- 1 week ago
Outback Crystal Hunters - Season 2 - Episode 08: FROM THE PINNACLE TO THE PIT
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05:39¿Qué es eso? ¿Qué es eso?
05:41¡Geez, mate! ¡She was rough up in here!
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06:12Check this out, mate. Oh, man, this ain't good.
06:16This is chock-a-block full of water.
06:18What? The genie's f***ing in it and everything.
06:22A day just went from ordinary to absolute f***house.
06:29Beneath the primal forests of West Tasmania,
06:32heavy rainfall has flooded the Platte,
06:35a world-renowned crystal mine.
06:45That is not ideal.
06:48We've stashed the generator just inside the attic
06:50and we weren't really expecting this type of weather
06:53over the last few weeks and, yeah,
06:56our little barra's full of water and flooded out the generator,
06:58so we could p*** right from the start.
07:02Should've put it in the shed, eh?
07:04We'll learn our lesson.
07:06We might get lucky.
07:15I didn't expect that, mate.
07:17I didn't expect it to go.
07:20Now, the big test.
07:22The engine will run,
07:24but the generator makes power.
07:29Yeah, we're going to plug the power into it now
07:31and if we get a load from it...
07:33Oh, are you serious?
07:36That was very, very lucky, yeah.
07:39How is that possible?
07:40It was half full of water.
07:42How does that work?
07:44But it's loaded up, it's making power.
07:47Lead the way.
07:48Lead the way.
07:53So, this area in particular is an area of the mine
07:56that made the whole place famous worldwide.
07:58It's an area we like to call Bear's Pocket
08:01and an elf-filler named Bear Parker
08:03found a beautiful, big, lustrous pyromorphite
08:05and croquite pocket here.
08:06Probably the best the world's ever seen,
08:08so we're hoping there's a little bit left here.
08:10I reckon just above us here,
08:12you can see all the green sparkles up there.
08:14That's what we're after.
08:15Yeah.
08:19These are the type of multi-species specimens
08:21that we need for the shop to sell to the collectors.
08:24So, this is what the people are after,
08:25something different, something unique.
08:30Croquite and pyromorphite are both lead-based minerals
08:33with croquite consisting of chromate
08:35and pyromorphite containing chlorophosphate.
08:40Finding a specimen with both crystals is extremely rare.
08:47So, what do you reckon?
08:48We're going to need some timbers up there
08:49to sort of build a bit of a working platform?
08:51Yeah, yeah, so we'll get a bit of tallowood there
08:53and put a couple of stulls in
08:56and a couple of planks on it.
09:05I reckon that'll do him, mate.
09:07Ah, it's plenty.
09:08That's given us plenty.
09:09If we can't make something up out of that,
09:11we've got problems.
09:18Yep, good to come up now, Hugh.
09:20Straight up that ladder.
09:21It's up that bucket there
09:22if you've got a spare hand, mate.
09:25Righto.
09:25Send him up.
09:31Oh, look at that.
09:33Righto.
09:34A few wedges, Hugh.
09:35Can I get a thick wedge, please?
09:37Yep.
09:40So the wedges drive it in tight
09:42so it'll wedge in really tight.
09:45That one there I've just put in
09:46will fill a gap.
09:47Now I'll get some skinny ones onto it
09:49and we'll really put some pressure on it.
09:56Oh, hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it.
09:58Right there, Hugh.
10:00That all just exposed cracks everywhere.
10:02Yep, all that.
10:06Thank you for this.
10:09Thank you for this.
10:25So what do you reckon, Dad?
10:27We've got the wet season coming up
10:29and we won't be able to get much digging
10:31while it's wet.
10:33This week is pretty much our last week
10:35of actually trying to get some rocks.
10:38I'd really like to get a lease
10:39for the next season.
10:41A lease would be, what,
10:42around two and a half grand?
10:43Yeah, about that, yeah.
10:44So what do you think we do
10:46to actually come up with that sort of money?
10:48Well, we're in the right spot here
10:50for getting Topaz,
10:51so we've done all right
10:52getting Topaz here before.
10:53The Topaz Mountain there.
10:55Yeah.
10:55Let's go for it.
10:56Righto.
10:57Might be able to buy a new pair of thongs.
