Not really. Any decent gold is going to be in the deepest parts and probably most difficult locations which means diving (Scuba or Hooker). To work in that water, you'll need a dry suit, maybe during summer a 6mm wet suit but you wouldn't be enjoying a couple of months diving for gold in cold water. The gear alone would cost a fortune and for what? The "hope" of finding something. You are better off buying a nice shiny 5 oz cast gold bar.
You can get a fossicking License cheaply and easily by filling a form online. takes about 10 minutes and its valid as soon as its lodged, its Not really a big deal. Victorians have it good for the fact you can get a ten years fossiking license for like $50 if I remember correctly, I got my self a Vic license a few years back. Qld is a bit more expensive but we can fossick on our own land without a license. there are different laws in each state some over ride that law. But generally what you have said is correct but people should have the license if their fossicking to avoid the fines and keep what they find. Obviously if you didnt and you found gold you would definitely not tell any one until you paid the fossicking license fee lol
headline- "fossicker miraculously finds huge gold nugget 15 minutes after getting fossicking licence"
So bloody true. Picks, shovels, sieves........................blah......... Want to buy a gold pick? I've got large, medium, small, hickory handle, spotted gum handle, leaf spring steel, fab-tab steel, welded handles, bolted handles. Short shovels, long shovels, wide mouth shovels, skinny shovels and Fing crow-bars, big, little, fing heavy, light, chisel point, moil point...................
A bloke I know made about a dozen picks of varying sizes about 6 years ago which mainly worked as good as $80-100 off the shelf jobs. He used 3mm steel plate on some smaller ones but his best were made from old plough disks. His brother is still using one that has only snapped one handle which was due to using wood still a bit green. I have one I use at times due to a longer handle made of solid grey box. It has a split running end to end but it has an excellent straight grain. I ran 10 metres of electrical tape up and down the handle and it still goes well four years on. Gotta admit I've lost more picks than broken over 10 years.