Currowan State Forest
Currowan State Forest is inland from Nelligen, on the Currowan Creek gold country between the coast and Braidwood. Alluvial gold was worked along the creek, and the forest gives access to that ground below the Clyde ranges.
Region
South Coast
Nearest access
Inland from Nelligen
Elevation
329 m
Forest permit
$27.50 / 12 mo
The forest boundary
The gold outline is the legal edge of Currowan State Forest, drawn from the NSW state forest estate. It is the forest boundary, not the fossicking area. Some compartments inside it are closed for logging, safety or the environment, so check the Forestry Corporation map before you go.
Boundary: NSW Dedicated State Forests estate, Forestry Corporation of NSW and Spatial Services. Satellite: © Mapbox, © Maxar.
What to look for here
Currowan Creek carried alluvial gold below the Clyde ranges. Pan the creek gravels and work the accessible reaches inland from the coast.
Getting there
Inland from Nelligen off the Kings Highway and the Currowan forest roads. Batemans Bay and Braidwood are the nearest towns.
Open on the Dig Here mapThe permit, in short
Fossicking in any NSW State forest needs one Forestry Corporation permit: $27.50 for 12 months, valid state-wide, through Service NSW. Hand tools only, one cubic metre of ground in any 48 hours, fill your holes, and carry the permit. Without one, fossicking in a forestry area can draw a court penalty of up to $2,200.
Out in the forest
This is low coastal country, warm and humid in summer and mild in winter, with ticks and leeches after rain. It is a working forest, and the country is rough, so a few things to keep in mind.
It is a working forest
Logging, harvesting and hazard-reduction burns all happen here, and compartments close at short notice. Give machinery room, obey the signs, and do not drive around a closed gate.
Old workings
The goldfields left unmarked shafts, adits and collapsed ground. Do not walk up to a hole or climb in. The ground around an old working can give way under a boot.
Ticks and leeches
Warm, damp coastal forest means ticks in the scrub and leeches after rain. Cover up, check your skin at the end of the day, and watch for snakes along the creeks in the warmer months.
Reception drops out
Mobile coverage fails in gullies and under canopy. Download the map before you leave town, and do not rely on a phone for the way back.
Fossicking districts nearby
The closest gazetted fossicking districts to Currowan State Forest. Inside a district you do not need an exploration licence holder's consent, which the forest permit does not cover.
More New South Wales fossicking
See every state forest and all seventy gazetted districts, with the rules in plain words.
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