Today we went to the Billabong Blue Fossicking Park to fossick for sapphires. Yes, fossicking is what you do in the Inverell area. It is known as a leading provider of the worlds sapphires and other gems. The owner gave us a personal tour of their big wash plant, an operation similar to that on the TV program Gold Rush. You can see in the top photo the pile of raw dirt that you sift through. You then wash the rocks in the pool of muddy water and dump them onto a burlap covered barrel. You start combing through the stones looking for blue coloured rocks. With a keen eye, we picked out about 20 little stones that could be turned into sapphires. A great way to spend the day in +30 degree weather. Thanks to Deb Czainski for my Australian hat, it came in handy today:)
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