Mt Surprise is 319km SW of Cairns and is a small town with 2 caravan parks 2 fuel outlets a hotel and a small convenience store. Our shop is situated about 300m on the eastern side of town next to the State School. The road to the Gem-fields turns out of town opposite the police station.

If you wish to stop in we can answer all your questions and assist with fossicking permits, equipment hire and anything else you may require for your fossicking expedition.

O’Brien’s Creek is situated some 42km NW of Mt Surprise. Driving there now only takes some 40-45 minutes, a far cry from the hours of careful negotiation to get out there some 15-20 years ago. Many a tale of woe is told about trying to negotiate the jump ups and rocky outcrops. Today it is a formed gravel road with no jump ups so two wheel drive vehicles have access after the wet.

Cobb & Co coaches rattled there way through this region till 1908. There is still an outline of the old change station, its bottle dump and several graves near Quartz Hill approximately 10K down the track.

Further on up over ‘The Wall’ (believed to be a lava flow from Undara) and you are out in big boulder country – the Elizabeth Creek granites. Its very scenic and noticeably harsh country for cattle as well as the wildlife that frequent the region. Keep your eyes peeled as the wildlife here can take you by surprise.

Traveling through Mt Surprise cattle station, take care as they run quite a few head of cattle. You will pass the campground after about 38K. From here the gem-fields is approximately 4K further down the track. On arriving pick your spot and start digging and sieving. Good luck. Be equipped with all the supplies you require as there are no facilities for anything.

O’Brien’s Creek area has a permanent population of approximately 8 people with that number swelling to several hundreds of visitors during the season.

Visit the gem fields at your leisure. We issue fossicking licences, hire the equipment and give you lots of information. You don’t have to be part of our tour you can go it alone spending as long as you want looking for gems and enjoying the area.

Although a large proportion of bird species in the area are migratory it is a paradise for bird watchers. Well over a hundred species having been sighted to date. A list of sightings is available from our shop

What You Will Need

Due to the nature of the land most of our fossicking is done dry. Whether it is Agate, Topaz or Peridot you are fossicking for there is very little in the way of clays with most areas being granite’s of one sort or another. This makes fossicking a dusty past-time rather than a muddy one.

Tools of the trade include a geo pick for scratching around amongst the rocks etc. A good geo tool is short handled with long steel head that has a square hammer head one end and a pick or chisel point the other. You will also need a miners pick and shovel of your liking. Sieves are one of the most important tools. We would suggest an aluminium pair. They are made to fit together, and have different size mesh so would be suitable for most gem fossicking. A bucket is always handy to carry interesting specimens in.

Commonly Asked Questions

Q. What does Topaz look like?
A. Topaz looks like sand blasted pieces of glass or ice. It is usually clear or blue in colour. Water worn pieces are most commonly found being rounded and smooth edged. When held up to the sun you should be able to see through the material even though some has a reddish coating.

Q. How much water do we need?
A. The only water you need is drinking water, plenty of it for everyone. We do all our sieving dry.

Q. What equipment do we need?
A. You will need a pick, a shovel, and a sieve. If you want to hire a set of fossicking equipment, you can arrange this at our shop. This includes a mud map of the area.

Q. Do we need a four wheel drive vehicle to get there?
A. Not for going into O’Brien’s Creek for Topaz. Be aware that the wet season does affect the road conditions so your best times for visiting are between April and September. If you feel comfortable taking a two wheel drive vehicle on about 85K return trip of gravel road that’s fine. For most other fossicking places a four wheel drive vehicle is desirable. By all means contact us to get up to the minute road conditions for the region and accessibility to fossicking areas.

Q. Can we camp there?
A. Yes you can camp at a camp ground some 4K from O’Brien’s Creek. Other fossicking areas have different regulations that we can help with so just ask.

Q. What facilities are there at O’Brien’s Creek?
A. At O’Brien’s Creek there are no facilities for anything. It’s ‘in the bush’.

Q. Can we take our dog?
A. Yes you can take your dog but be aware you are on a cattle station where baiting takes place at certain times during the year. So keep your pet close to you.