Guest The Pom Queen Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Rubyvale and Sapphire The quaint towns of Rubyvale and Sapphire are unlike any other you will see whilst travelling around Australia. As you drive through the streets, you will find they aren't lined with shops but instead mining claims and piles of dirt that have been excavated from mine shafts. Rubyvale is located 332km West of Rockhampton and 891km from Brisbane Rubyvale and Sapphire offer comfortable accommodation within a hotel or cabin as well as holiday units and caravan parks. We stayed at the New Royal Hotel. I have stayed in many Australian Pubs (hotels) before and wasn't expecting much at all. We checked in at 7pm and were advised that they have 4 log cabins as their accommodation which were located at the back of the pub. We ordered dinner as the last food order was 8pm and had a quick look at our cabin whilst waiting. The cabin was absolutely gorgeous. It slept 6, with a Queen, bunk beds, single bed and trundle. The food was your average pub fare, nothing exciting and they seemed to sell out of everything fast. The next morning we had a leisurely stroll around the gem and jewellery shops, and had breakfast at the Rubyvale Gem Gallery Cafe. Unfortunately their sapphires were out of my price range. We didn't have time to explore all the delights Rubyvale had to offer as we were meeting friends 20km down the road at another fossicking site. The Australian Miners Historic Museum houses relics from the Sapphire Gemfields' colourful history. The Gem Gallery, the Cafe, and the Hotel are all pure Gemfields architecture, made of “billy boulders”, ironbark logs, and locally crafted wrought-iron. Step into another world on a walk-in mine tour where the underground temperature sits at a cool 24 to 27 degrees Celsius. Tours take visitors through the network of tunnels, providing insight into the process of underground sapphire mining. Marvel at the tiny tunnels, called “tummy tunnels” used by the pioneer miners. Middle Ridge is the closest fossicking area to the township, plus there are numerous fossicking parks. Fossicking parks allow people of all ages and fitness to join the fun of finding a sapphire. With the digging work already done, visitors can buy a bucket of wash and start searching straight away. Friendly staff are on hand to provide advice and guidance on how to sieve and sort for sapphires. If you don't find your own gem, the local gem galleries and shops offer stunning sapphire jewellery for sale. A new observatory offers visitors the chance to view the beautiful galaxy of stars in the outback night sky. Rubyvale also has a post office, laundromat, and a general store with fuel. Watch out for the wildlife who also seem to enjoy the sedentary lifestyle. Be prepared to wait until the camels have crossed the road, or a kangaroo jumps out in front of you. We even had two Bettongs that were transfixed by the headlights, unfortunately I only had my phone so the photos were not great. Things to Do The Bobby Dazzler Mine in Rubyvale One of Rubyvale's major attractions is the Bobby Dazzler Mine. It is a commercial tourist operation which offers guided mine tours, a fossicking park where you can try your luck, a gem shop, a mini museum and a cafe. For more information check out http://bobbydazzlerminetours.com.au or book a tour at (07) 4981 0000. It is not open during the summer months due to the heat. Rubyvale Gem Gallery Located at Rubyvale (easily sighted from the main road), the Rubyvale Gem Gallery is a symbol of the way the whole Gemfields area is changing. It is a beautiful, solid building offering a cafe, a gem gallery and accommodation. The gallery's very classy website explains: "Our gallery displays sapphires mined from one of the world's largest sapphire fields located on the Tropic of Capricorn in Central Queensland, Australia. We mine and cut the sapphires, then design and manufacture unique sapphire jewellery. If you are interested in an investment gem, piece of exclusive jewellery, or just curious about sapphires; we welcome you to our gallery." For more information tel: (07) 4985 4388. Fascination Gem Fossicking Fascination Gem Fossicking offer a "Self Drive - Day Tour for the Serious Gem Fossicker". The brochure explains: "Be prepared for this unforgettable highlight of your visit to the Central Queensland Gemfields. You will experience first hand the unforgettable thrill of digging and finding sapphire in its natural state. Dig, sieve, wash and inspect your very own diggings, under expert tuition from an experienced underground and surface hand miner. We supply all the equipment and water to enjoy a lifetime experience." They are located at 72 Kellambete Road Rubyvale. Tel: (07) 4985 4675. . Pats Gems Tourist Park Pats Gems & Fossicking Park is a retail discount Jewellery & Rock shop with a fossicking park attached. There is a cafe/restaurant which is open 7 days which serves meals and delicious cakes and coffee. They even have a bar there if you fancy a few stubbies and a good old yarn about your day's digs. What I do like about Pats is that they have a lovely landscaped garden at the side, where children can hunt for their own sapphires and the adults can relax with a drink and listen to the sounds of the beautiful birds. They even have a talking cockatoo. Dogs are also welcome here and we sat in the garden with @Bobj Jo and their beautiful dog Chloe. History Mining of Sapphire has been happening in the Gemfields for well over 100 years. The region incorporates an 11,000‐acre Miners Common, the last in Queensland. The Common was set up so that miners could run up to 10 head of livestock for their own provisions and they still roam freely around town. More history on the area can be found on my Gemfields thread. Fossicking You can either join a tour, purchase a bag of wash (great for kids as they usually make sure there is something to be found) or go and dig yourself a hole, be warned though it is hard, dirty work especially in the heat of the day. Try and find a hole that someone else has started that provides a tree close by for shade. Remember to keep hydrated and take plenty of sunscreen. I have attached links to mud maps. Mud maps are simple directions of how to get to fossicking sites and where the boundary is. Most of all don't forget your fossicking license it is $8 for an adult or $11.55 for a family and lasts a month. You can get your license online before you set off. https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/activities/fossicking/licences-permits/purchase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Well worth a visit, we went there a few years ago and I still have the sapphires I found there, bit small sadly to do anything with. Have also been to Lightening Ridge, which is another really interesting place to visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 9 hours ago, ramot said: Well worth a visit, we went there a few years ago and I still have the sapphires I found there, bit small sadly to do anything with. Have also been to Lightening Ridge, which is another really interesting place to visit. At least you found one, more than us lol. Yes I would like to do Lightening Ridge and Coober Pedy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 First visited that area in 1973. I had a small mine in the New England Ranges and took a 'parcel' of sapphires, just in case I got low on money. I did get low and went to the local buyer in Rubyvale. His comment was, ''Are they from Inverell , as they are too good for here?'' He would not buy, so I had to return to NSW. Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Might be of interest... http://www.australiansapphire.com/famous_sapphires.htm Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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