Gold prospecting maps for Australia and NZ
Stop digging in the wrong spot.
Dig Here puts 160 years of gold finds, real drill results and bare-earth terrain on one map, then pins the spots where it all points to gold. It even tells you if you’re allowed to dig there.
No credit card. Paid plans from $12 a month.
What pin #2 tells you
“Creek trap. Just below a stream junction, on the inside of a bend, where the flow widens and loses power. A 50 km² catchment feeds this reach, so this is where gold drops out.”
How it works
Know where to dig
before you leave home.
See the ground under the scrub
LiDAR strips away every tree and blade of grass. Old tracks, workings and gullies show up clearly, even where satellite shows nothing but bush.
Check what has already been found
124,000+ historic workings, 2.2 million+ drill results with real gold grades, and every creek with the direction it flows. The old-timers and the mining companies left a trail. Follow it.
Go to the pin
Dig Here pins mark the spots where all the evidence agrees, and tell you why in plain English. Each one checks the land tenure so you know you can legally dig before you drive.
Ground truth
The map said it was there.
So we walked in and checked.
We tested Hot Ground against history.
We hid every recorded working and drill result from the model and asked it where gold should be, using geology alone. It put 64.6% of Australia’s recorded gold workings in the hottest 10% of the ground. That is 6.5 times better than chance.
How we tested this+
What Hot Ground is. A heat map that scores every patch of Australia on how likely its geology is to hold gold: the rock types, the faults and the structures that gold deposits form in.
The test. We built the map from geology alone. The 124,000 recorded gold workings and the drill results were held back, so the model never saw where anyone had found gold.
The check. Then we looked at where those workings actually sit. If the map were guessing, the hottest 10% of the ground would hold about 10% of them. It holds 64.6%, which is 6.5 times better than chance. On the standard measure for this kind of test (ROC-AUC) it scored 0.905, where 1.0 is perfect and 0.5 is a coin toss.
What it doesn’t prove. It tests the heat map, not individual Dig Here pins. Old workings partly reflect where people went looking, near roads, towns and water, not only where the gold was. And the hottest 10% narrows down the country, not the exact spot. That is what the pins and the LiDAR are for.
The darker the red, the hotter the ground. Notice how the old workings and drill holes sit on it.
“Loving your LiDAR. Nice and clear and to be honest we have already found workings from it… You’re on a winner here!”
“For a novice like me the way your mapping works is so user friendly you guys leave the opposition for dead”
“An old shaft i was looking for. The hi res gave me the old track to it i couldn’t see on other maps. Then found the old vein i had heard about. Bloody legends.”
What’s in the kit
Everything for the trip.
From the couch to the creek.
Each feature shows the plan that unlocks it, so you can see exactly what you get.
Research at home
Find the ground worth the drive.
- Terrain mapsFree
Base map, satellite and 5m terrain across Australia, NZ, the US and Canada. Tilt it into 3D and scout the country from the couch.
- Historic workings and leasesFree
124,000+ recorded workings and the old leases around them. The old-timers found the gold; see where they stopped.
- Field Book: Trove researchFree
Old newspaper reports, historic maps and theses about the ground you are looking at, linked from your pin.
- Drill resultsFossicker
2.2 million+ holes with real gold grades from the exploration companies.
- Creeks with flow directionFossicker
2.5 million+ streams with downstream arrows, and the dry gullies where alluvial gold settles.
- Fossicking, opal and gem sitesFossicker
75+ fossicking areas, opal fields and gem localities across Australia. Filter by type and by state.
- Google satelliteFossicker
A second satellite view from Google. Flick between the two when one is cloudy or out of date.
- 1m LiDAR terrainFossicker
Bare earth with the trees stripped away. Diggings and races jump out.
- Ultra-res and 9 analysis layersDigger
Buried creek beds, terrace benches, old workings and every hollow, down to 0.25m.
- Dig Here pinsDigger
Ranked spots where 20+ datasets agree, each explained in plain English.
- Hot GroundDigger
A geology-driven heat map that works where there is no LiDAR at all.
- Geophysics and geochemistryDigger
Magnetics, gravity, radiometrics and pathfinder elements like arsenic.
Plan the trip
Know you can get in, legally and safely.
- Land tenure and fossicking areasFree
National Parks, State Forests, Crown land and declared fossicking areas, every state and NZ.
- Current leasesFree
See who holds the ground today, before you go.
- Measure toolFree
Distance and area. How far from the ute to the working, and how much ground you are covering.
- Permits and rules guidesFree
What licence you need in each state, what it costs and what you can take.
- Field IntelligenceFossicker
Weather, sun and twilight, snakes and wildlife, camps, water, nearest fuel and emergency services.
- Field Book: tripsDigger
Plan a route to your pins, with an elevation profile for the walk in, and print it.
- PDF site reportsDigger
A printable report on the spot, for the glovebox or a mate.
In the field
Walk straight to it, with no signal.
- The appEvery plan
Everything on your plan, in your pocket. On iPhone, iPad and Android.
- CarPlay, a prospecting firstEvery plan
The first prospecting and fossicking map with CarPlay, and Android Auto coming soon. It drives you to the pin, warns where the road runs out, and alerts you as you come up on historic gold workings and Dig Here pins.
- Field Book: pinsFree
Drop a pin with notes, photos and dated visits. It syncs between the app and your desktop.