11:04So I want to get a lease
11:05because at the moment
11:06we're just digging with hand tools
11:08up at that crystal mountain.
11:09If we get a lease,
11:10that allows us to get actually machinery up there
11:12and we can actually dig that mountain a lot easier
11:13and hopefully get a lot more crystals.
11:16Our only income at the moment
11:18is actually finding crystals,
11:20selling them and paying for the bills that way.
11:22It is a big pressure
11:23because I've got a family to feed
11:25and if we don't find crystals,
11:27we go hungry.
11:39All right.
11:39Filter's still here.
11:41That's where we found the Topaz before.
11:44Yeah, give another bash.
11:46There's some big rocks there.
11:52Needing a source of fluorine to form,
11:55topaz crystallises under intense heat
11:57and pressure within the earth's crust.
11:59From ancient Rome to the modern day,
12:02the crystal is prized for its hardness and clarity,
12:05making it one of the world's
12:07most popular gemstones for jewellery.
12:10This here, this hole here
12:11is where we found the big topaz
12:13from the last time we were here.
12:14So what the plan is,
12:16we're going to actually dig in this vicinity
12:17to actually see if there's any more.
12:19There might be another pocket close by it.
12:21You can just go through that
12:22just to test sieve,
12:24just to see if we've got anything coming up.
12:27If we find another one in this next sieve,
12:30it's a good sign for us
12:32because then we know we're definitely onto them.
12:36If we don't,
12:37we might have to try a different direction maybe.
12:46Nothing decent, Neil.
12:48Oh, OK.
12:50I'll see what you come up with that
12:51just to make sure.
12:52All right.
13:01Not looking real promising, Neil.
13:03No, nothing in it?
13:04Nothing like last time.
13:06Last time we were finding stuff
13:07pretty much every sieve.
13:08We're getting good stuff,
13:09but this time
13:10it's very, very scarce.
13:18You're going to get in the clay, aren't you?
13:20Find the clay.
13:23Maybe I need to go down deeper,
13:25I reckon so.
13:34So that's the fucking bed of soil.
13:35That's what we're after.
13:37The clay stuff.
13:38Yeah, but what worries me
13:39is there's absolutely no quartz in it.
13:41It's the right sort of clay,
13:43but it's just there's nothing in it.
13:53We've got two separate ones.
13:56Paul just went to rock break above it
13:58and unfortunately half the cluster
14:00has fallen off.
14:01A bit more than half.
14:03Oh, more than half.
14:04So yeah, that's kind of
14:05What a shame.
14:06Really disappointing.
14:07Look, there was really nothing holding it.
14:09It's got no base rock to it anyways.
14:12Yeah, a real shame,
14:14but we've still got a few pieces
14:16that we can recover.
14:18That's the nature of nature.
14:23What we might do, Paul,
14:25is rock break this top of this lip off.
14:29Like, go back about a metre.
14:31All right, I'll do me business.
14:33Before we start rock breaking
14:35behind this ledge,
14:35I'm going to try and recover
14:36what I can from this.
14:37We're just working in a really awkward spot here,
14:39so I'm going to peel away
14:42the top of it.
14:58Only just to save one piece.
15:00That's a nice piece, though.
15:05Patrick's hopes for a valuable amethyst cluster
15:08are in pieces.
15:10For any chance of success
15:12to reach season target,
15:14the team must now face the pinnacle,
15:16an almost impenetrable
15:18dolomite monolith.
15:28We're about to start rock breaking
15:30around the pinnacle.
15:31The pinnacle's been an incredible source
15:33of pocket zones
15:35for the last few years,
15:36but it's getting progressively harder
15:38and harder to locate new pockets.
15:42So we're really hoping
15:43that this rock breaker
15:44can open up a new zone.
15:50As Patrick attempts
15:51to expose crystals
15:52inside the pinnacle,
15:54Kirsty and the team
15:55are working a softer clay zone,
15:57hunting for individual specimens.
16:01So when working these clay zones,
16:03what you really want to do
16:05is sort of work wider,
16:07especially when there's
16:07a bigger crystal in the centre.
16:09So I'm just using a hammer
16:10and a screwdriver
16:11just to work through that clay.
16:14OK, it's a little bit slow going,
16:16but at least we're not going
16:18to damage the crystal in the process.
16:31Pat!
