Maryborough is a major prospecting hub. Famous for its magnificent railway station and the surrounding Deep Leads—ancient rivers buried by lava flows that define the geology of the area.

The gold here is deep. While surfacings exist in Paddy's Ranges, the real wealth is often 10ft+ down. Detectors hunt the spoil heaps of old lead mines for missed nuggets.
Paddy's Ranges State Park is a popular spot. Daisy Hill is also nearby and highly productive.
Maryborough has detector shops, coil repair, and accommodation. It's the perfect base camp.
The "Deep Leads" mean deep shafts. Many historic shafts in the Maryborough bush are unstable or obscured by vegetation.
Because the old timers were mining deep leads (ancient riverbeds), they brought a lot of wash to the surface. They often missed nuggets that were coated in clay or ironstone. Scanning the tops and sides of old mullock heaps can yield gold that was thrown out with the waste 150 years ago.
Popular spots include Paddy's Ranges State Park and the Daisy Hill track. The State Forests surrounding Maryborough are generally open to prospecting, but always check for Exempt Areas.
A Minelab GPX 6000 or GPZ 7000 is recommended due to the depth of the targets and mineralized soil. However, a VLF detector can still find gold in shallower surfacing areas.
Yes. The area is famous for its 'Deep Leads'—ancient underground rivers mined in the 1800s. There are many open shafts in the bush. Watch your footing and keep dogs on a lead.
The world's largest online investment gold service. Vaulted in Zurich, London, or New York.
The world's largest crypto exchange. Buy, trade, and earn yield on your digital assets including PAXG.
Low-cost access to global mining stocks (GDX, GDXJ) and ETFs on over 150 markets.
America's favorite precious metals dealer. Vast selection of coins, bars, and rounds delivered.
Land access rights, safety conditions, and public fossicking zones change. You are solely responsible for verifying regulations with local authorities (DOC/Council/BLM) and assessing river safety before visiting. Paystreak.io accepts no liability for injury, fines, or trespassing. Never dig on private land without explicit permission.
✓ Information last verified: January 2026