FOSSICKING at LUNE RIVER in the Far South May 09 2026, 0 Comments

General fossicking information for the Far South

Now that our rock shop at Lune River has closed, we thought that we’d share some fossicking information regarding the two local Public Fossicking Areas (PFA), down in the Far South, near the Hasting’s Caves. We hope this is useful for those keen to find some gems and fossils for themselves. The fossils and gemstones found here, are dated as 182 million years old, placing them in the Early Jurassic period. Finding your own can be hard work…or sometimes easy…nearly always good fun!

 

Most of you will travel via Hobart (A6) - head south through the Huon Valley – Huonville, Geeveston, Dover...towards Southport. Follow directions towards the Hastings Caves. At the junction with the Hasting’s Caves Road, continue straight ahead, to get to the Lune River PFA, noting our directions below. If you want to fossick at the Coal Hill PFA, see notes below, at this same junction.

 

o   Lune River PFA - when you cross the Lune River bridge, note your mileage, then drive another 5.3 kms, (cross the railway line, past the South Lune Rd (on right) at end of bitumen, past 4WD track into Southport Lagoon(on left), which brings you to a small  Y- junction where the Leprena Track, veers off to the left. That Track itself continues for another 1.6 kms, where a locked gate permits only foot traffic to continue. Fossicking is only to occur on the right-hand side (western side) of the Leprena Track. This original road to Cockle Creek is now replaced by the larger gravel road that now takes you through the middle of this fossicking area, heading south to Cockle Creek.

 

o   Coal Hill PFA – this covers a much larger area – maps in the MRT booklet are useful (see below). Read your mileage when you turn off the main highway, onto the Hastings Caves Road – from that turn-off, you drive 1.8 kms, where you find a turn to the right, which is Tuganah Road. Turning onto this road places you at the southern edge of the Coal Hill PFA. (Some of the forestry road signs can be difficult to see, or have disappeared! – MRT booklet contains road maps - see below.

 

o   Special Note: Both of these PFA’s are shared with State Forest, so people should be aware that sometimes harvesting of trees (logging) does occur, and to travel with care. For the most part, whilst forested areas are sometimes cleared, which usually allows for easier walking, most fossicking and digging occurs under tree cover - bush regrowth or plantation.  This can sometimes make it difficult for families with very young children. Another good reason for filling in holes – to prevent people or (other) animals falling in!

 

·         Fossicking booklet - a booklet titled ‘Fossicking Areas in Tasmania’ is available, which includes the above two public fossicking areas near Lune River and is printed by the Mineral Resources of Tasmania (MRT). You can purchase a copy from them, or read the booklet online - see Publications. These PFAs allow you to fossick without needing a permit; the booklet contains guidelines and maps for the state.

 

·         Lune River & Coal Hill PFAs are located in foothills south and north of Lune River, respectively, not at the river itself.

 

·         Mostly a digging site – useful items: sturdy tools & clothing, bucket (spare water useful), insect repellent, gloves, sitting mat. A metal probe can be helpful to locate the gravel layer*. You may have to try a few spots before you locate this layer. Natural erosion on any recently logged areas can sometimes reveal specimens on the surface. After forest removal, there’s about a 2 year ‘window’ for walking around - ‘surface-specking’, before re-growth of bush. Agate colours are brighter and easier to see when they’re wet from rain…and sunshine makes any quartz crystal on the ground, sparkle or glint. Most material is already broken into smaller pieces, from chips to fist-size, on average.

 

·         Gravel layer* – fossil wood and the rare tree fern fossils, agates, jasper and quartz crystals are usually found amongst basalt (grey-brown rock), all of which has broken up and been compacted into a layer. This layer might be 20cm/8” below the surface of the ground, or deeper than a metre. Fossicking guidelines place 2 metres as the deepest you can dig. You will recognise this layer by how difficult it is to dig through, the layer being mostly made up of many compacted fragments. The layer is not usually continuous, but can sometimes exist at another, deeper level.

 

·         Fill any holes dug – Fossicking guidelines requirement. Allow time to do this.

 

·         When to dig – realistically, when time and enthusiasm are a match!

Perhaps avoid late summer, when the ground is drier and harder to dig. Summer offers the additional            company of mosquitoes, leeches, march flies and possible snakes. Autumn’s generally a good season. (Autumn’s warmth and rains also makes it a good time to see fungi).

                     

 

General descriptions of gem and fossil material – 

 

·         Agate – coloured quartz in patterned layers, including as horizontal bands of colour. When only one colour, it’s called chalcedony. Colours range - red, orange, yellow, grey-blueish tones and cream.

With agate, light can be seen through its edges, when held up towards the sky (called translucency).

 

·        Jasper – we’ve only ever found this at Coal Hill, and in one, hard-to-find spot! Usually a muted blend of khaki and mustard-ochre colours, occasionally with red flecks or patches.

 

·         Fossil Wood – often blocky in shape, with sharp angles. Usually cream, brown or grey colour.