16:32Yeah?
16:34Oi!
16:36Holy!
16:37Big deep deep.
16:38Yeah?
16:39Oh, Anthony!
16:41Oh, that's nice.
16:43Oh, my God.
16:45Oh, I think that's my best point.
16:47Done, bro.
16:48Oh, wow.
16:50Oh.
16:52That's just amazing.
16:53Look at that.
16:56Oh, that's gorgeous.
16:59This is pretty amazing.
17:00I mean, this is what we're after.
17:02Nice, decent size and amazing colour.
17:05Perfect condition.
17:07Looks like they're in just some good stuff,
17:09so, yeah, I'm relieved
17:09to see they're finding something.
17:16It's breaking apart.
17:20I wasn't expecting this to happen,
17:22but it looks like
17:22that hard dolomite pinnacle
17:24is actually starting to break apart.
17:25I can see big cracks through it,
17:28so this might actually work.
17:30We might get into
17:31some good zones here.
17:41Nice work, Paul.
17:42Nice work, Paul.
17:48There's a big opening down here.
17:49I can't see any crystals yet,
17:51but it's a big cavity.
17:54Let the treasure hunt begin.
18:02Yeah, see, that's only soft clay
18:03up under that now.
18:06We've got a 10-metre exposed
18:07hanging wall here,
18:08and anything can fall off it,
18:09and as we started putting the stoles in,
18:11it started to sort of break around it.
18:13So we've just had to reassess.
18:15Look, I might just keep chipping away
18:17out there and bury it in the wall.
18:19Probably just going to take longer
18:20than what we planned.
18:22Deep underground,
18:24Jaren and Hugh
18:24are attempting to construct a platform
18:26to access a rare croquite
18:29and pyromorphite deposit
18:30four metres above them.
18:33So that's a lot nicer ground, isn't it?
18:36That's looking much better now.
18:38We've hit some hard hanging wall.
18:39We've got through the weathered clays,
18:42and we've hit some nice solid ground,
18:43and our stoles will be able to be supported in that
18:45stay tight and keep us on our platform.
18:47No, we've got a good solid piece of hanging wall there now,
18:51so good call.
18:57That is beautiful.
18:58Lovely job, mate.
19:00Pass him up,
19:01and I'll pass him back down after a pre-fit.
19:10No pre-fit required.
19:12Can you pass me the boards up, please?
19:18They're a bit wet.
19:21How's she feel, mate?
19:29Yep, we're on it.
19:31Give us a point, you will it, mate?
19:34Beautiful.
19:41So we're just putting the final touches
19:43on our platform up there above us at the moment.
19:47Hugh's just going to screw the planks in now.
19:48We're going to run a bit of ventilation in there.
19:51You can soon get yourself caught in a bit of bad air,
19:54especially in these little pockets up above
19:56where there's no actual flow,
19:57so we sort of have to create that artificially
19:59with these ventilation pipes.
20:07It's not the easiest spot to work,
20:09but, you know, it all starts somewhere.
20:11It starts smaller when you open it up.
20:30Just inspecting my hues drop into the floor on us,
20:32and I'm just coming across little 5-10mm slender croquites
20:36with tiny little 2-3mm poromorphites in there.
20:39It's a long way to go before it's a specimen,
20:41but it's a good sign that he's heading in the right direction.
20:57Right up through here, we've got the green pyromorphite,
21:00and if the voids open up a little bit,
21:02you'll get your croquite needles laying on it,
21:03and that's what we're after.
21:04If we break any of this stuff, it's worth nothing,
21:06so now we've got to undermine it slightly,
21:08and then it's just gently, gently go forward ever so slowly
21:11and hopefully get some specimens out.
21:13Right on, mate.
21:15All good, are we?
21:16Yeah, give us another two minutes of vent,
21:18and then come up.
21:29Oh, what the f***, man?
21:33This is bad.
21:35See this big crack?
21:37I don't even want to f*** with that.
21:47Here's the fine topaz,
21:49and Neil's really struggling at the moment.
21:51You know, stressing a bit too by looking up.
21:54Well, it's really hard to believe
21:56that we're not coming across anything
21:57when last time we were here,
22:00we found really big topaz here,
22:02and a lot of it,
22:02but we're not finding anything.
