Tantawangalo State Forest
Tantawangalo is forest in the ranges above Candelo and Bega, near the old Wolumla and Candelo gold workings. The creeks off the escarpment carried alluvial gold, and the forest gives access to that country.
Region
Monaro & Far South East
Nearest access
Above Candelo and Bega
Elevation
965 m
Forest permit
$27.50 / 12 mo
The forest boundary
The gold outline is the legal edge of Tantawangalo 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
The escarpment creeks above Candelo and Bega carried alluvial gold near the old Wolumla and Candelo workings. Pan the gravels.
Getting there
West of Bega via Candelo and the Tantawangalo Mountain Road. Bega and Candelo have supplies.
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
It sits high on the tablelands, cold in winter with frost and fog, and cool even through summer. 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.
Heat and water
The lower country gets hot in summer and a long way from a tap. Take more water than the day looks like it needs, watch for snakes, and tell someone the track you are on.
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 Tantawangalo 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.
Back to the NSW guide