems. Wish I had started earlier in life to go fossicking. When I get the chance in a couple of years time I will be travelling around central and northern Qld fossicking. not sure if the caravan would be able to take the weight though!!!!

[fossil finder]

Hey Guys.... Love fossicking myself and have spent a lot of time at Nundle (nr Tamworth). Shall be going to Tingha in January to try our luck there. Have picked up some good suiseki rocks while looking for my fortune in gold and gems. Wish I had started earlier in life to go fossicking. When I get the chance in a couple of years time I will be travelling around central and northern Qld fossicking. not sure if the caravan would be able to take the weight though!!!!

Here some of the gem quality citrine, smoky quartz and rock crystal I find when looking for suiseki [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND SMILING EYES] The champaign coloured citrine is over 800gms. Sorry I can't give up the location but it is in northern nsw.


Rocky River Island -Quartz




Petrified Wood Mountain



Waterworn Rose Quartz

Thunder Eggs simliar to a geode but are a product of volcanoes. You have probably seen large hollow roundish geodes with inward facing purple amethyst crystals. Thunder Eggs are formed in the gas cavities that form in cooling lava hence the spherical shape. These cavities are infilled at a later time with agate, chalcedony or common opal. The outside of a thunder egg is the same geologically to the parent rock. The Tweed valley is actually the caldera of a huge volcano probably over 50km across. Doon Doon is very close to Mt Warning the slower eroding magma chamber evident today. The tourist center at Murwillumbah has some huge thundereggs several hundred kilograms in size

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[Pearcy001]

Love the petrified wood mountain FF!

[bonsaiboy50]

It was part of a much larger thunderegg that was cut up the time . I found this piece in the garden ( where all the offcuts were thrown) many years later and thought it would make a good Suiseki.
.

Wow that's pretty amazing! I'd love to time travel back to before the dam was built and check ot all out again. Don't get me wrong because that is a lovely rock you have there but what about it attracted you over finding thundereggs, jasper and quartz in the 70's?

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[Jarad]

Nice rocks!

I love rocks, I've never actually been fossiking before. Are there any good places around the Central Coast?

Very interesting , enjoy reading about different types of rock and stuff . Sometimes wish I had studied geology or something ln that line

I'm thinking along the same lines as you. As well as studying archaeology.

[fossil finder]

Nice rocks!

I love rocks, I've never actually been fossiking before. Are there any good places around the Central Coast?

Very interesting , enjoy reading about different types of rock and stuff . Sometimes wish I had studied geology or something ln that line

I'm thinking along the same lines as you. As well as studying archaeology.

The central coast doesn't seem to have that much gem fossicking locations but that's not to say there aren't places to find suiseki and rocks to use in bonsai. Best angle is to contact local lapiday clubs and/or research the area you are interested in. Old mining areas like those on the New England Tableland, Lightning Ridge etc have large areas to peruse. Recent publications have little information on locations but two older books readily available on Ebay is 'Where to find Australian Gemstones' by Derrick & Doug Stone......of course! (Periwinkle)........ and 'A fossickers guide to Gemstones of Australia'by Nance & Ron Perry (Reed). The later has a list of locations and what you find in those areas and a list of gemstones and where to find them......golden hint there!....

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