22:06But we've got to keep going
22:07because we don't really have a choice to stop.
22:12This is the hard times, you know.
22:14It's hard to keep motivated
22:16because when you're not finding nothing,
22:17it's really overwhelming sometimes.
22:21In the final days of their season,
22:23the Wilkinsons have returned to Topaz Mountain,
22:27desperate to find another $2,500 worth of the crystal
22:31to buy a mining lease and set up next season.
22:35Might have to go the other way, I think.
22:37Get over this way.
22:39So what I'm concerned about,
22:40I want to actually go this way into this wall here,
22:43but these big rocks up here,
22:45these are going to be a worry
22:46because if I start digging underneath them,
22:48they're going to start coming down, I reckon.
22:50If we drop them in the hole,
22:51and then I'll get a sledgehammer and break them up
22:53so I can get them out of the hole.
22:59The old time used to come up here crowbar
23:00like we're doing here.
23:03The old time has done it like this,
23:04so why can't we?
23:05Although they did die earlier too, didn't they?
23:10It is a big thing when we don't find nothing, eh?
23:13It sort of gets daunting
23:14that you need to pay the bills and that.
23:16Yeah, we've been here for two days,
23:18digging this big hole here.
23:19If we don't find anything today,
23:22we're going to probably have to sort something else out
23:25to get the money for that lease next season.
23:32Oh, whoa, whoa.
23:34That's not good.
23:35I'm going to have to move that rock, eh?
23:38Oh, it doesn't look like it's going anywhere, eh?
23:40I think it's all right.
23:42I reckon what we'll do
23:43is we'll just get this rock out here
23:45and then we'll, like, get that out of the way
23:46just so it's a bit safer.
23:48Okay.
23:49All right.
23:55Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
23:57Right?
24:04There's crystals on the floor,
24:05so there should be crystals.
24:06They've fallen from the ceiling.
24:08They've probably fallen down, yeah.
24:09Right down the bottom.
24:10Yeah.
24:10That goes down about as far as I can see.
24:13It looks like it's about two metres from the entrance here,
24:15so that's a big cavity.
24:17Now it's just time to start finding some crystals.
24:20It's going to be epic, I think.
24:23After finally breaking into the dolomite pinnacle,
24:26Patrick and Luke have discovered a new crystal-bearing cavity
24:29that could bring their season home.
24:32I can feel stuff down here.
24:34I was just trying to reach it.
24:37There's a few loose pieces.
24:40A little something coming out now.
24:43Oh, wow.
24:46Just poured out this beautiful little smoky quartz cluster.
24:50A lot of these ones that come out of here
24:52don't have a lot of dirt on them
24:53because they've been actually hanging upside down
24:54on the ceiling of the cavity,
24:56so they're almost completely clean.
24:59This pinnacle's been such a source of incredible specimens,
25:03and hopefully this is the sign of what's to come.
25:06Oh, I can feel something a bit bigger here.
25:09Really?
25:10Yeah.
25:10Oh, yeah, this is going to be good.
25:13Thank you.
25:16Whoa!
25:18Yes!
25:19That's what it's about.
25:20Yeah.
25:20Look at that.
25:21That's amazing.
25:23Pieces like this is really what we're hoping to find here.
25:27Just the quality and formation of this piece
25:30just makes it really unique.
25:31That's amazing.
25:32This is a world-class, museum-grade specimen.
25:36Absolutely.
25:38Nice one.
25:41Nice little cluster.
25:43Oh, that's a beauty, mate.
25:44Yeah.
25:51We're done really well.
25:52I honestly can't reach any further in there,
25:54but, yeah, stoked to have some really nice, high-quality clusters.
25:59Definitely.
26:01Get the truck down here, load it up.
26:02Rightio.
26:03Give them a clean and see what we got.
26:05See what we got.
26:09We found some incredible pieces.
26:11The Smoky Cave has just been amazing.
26:14Some absolutely stunning clusters have come out of it.
26:17So let's pack up time?
26:18Yeah, let's see what we got.
26:19Yeah, we've done pretty well today.
26:21Yeah, I can see.
26:22Yeah, these are amazing.
26:28We're starting another row here somewhere?
26:31Oh, yeah.
26:33So right now we're just grading the crystals into piles or sections of points and sections of clusters just to
26:40get a better visual of what we have.
