The massive fifth season of Discovery Channel’s #1 local production, Aussie Gold Hunters, is set to finish on a high as the crews of gold prospectors up the ante, racing to make their season targets in the final few weeks.
In an upcoming episode airing Thursday 20 August, the Poseidon Crew – Brent Shannon and his brother in law, Ethan West – are finally digging on their Slip Up lead in Tarnagulla, in Victoria’s Goldfields. The duo has been delayed for months, waiting for a permit to start prospecting on the land they hoped would hold some of the large nuggets the region is known for. Their only source of gold while they waited was detecting in remote and dangerous bushland. With less than half their season target reached, they urgently need their fortunes to turn
Well, their patience pays off in bucketloads on a day that needs to be seen to be believed! Joined by Ethan’s dad Paul West, the guys unearth two giant gold nuggets in a matter of hours! Approximately 124 ounces combined, the nuggets are worth over $350,000, but if sold to a collector they could nab up to 30% more! You’d be forgiven for thinking there was no gold left to find on Victoria iconic goldfields, but with their state-of-the-art metal detecting technology and mining process, the Poseidon Crew are proving there’s still a fortune to be discovered.
History is also made on the Western Australian goldfields when the Dust Devils – Paul Mackie & Jake Armstrong and their dads John and Mike, smash the record for the total amount of gold found in one season. Their 400-ounce target seemed ambitious at the start of the season, but with just ten ounces left to find in their final week, fortune is well and truly in their sight. Their final weigh in, which airs in the penultimate episode on Thursday 3 September, takes their season haul to 411 ounces, worth a whopping $1,028,200!
For the other crews, there’s hope and heartbreak. Intense summer heat makes prospecting unbearable for some, while others continue to have their season plagued by bad luck. But no matter what, they persevere at all costs to keep their gold dreams alive.
Aussie Gold Hunters airs Thursdays at 7:30pm AEST on Discovery Channel
