Attempting to find buried treasure is a cutthroat recreation most individuals have solely ever examine in fictional books or seen in films.
Not Patrick Gundersen and Kirsty McMullan — who’ve made a profession out of fairly actually digging for gold.
Stars of Channel Seven’s new actuality present Outback Crystal Hunters, the pair of treasure trawlers put together to take viewers on a tour of their latest jaunt to WA.
As a result of they’ve simply uncovered the world’s largest ever Amethyst crystal cluster within the State’s distant Pilbara area.
The brand-new sequence — produced by Perth’s Prospero Productions — follows 5 leisure gem-hunting groups as they journey throughout outback Australia searching for the world’s rarest and most historical crystals.
Monday night time’s sequence opener sees Cairns-based Pat and Kirsty set off alongside Perth duo Pete Willems and Kyle Archer as they start their journeys.
At 50, legendary digger Pat Gundersen has lengthy had a lust for what lies buried within the mud.
“I used to be at all times fascinated by the colors and shapes of gems and crystals,” he advised PerthNow.
“At the same time as a child, my finest mate had slightly quarry on his mother and father’ property, and we used to crawl round on our fingers and knees and choose up his little Quartz crystal.
“So I believe that form of treasure hunt or the fun of the chase for me began at a extremely younger age, after which progressively as I bought older, I bought extra considering it. “
Pat has labored within the trade since his 20s, and met digging companion Kirsty, 34, via social media nearly eight years in the past.
She fell in love with uncommon stones when the pair travelled to Tasmania on a “crystal digging journey”.
However Pat and Kirsty’s latest journey out West was much more profitable.
So ground-breaking was their Amethyst crystal discovery, Pat believes it was the catalyst for getting the present on TV.
“The producer ended up popping out to movie what we began, what was really the start of this big, unbelievable 21-ton amethyst discovery,” he stated.
“So I believe that’s what kickstarted it for him, as as soon as he noticed the dimensions and the fantastic thing about what it was, what’s potential to be discovered, he realised he had a present on his fingers.”
Having bought the Nice Australian Amethyst Mine for a determine he wouldn’t but disclose, the seasoned digger had eyed the enduring spot for a while because it lay dormant.
“I did get it at a extremely good worth. Mockingly, it had been in the marketplace for thus a few years, and no person was prepared to the touch it,” he admitted.
Viewers will see the end result of a lifelong journey to Pat’s crystal mecca, and the dangers related to sinking $100k of financial savings into the considerably untapped website.
“You don’t know… should you spend all this cash, are you going to get it out in a single piece? Is it going to interrupt aside? Are you going to have all of it?” Kirsty stated.
However it may all have been value it.
“I by no means thought in my wildest desires that I’d discover what I simply discovered,” Pat admitted.
With lower than a dozen full-time crystal hunters in Australia, the veteran miner stated there’s a component of smoke and mirrors, or “respectful discretion” at play.
“Truthfully, there’s numerous jealousy,” Kirsty conceded.
“Folks have realized to be a bit secretive about their favorite spots simply out of defending areas that you just’ve labored actually arduous to seek out, and also you don’t need you already know your mate, telling their mate, telling their mate… hastily, you return there and it’s simply all fully dug up,” Pat added.
With uncommon gem stones corresponding to Amethyst, Aquamarine and Topaz comprising a mere fraction of Australia’s subterranean treasures, Pat advised there’s satisfaction in seeing his finds seem elsewhere.
In a multi-billion-dollar world trade, they’ll pop up worlds away.
“I’ve numerous shoppers everywhere in the world, from particular person collectors via to museums, via to galleries and sometimes items that I’ve offered, I’ll see flip up on-line, on social media or in somebody’s assortment,” he stated.
Nevertheless, regardless of suggestions on-line, the miner insists what he’s doing is on a a lot smaller scale and much much less vital than what some may consider.
“I get numerous feedback on social media about taking from the Earth and placing them again as a result of they’re a gorgeous crystal or one thing like that. No one would care if it was gold, no person would care about coal. No one would care if it was Opal,” Pat stated.
“I attempt to remind folks that the Earth is definitely extremely ample in crystals, and 99% of them won’t ever be discovered. They’re actually simply mendacity hidden beneath the grime.
He asks individuals to contemplate the place the uncooked minerals required to make their favorite shopper objects come from.
“The lithium in your cellphone battery and the roads we drive on all come out of holes within the floor, however we simply take all that as a right.”
After years of perfecting their craft and coveting their digs, Pat and Kirsty have offered suggestions for would-be crystal hunters to check the waters from house.
Suggestions for locating uncommon gems and crystals
Be part of a gem membership or lapidary membership
“Take a look at should you’ve bought a neighborhood gem or lapidary membership in your space as a result of numerous main cities or cities in Australia do have a gem membership. And people golf equipment would typically do native area journeys, and it’s simply a good way to form of study,” Pat stated.
“You’ll be able to convey your loved ones alongside. And that’s form of how I began once I was actually getting in my late teenagers and simply beginning out, I used to be a part of a gem membership.”
Learn books
“There are some nice books on-line. There’s a number of on-line assets that folks can use in the event that they do higher analysis.”
Attain out for recommendation
“Anybody who messages me via Instagram who needs to study, I’ll attempt to level them in the proper route of what books there could be on the market that they’ll learn up on. So, the gem membership one is a superb one for people who find themselves eager to study. Okay, I’m undecided that.
Acquire a fossicking license
“Most states do have public fossicking areas, so that they’re areas put aside by the Authorities the place individuals can go and dig the gems, and all they want is like fossicking license, which they’ll purchase on-line.
Obtain WA’s Gem stones information
“There’s a free PDF produced by the mines division. It’s known as gem stones of Western Australia, and I believe it’s like 380 pages, and you’ll obtain that complete PDF free of charge off their web site, after which that ebook mainly lists each single gem and crystal that’s been present in Western Australia.
“It provides areas for anyone from Western Australia eager to study.
“Seize that ebook, obtain it, as a result of it’s free, and take a look at what’s in your space. After which actually, it’s, it’s getting on the market.
“If it’s on personal property, ensure you get landholder permission and all that kind of stuff.
“So there’s an unbelievable quantity of data out there on-line for these prepared to do and that’s a part of that treasure hunt.”