26:45I've got two clusters here that have a secondary coating of white calcite.
26:51The only way to get them clean is to give them a bit of a soak.
26:58What I'm using is a super-diluted solution of water with a tiny bit of hydrochloric acid in it, which
27:05is essentially pool acid.
27:06And what that'll do is it'll dissolve away the calcite, but it won't touch the quartz.
27:11So, yeah, we'll see what's hiding underneath this crusty coating.
27:17First one.
27:19You can already see it fizzing away there.
27:25So we'll give this about an hour or so.
27:27Hopefully that will all come off and left behind will be just absolutely beautiful, smoky quartz.
27:41It hasn't moved.
27:42Not that while I've been in there jack-peaking away, nothing's come off.
27:45See this big crack?
27:47I don't even want to f*** with that.
27:49Yeah, well, don't.
27:49We're not f***ing with it.
27:50Yeah.
27:51There's zero intention of doing anything with that apart from going past it.
27:54It's just starting to fault through here, and it's going to dry over time, and with a bit of vibes
28:00and things like that, it's going to free up one day.
28:03Just could be a hundred years' time, could be tomorrow.
28:07Dangerous cracks in the wall are forcing Jaron and Hugh to reassess their plan for mining rare croquite and pyromorphite
28:15to stock their fledgling mineral store.
28:19Jaron's a little bit concerned about some of the cracks in the hangar mull there.
28:22Our intentions are not to bugger around with the hangar mull.
28:25We're just going to advance along it and expose the structure that we need to.
28:30It's just a matter of keeping an eye on things.
28:32If you see a wedge starting to bend or bow, then there's pressure on it.
28:35You just stop and get out.
28:47Just so you're aware, man, this whole thing vibes when you tap that.
28:51Okay.
28:52If it's just along a big fold here, as Hugh taps into the hanging ball just down below, I can
28:57feel the vibrations in this rock.
28:59So I'm just going to keep an eye on it as Hugh sort of works in there and make sure
29:02it isn't doing any moving for now.
29:16That there.
29:18That's what I want.
29:21What's that?
29:25Oh, Chrome Sarasite.
29:29That is...
29:32Okay, we're having a bit of a moment here.
29:35Look at those things.
29:37We've got beautiful yellow Chrome Sarasite here.
29:40That is the stuff.
29:42We were not expecting that.
29:46Chrome Sarasite is the local term for the yellow crystal form of lead carbonate.
29:51A specimen displaying Sarasite, croquite and pyromorphite is incredibly rare.
29:58I think it's the only place on earth where this actually happens.
30:01All three in one.
30:02We're pretty excited about that.
30:03We were not expecting Chrome Sarasite to come out as well.
30:07They have all these minerals together.
30:08It's just a witch's cauldron of goodness.
30:18So we're going to come around behind this lump here now.
30:21See if we can get it all out in one go.
30:25Wee!
30:26Oh, mate.
30:27Mate, mate, mate, mate, mate.
30:28You should see what's in the floor, man.
30:30Yeah.
30:32We've actually just encountered a little spot that has the beautiful green pyromorphite
30:37with croquite.
30:38So we might be able to get a few nice specimens here.
30:43Oh, yeah.
30:44That's a beauty, mate.
30:46Beautiful, mate.
30:47Absolutely beautiful.
30:51Look at that.
30:52Check him out, mate.
30:53That's what we're after.
30:55Carrots and broccoli.
30:57The contrast of the beautiful green and the bright red orange, it doesn't get seen anywhere
31:03else.
31:04It's so unique to the plat.
31:06This is why we got the place.
31:07This is why we came here.
31:08This is exactly why we came here.
31:10Woo-wee!
31:12She's still coming, mate.
31:13Still coming.
31:14Oh, wow.
31:16Yeah, that's a good one.
31:19Size isn't necessarily what we're after here.
31:22It's aesthetics and perfection, and that's what the mineral collectors are after, too.
31:26So it may only be two to four centimetres big, but as long as we attain that perfection,
31:30that's what people are after.
31:31Really good way to finish the week.
31:33It'll be good to get in town and prep all these up and get them all safe, ready for sale.
31:38Got him, mate.
31:39Beautiful.
31:48Look at that.
