A prospector from Western Australia, recognized for his distinctive gold-detecting motorcycle, is feeling extremely fortunate after uncovering not just one, but two gold nuggets weighing a kilogram each during a recent prospecting expedition in the region. Gary Tomasovich, with over five decades of experience exploring various gold-rich areas in Australia, has honed his skills to a level that few can rival.
Gary Tomasovich, a 69-year-old mechanical engineer, struck gold in Western Australia’s Goldfields when he stumbled upon a 997g nugget. He likes to go prospecting on his no-frills motorcycle, equipped with steel guards and a trusty Minelab gold detector. His latest excursion was especially fruitful as he explored a reef in central WA. Despite encountering interference due to heavy mineralization from ironstone runoff, Gary’s persistence paid off as he uncovered a significant amount of gold.
After Mr. Tomasovich dismounted his bike, he pulled out his handheld detector to begin his search for treasure. “At a distance of around 80 meters from the reef, I picked up a strong signal. Digging about 2 1/2 feet below the surface, I uncovered a hefty 1100-gram nugget,” he explained with excitement. “My heart skipped a beat. The thrill of a find never gets old, especially after a streak of dry days.”
After cleaning the nugget, it weighed 1076 grams, and the luck didn’t stop there. “I was out with a friend exploring another area in the eastern goldfields of WA. After six disappointing days with no significant finds, we were feeling discouraged,” Mr. Tomasovich shared.
The piece of land sloped down towards a deep creek caught his eye. He stumbled upon a 340-gram nugget along with some smaller pieces and returned to camp. However, the spot lingered in Mr. Tomasovich’s thoughts in the days that followed. He went back to the creek bank, which was covered in loamy soil and gravel, and detected a faint signal. After a lot of digging, the detector started beeping loudly at about three feet deep. Mr. Tomasovich continued to dig another six inches until he uncovered a 997-gram nugget. A kilogram of gold was valued at around AUD$54,373 at the time.
