Discovery’s global hit series Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail returns for an epic fourth season next month
This time, 25-year-old gold mining prodigy Parker Schnabel has his sights set on the land down under – Australia. Its brutal landscape is bountiful, with a rich mining history that’s centuries old. But it’s going to take more than experience for Parker to reap the rewards that could revolutionise his business. Luckily, 24-year-old fourth-generation gold miner and prospecting expert Tyler Mahoney (Aussie Gold Hunters) joins the crew this season to help navigate the country’s vast goldfields.
As another Klondike winter shuts down the Yukon, Parker is determined to expand his operation and dig year-round. Following his gut instinct and a few solid leads, he has his sights set on the vast terrains of Australia – home to record-sized nuggets and the largest untapped gold reserves in the world, as well as some of the deadliest animals on the planet like saltwater crocodiles, snakes and spiders. They don’t call it the ‘lucky country’ for nothing, and if Parker can find gold and stake a claim in Australia, it could turn the self-made miner into a global mining operation.
Australia is one of the largest gold-producing nations in the world, but nothing can be taken for granted. Joining Parker and Tyler to complete the crew is Danny Etheridge, cameraman and close friend of Parker, and Fred Lewis, a former U.S. military medic and communications specialist. Together, they follow the historic gold rush trail that began in 1851, digging deep into Australia’s gold mining industry.
Their eight-week journey takes them across Australia, travelling almost 10,000km over drought-affected and difficult terrain. Locations include Victoria’s iconic ‘Golden Triangle’ goldfields, home to the world’s largest gold nugget, the Welcome Stranger; Palmer goldfields in tropical North Queensland; Old Halls Creek in the Kimberley, WA; Tyler’s hometown Sandstone, WA; Kalgoorlie and more.
In the opening episode, a Victorian miner lets the team test a claim that yields more gold per yard than Parker’s ever seen in the Yukon. Later, they battle a treacherous river, extreme heat, and machinery breakdowns for their prospecting efforts to prosper on ground that promises up to $100 million worth of gold. They also must delicately balance negotiations, and tread carefully when it comes to testing out a new, yet dangerous, method for extracting gold.
Parker Schnabel isn’t afraid of a challenge. Over the past three years, his mining adventures have taken him all over the world; from the historic Chilkoot Trail of the Klondike Gold Rush, to Guyana and Papua New Guinea. Now, the quest for gold and adventure in Australia could forever change their lives. Will this expedition lead Parker to make a decision that would change his mining career?
Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail begins for an epic fourth season Thursdays from 3 December at 7:30pm,