31:50Yeah, this one's cleaning up really nice.
31:53Exceptional quality.
31:54We didn't find many like this on this dig, but a few really nice ones.
31:59So, yeah, stoked to have these.
32:01In the final week of their season, Patrick and his team have discovered a massive haul
32:06of amethyst and smoky quartz.
32:08The crystals are the team's last chance to hit their $750,000 target.
32:14Look at those.
32:16Wow.
32:16Yeah.
32:17Wow.
32:18Oh, check that out, the colour.
32:20Yeah, I couldn't resist cleaning up a few favourites just to see how they'd clean up.
32:23Wow.
32:24They're stunning.
32:24I've also been soaking these other big clusters.
32:27You know the ones that were covered in that white calcite?
32:29Yeah, yeah.
32:30Yeah.
32:31This is them without all that white coating.
32:33Oh, mate.
32:33Look at that.
32:35Look at that.
32:36That's incredible.
32:37Look at that.
32:37Yeah.
32:38That's a statement piece for sure.
32:39Yeah, the quality.
32:41And then I've got this other amethyst one, which is, I think, going to turn out really good.
32:49Wow.
32:49Look at that.
32:50What colour in that?
32:51That's incredible.
32:52So pretty.
32:52Yeah.
32:53Well done.
32:53Stoked.
32:55I've done well.
32:56Yeah.
32:57Done really well, actually.
32:59In terms of value, what are you thinking?
33:01Yeah, well.
33:05I reckon...
33:08I reckon we've got like 250 grand here.
33:12No way.
33:12Really?
33:13Yeah.
33:14I'm really, really, really happy.
33:17You know, it's a little bit short of the target I set for myself this year, but I think that
33:21was a bit ambitious.
33:22You know, we didn't find as much as previous years.
33:24But I'm so sure there's, you know, an incredible amount of crystals still hidden down there that
33:28will probably always remain there.
33:30And I'm just so grateful for those that do come to light.
33:32You know, I feel like it's a gift from the earth to be able to pass on to people.
33:36A real honour.
33:37Precious.
33:37Well done.
33:42Thanks for that great effort.
33:46Thank you, Tom.
33:48Let's go have a beer.
33:58That's the last tray of them.
33:59Nice.
34:00I think what we focus on now, mate, is rinsing up these ready prep sort of specimens.
34:05We'll get them stabilised and we'll put them into boxes.
34:09At the end of their season, Jaron and Hugh must carefully prepare the fragile crystal specimens
34:16for sale in their new mineral shop.
34:18So what we're doing is we're stabilising the matrix of the specimen.
34:22A lot of these specimens, when they dry out, they'll just go to dust.
34:25So we've got to hold it together.
34:26Essentially, with glue, it stays completely transparent.
34:29You wouldn't even know.
34:30And the specimen will last for generations.
34:36It's quite a risky but necessary procedure.
34:38We're risking breaking them every time we're handling them.
34:41So we need to get them strong and sturdy for our sale.
34:50Yeah, the dream's starting to really come together now.
34:52We've got our shop up and running.
34:53We've got our workshop in process.
34:55And, yeah, we've just got to put it all together now and hope for the best.
35:01How you going with it, mate?
35:03Yeah, not too bad, mate.
35:04It's starting to come together in here.
35:05Ah, good job.
35:06Pulled all these in, we'll have a bit of a look at some of these little easter eggs here.
35:10Good to see what we've actually got.
35:13With thousands invested in their new shop,
35:16Jaron and Hugh now need to value their haul using a digital microscope.
35:21Show this little fella on there.
35:23He keeps sparkling at me.
35:26Oh, look at that.
35:27Oh, that's beautiful, mate.
35:29That's perfection in a picture.
35:29Look at that.
35:30Nice little terminated crystals.
35:33Green little forest behind it.
35:35That's what we're here for.
35:36What about that big three species one?
35:39This one here.
35:40I'm not sure how we're going to go with this one.
35:47Oh, look at that though, mate.
35:49There's so much going on in this rock.
35:52I think we're on a winner there.
35:57That is beautiful, mate.
35:58Absolutely stunning.
36:00The time we supply some photos with the specimens for all the buyers,
36:03they can go away with their mineral and a picture.
36:06That's exactly right.
