Agate Creek

Agate Creek

Agate Creek isn't a town as such, as there are no stores but just a camping park. It's a
fossicking area for agates and thunder eggs. To get to Agate Creek you have to go
over at least 120 kms of corrugated dirt road from Georgetown to get there for a start.
We stayed at the Safari Camp at the end of the track to Agate Creek.

On the way to Agate Creek you’ll come to an intersection where you can turn right
to go to Cobbold Gorge around 7 klms down that road. The road to Agate Creek is
to the left as there is no sign there to let you know that. Take enough food, water
and fuel for your period of stay. There are no shops in Agate Creek. The closest
town to Agate Creek is Forsayth over 70 klms away. Then Georgetown after that.
Fuel and supplies can be purchased at both places at higher than city prices.
Agate creek is a magic and mystical place well worth spending a whole holiday
period if you like nature and getting back to the basics.

Wild brumbies roam everywhere, the odd wild pig runs here and there. With an
abundance of wildlife it’s a great place for a real camping experience for the whole
family. Again only basic facilities with showers and toilets and no power. There's
drinking water from a tap at the toilet block.
We had seats around the campfire every night of our stay with host Laurie Baron
keeping every night interesting. It’s a fascinating place if you like bush walking and
Aboriginal cave paintings not far from the camp in the hills. Cattle roam free in
these areas outside the camp as do most outback Queensland areas so be
watchful on all the roads when you travel.

There are areas like Crystal Hill where the agate actually lines the tracks. There is
plenty of specimen agate to be found there still but for the good stuff you’ll need to
dig with a pick and a shovel. There are many areas to search and the agate is
found in areas specific in that the agate is found in the volcanic flow areas.
You’ll need to have a fossickers licence before you get there which can be
purchased from a mining registrar at Georgetown. (Around $8.20 for a family for
one month or dearer for a longer period.) You can again only use hand tools.
I found that the biggest percentage of the agate you’ll find is quartz filled and many
with geode crystals. Agate can also be found in the creeks around the general
fossicking areas here and there as well.

If you stay at the Agate Creek Safari Camp (I can highly recommend it) you can
actually walk up the hill in a few locations and dig for agates surrounding the camp
area. You can contact the camp manager: Laurie Baron on: (07) 4062 5574 or try
his mobile on: 0409 463 192 to make an advance booking and just to make sure
the camp is open as this area can only be accessed in the dry weather periods.
Usual periods are between April till September but ring before you go just to make
sure. Laurie has a heliport area and phone for any absolute emergency situation.
You can have a campfire for your personal use there if you like. If you have
children they can easily find some nice colored agate chips and pieces everywhere
around the areas on the ground surface. They will love the area.

Tools needed: Large pick, long handle shovel and small hand pick. A satellite
phone is always good if you have one on a trip such as this. Always carry water
with you and matches in case you get lost so you can light a signal fire in a safe
manner.

A four-wheel drive vehicle is best in this area or if you can take a four-wheel
motorbike to get around the tracks would be just as good. Make sure your vehicle
is in top condition as this is an isolated area.