- Offline goldfieldsFossicker
Save maps, LiDAR, workings, drill results and creeks for when there is no phone signal or mobile data. Bigger areas on Digger.
- KML/GPX exportFossicker
Take your waypoints to a Garmin or any GPS app.
- GPS dig trackingDigger
Record exactly where you swung, and review the trail at home.
Also free for everyone: the fossicking area guides and the live gold price. Paying members can earn cash by referring mates.
In the field
Plan it on the couch.
Find it with no signal.
- ✓Save whole goldfields offline, LiDAR included (Fossicker and Digger)
- ✓The first prospecting app with CarPlay. It drives you to the pin, warns where the road runs out, and alerts you as you pass historic gold workings and Dig Here pins
- ✓A compass that points at the pin, with live distance
- ✓Pins, notes and photos sync between phone and desktop
- ✓The app comes with every plan. On iPhone, iPad and Android now, with Android Auto coming soon
Coverage
Is my area covered?
Historic workings, land tenure and base terrain cover every state on every plan, and base terrain also covers the US and Canada. Here is what the paid layers cover today.
| Where | Drill results Fossicker | 1m LiDAR Fossicker | Ultra-res and pins Digger |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 117,000+ | About 85% of all 1m LiDAR flown in NSW | 230+ areas, 4,300+ pins |
| Victoria | 10,000+ | In progress | Ballarat and Bright goldfields |
| Queensland | 197,000+ | About a third of all 1m LiDAR flown in QLD, more added weekly | 150+ areas, 1,200+ pins |
| South Australia | 137,000+ | In progress | On the roadmap |
| Western Australia | 1.6 million+ | Limited (14 areas) | 14 areas incl. Marvel Loch, Parker Range |
| Northern Territory | 92,000+ | On the roadmap | Rum Jungle |
| Tasmania | On the roadmap | Full | On the roadmap |
| ACT | None published | Full | Canberra |
| New Zealand | 1,100+ hole locations | Full | On the roadmap |
LiDAR has only been flown over parts of each state. We show it wherever it exists.
Not sure? Open the map and zoom to where you prospect. It’s free.
Pricing
One small nugget
pays for a year.
Start free. Upgrade when you want the full picture. LiDAR is included, never sold state by state. Cancel any time.
“An old shaft i was looking for. The hi res gave me the old track to it i couldn’t see on other maps. Then found the old vein i had heard about. Bloody legends.”
Free
Free
forever
- ✓ 5m terrain maps (AU, NZ, US, Canada)
- ✓ Base map, Mapbox satellite and 3D terrain
- ✓ 124,000+ historic gold workings
- ✓ Current and historic mining leases
- ✓ Land tenure and fossicking areas (AU and NZ)
- ✓ Measure tool for distance and area
- ✓ Field Book: pins, notes, photos and Trove research
- ✓ iPhone and iPad app (online use)
Fossicker
$12
per month
- ✓ Everything in Free
- ✓ 1m LiDAR terrain (where flown)
- ✓ 2.2 million+ drill results with gold grades
- ✓ Watercourses with flow direction (Australia)
- ✓ Fossicking, opal and gem sites
- ✓ Google satellite imagery
- ✓ Field Intelligence: weather, sun, wildlife, camp, water and emergency services
- ✓ Offline maps in the app (about 400MB)
- ✓ Up to 50 waypoints + KML/GPX export
- ✓ 10% off Dig Here gear in the shop
Digger
$29
per month
- ✓ Everything in Fossicker
- ✓ Dig Here pins: ranked spots where 20+ datasets agree, explained in plain English (NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, NT and ACT, growing weekly)
- ✓ Ultra-high-res terrain and 9 analysis layers (NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, NT and ACT, growing weekly)
- ✓ Hot Ground, geophysics and geochemistry, including country with no LiDAR
- ✓ Field Book: trips, with route planning and elevation profiles
- ✓ Large offline areas in the app (about 1.5GB)
- ✓ Unlimited waypoints + GPS dig tracking
- ✓ 20 PDF site reports a month
- ✓ 15% off Dig Here gear in the shop
All prices include GST.
Questions before you start
Do I need a credit card to start?+
No. The Free plan is free forever and needs only an email address. Upgrade when you want more.
Which plan should I choose?+
Weekend fossickers and panners are well served by Fossicker. If you want the ranked pins and the ultra-high-res terrain, and you prospect in the areas they cover, choose Digger. Check the coverage table first.
Can I cancel any time?+
Yes. Cancel from your profile in a couple of clicks and you keep access until the end of the period you paid for.
Does it work with no phone signal?+
Yes, on Fossicker and Digger. The app saves whole goldfields for offline use, including LiDAR, workings, drill results, creeks and land access. Digger saves bigger areas.
Is there an Android app?+
Yes. The Android app is on Google Play now, and Android Auto is coming soon. The iPhone and iPad app is on the App Store.
Can anyone see my pins?+
No. Your waypoints are private unless you choose to share them. Nobody at Dig Here looks at where you are prospecting.
Does a pin mean I am allowed to dig there?+
Every pin checks the land tenure and tells you in plain English. You still need the right permit for your state, and landholder permission on private land. Our Permits and Rules guide covers every state.
More in the full FAQ.
One map.
Every signal.
More gold.
Start free in under a minute. No credit card.