36:07We'll be targeting the micro-mounters with these sort of specimens, mate,
36:11but I think they're going to be pretty happy.
36:13So what do you reckon we've got here value-wise, buddy?
36:15Well, between that and what's drying at the moment, it's a little bit tricky to say,
36:19but I think...
36:23We're looking at about $3,500 for the week, mate.
36:26Oh, nice.
36:27I'm happy with that.
36:27$3,500, nothing to sneeze at.
36:29No, mate, we didn't reach our season target,
36:31but I don't think we've done too bad, have we?
36:33No, I'm pretty happy with that, mate.
36:34I mean, we might not have got as much value in minerals,
36:36but we've got this place organised, we've got a workshop,
36:39we've got a shop front that we can deal and wheel and talk to people,
36:41so I think that's been the biggest achievement out of everything.
36:44No, we've had a good year, mate,
36:45and I think there's another good one ahead of us.
36:47Oh, absolutely.
36:48We'll fly into it.
36:49Good year.
36:50Top effort.
37:01You all right?
37:08That's lucky, eh?
37:09That was scary.
37:12I didn't think that rock would actually move,
37:14but obviously a bit of vibration in it actually come down.
37:17It's a huge rock.
37:18It would have definitely crushed my legs, definitely.
37:22All right, well, we've got to keep going.
37:25After all that, we're going to have to clean it out,
37:28make sure we're safer this time
37:29because that was too close for comfort.
37:33Got to come up with something.
37:34We've got to keep digging.
37:38At season end, Neil has been forced to take dangerous shortcuts,
37:43attempting to extract enough topaz to buy a mine lease
37:47to survive the year ahead.
37:49It's looking a lot better, huh?
37:51Yeah, it's looking a lot better.
37:52We're actually down in that orangey sort of clay stuff,
37:54so that's looking really good.
37:56I like that.
37:59It might be a nice soft spot here I can dig,
38:03so it's got to be our day today.
38:06We put too much effort in here to come up with nothing.
38:11Hey, Dad, look at that.
38:13That's smoky quartz.
38:15That's what we're after.
38:17That's a nice smoky quartz, eh?
38:18So we're on the right area here.
38:20Yeah, I'm starting to get excited here.
38:23Oh, yeah.
38:24You don't mind grabbing me a sieve,
38:25I'll get you a bit of dirt.
38:27Fill me up.
38:28Bit of a hole there, which is bloody awesome.
38:31I can see little bits of smoky quartz here.
38:33It's looking really good.
38:35About time we might be coming on to something.
38:42Oh, what have you got?
38:44We're on them.
38:44Yes.
38:45That's what we've been working for.
38:47We need topaz.
38:48Bloody brilliant.
38:49Look at that.
38:49Take that nut on.
38:50It's definitely a pocket then, eh?
38:52If we're getting topaz like that,
38:53it's definitely a good pocket.
38:54Yeah, we're in a pocket.
38:57Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
39:01I just put that thing in there and popped out of the wall.
39:04Check that out.
39:06Oh, look at that.
39:07It's not too clear, but, jeez, look at the blue in there.
39:09Oh, that's blue as.
39:10There's got to be more in there.
39:12Oh, yes!
39:12You're kidding.
39:13Woo!
39:14Look at that.
39:15F***.
39:17That is blue.
39:18That is big.
39:19That's awesome.
39:20Oh, payday, payday.
39:22We're on to them.
39:24I'll tell you what,
39:25I was picking that splat shammer for all that time,
39:27and we come across this stuff.
39:29Makes it all worthwhile, you know,
39:31at the end of the day, you know.
39:33Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
39:34Look at that!
39:37Yes!
39:40That's awesome.
39:42Yeah.
39:43Yes!
39:43Oh, that's beautiful.
39:48Oh, that was a great day.
39:49Let's give these a wash
39:50and actually see what we come up with.
39:53Oh, look at them.
39:54Every time, you know.
39:55I just can't believe it.
39:58That's just a quick wash there.
40:00You're going to throw some water in there.
40:05Look at how many that come out of that pocket.
40:09When you're selling them,
40:10you have to have those three Cs.
40:12Yeah.
40:12It's the carrots, the colour, and the clarity.
40:15Normally, we go from, you know,
40:17$1 to $4 a carrot.
40:18Depends on if you have those three Cs.
40:20See this one here?
40:21It's got the size.
40:22It's got the clarity in it.
40:24I just don't see the colour in this.
40:26I would say more than $2 per carrot.
40:28What do you say we weigh?
40:29I'm going to actually see what we come up with.
40:33Oh, look at that.
40:35370 carats.
40:37$740.
40:38Just for that one rock.
40:40These ones here, we'll put on the scale.
40:42$1 a dollar per carrot.
40:44I mean, just look at that.
40:45That's 1,684 carats.
40:47$1,600 just right there, at least.
40:50And then you've got this one here,
40:51which we said $740.
40:53So, I mean, that's incredible.
40:55Then we've got all the small stuff here.
40:57It's sort of a mixed bag.
40:59You can get the facetable grade topaz as well as the non-facetable, you know, the stuff that's not that
41:03clear.
41:04That's why I think we should go for a mixed bag, which is about $1 per carrot.
41:13$2,400 carats.
41:14$2,400.
41:16So, we're looking at $2,500 there.
41:18About $2,500 there.
41:19I mean, just think about it.
41:21We need at least $2,500 for that lease for next season.
41:23Yep.
41:23We've got $500 for our season target this year.
41:26We're still a bit behind.
41:27So, if we sell this as a bulk lot, we might be able to get about full green.
41:31All right.
41:31I'll get this fella on the phone and see what we come up with.
41:33Let's see how we go, eh?
41:34Let's do it.
41:38Hey, mate.
41:39How you going?
41:40Good, mate.
41:41Been waiting for your call.
41:42Yeah.
41:42Need to get some bars.
41:43I'll show you what I've got here, mate.
41:46That sounds good.
41:47Have a look at this.
41:50Oh, yeah.
41:50That looks good.
41:51Wow, look at that blue.
41:52That's some really nice blue there, eh?
41:54Yeah, mate.
41:54Look at how blue they are.
41:56They are incredible pieces.
41:58And I've also got a heap of little ones here that are facetable grade as well.
42:03I mean, we've got about 5,500 carats here.
42:07Oh, that's a fair good haul.
42:09We're hoping for about five and a half grand.
42:12Ooh.
42:13I was thinking more along the lines of two grand, but...
42:16Oh, mate, two grand.
42:17Way, way, way too low.
42:19Yeah, mate, two grand's way too low.
42:21I mean, we worked pretty hard for this, and there's a lot of nice blue stuff.
42:24Look, the best I'd be able to do is about four grand, eh?
42:27I'm looking at, you know, making some money out of this as well.
42:32Mate, would you take four and a half?
42:40I can settle for four and a half grand, but I want first dibs on the next lot that comes
42:45through.
42:45Mate, I'm actually happy with that.
42:47I will definitely give you next dib on the stuff that we get in the future.
42:50That sounds like a deal.
42:52Righto, mate.
42:52I'll send through the money as soon as possible, and a good one.
42:56You too, mate.
42:56Bye.
42:57Yes.
42:58We did it.
42:58Good off.
42:59Woo-hoo.
42:59We reached our target.
43:00Yes, that's what we wanted.
43:02We got our loose.
43:03Yes.
43:07Hey, honey.
43:08Come out.
43:09Bring the kids.
43:10Guess what we just did.
43:11We just made four and a half grand for all that.
43:14Well done, babe.
43:15That is epic.
43:16Go down.
43:17It was awesome.
43:18Oh, thanks, Lukey.
43:20Cheers.
43:20Nice and all.
43:21Yes.
43:21Cheers, mate.
43:22That is real pretty, isn't it?
43:24Nice and pretty hang.
43:26What do you reckon, Luke?
43:27Look at that one.
43:28Don't break them.
43:29They're going to be sold.
43:30They're sold already.
43:31I can't wait to get into it next year and get that lease.
43:34Bigger and better.
43:35Bigger and better.
43:36Yeah.
43:40Yeah.
43:42I can't wait to get into it next year and get to it next year and get to it next
43:56year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and
43:56get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to
43:56it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next
43:56year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and
43:56get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to
43:56it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next
43:56year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and
43:56get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to
43:56it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next
43:57year and get to it next year and get to it next year and get to it next year and
44:04CC por Antarctica Films Argentina
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