Opaque (light cannot be seen through specimen). Growth rings sometimes visible, or fragments can resemble in shape, and actually are, fossil tree limbs, branches or roots – called ‘casts’ Though complete trunk sections have been found, it is a rarity…same goes for fern.

 

·         Fossil Fern – only found at southern Lune River PFA.

§  small, circular rings are cross-sections of fronds, …part of the fern’s trunk.

§  root mantle – dense, wavy, interconnected structures are fibrous roots.

§  usually irregular in shape, with colours - beige, brown, grey or cream.

 

·         Quartz – mostly white or clear – pastel colours can occur or grey smokey quartz – amethyst rare.

§  as fragments or still whole crystals – mostly ‘plates’ of small, even crystals (drusy) or as clusters, when a small number of larger crystals are still intact together.

 

General Note: throughout the fossicking area, you will come across basalt (cooled magma) - grey/brown fragments (or boulders). You will not see any light come through this rock (no translucency), nor any shapes or structures to observe. Without this basalt though, the gemfield would not have evolved. 

 

Hopefully the descriptions will help you identify for yourself, what is a gemstone, a fossil or ‘just a rock’.

One thing fossicking certainly encourages, is patience. Digging takes time…enthusiasm and curiosity are just as important. Finding specimens or ‘treasure’ focuses your attention on what you’re doing, what you’re holding in your hand. Does it have colour? Are there any patterns to show it may be fern or tree-growth rings? Does the rock show sparkle, especially with the sun shining on it? All these differences will tell you something; then any guessing will one day become confidence in knowing what you’ve found.  

Just enjoy being out there…

 

from Chrystine and Boris...

Lunaris Gemstones continues to trade at Salamanca Market each Saturday.

Salamanca attendance update from Lunaris April 17 2026, 0 Comments

Lunaris Gemstones will be at market this weekend  (18th April - Davey Street end, as usual), but will then be having a break from Salamanca market... returning on Saturday May 23rd.

Now our shop at Lune River is PERMANENTLY CLOSED - (as of 31 Jan 2026) February 05 2026, 0 Comments

Lunaris Gemstones will continue trading at Salamanca Market (Saturdays in Hobart - 8.30am-3pm).  Always at the Davey Street end (Site #1), on the park side. Boris is always happy to identify gems, minerals and fossils. 

 

ROCK SHOP AT LUNE RIVER CLOSING January 30 2026, 0 Comments

YES, tomorrow - 31 January 2026 is the day... 

that we close our rock shop at Lune River...at 6pm!.........(should you wish to vist one last time...)

Lunaris Gemstones lives on, at Salamanca Market...always up at the Davey Street end. 

Our rock shop at Lune River will close, but Lunaris will continue... November 05 2025, 0 Comments

 

Lune River rock shop to close 31 Jan 2026 but will continue trading as usual at Salamanca Market each Saturday in Hobart. Also check out our online shop. 

HOBART GEM, MINERAL & FOSSIL SHOW 2024 February 27 2024, 0 Comments

This year's Hobart Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show will be at a new location.

On March 16-17th, the weekend event will be held in the Main Grandstand at the Elwick Racecourse - 6 Goodwood Road, Glenorchy.

The usual blend of natural, polished, crafted gemstones, minerals and crystals, will sit amongst some of the world's life-history, held in the form of fossils. A number of stallholders will have done their own fossicking, finding what they now present on their tables. Information via maps and books will also contribute to shared knowledge, especially with regards to Tasmania and its varied geology. 

Whilst there will be stalls that displayTasmanian material, there will be a wide range of Australian and overseas specimens, with jewellery, often hand-made,  a feature of the show. There will be childeren's acvtivities, lapidary displays, club information and the usual raffle - in other words, an event to interest collectors and those who appreciate beauty either natural or crafted. 

TIMES: Saturday 16th March - 12pm - 5pm   Sunday 17th March  - 9am - 4pm

                                             ADULTS - $5      Children - $1

 Though Lunaris Gemstones won't be attending this year's  show,  we'll be at Salamanca Market on Saturday 16th March.

Lunaris Gemstones at the Launceston Gem & Mineral Show 2023 November 12 2023, 0 Comments

Hello,

we will be attending the two-day Launceston Gem & Mineral Show at the Elphin Sports Centre next weekend - November 18-19th.

Lunaris Gemstones will have a variety of fossils, minerals, polished and facetted stones, lapidary slabs and jewellery - with our usual focus on Tasmanian material, plus, we'll also have some books about Tasmanian gems and fossils on our table. 

Chrystine and Boris

WINTER NOTICE June 01 2023, 0 Comments

For winter this year, we've decided to alter our times of opening, for those three months. Whilst we've already stated on our Home page that our showroom is open from Sunday to Thursday, our opening hours will be from 10am - 4pm.

We are still attending Salamanca Market in Hobart, on Saturdays.

Also over this winter, we're hoping to sort through our various mineral and fossil stock - a good time to do so. As we are not fossicking much these days, we're still trying to maintain a focus on, and expand our range of Tasmanian specimens.

So we're interested to look at any Tasmanian minerals and Lune River fern fossils, that people may have to sell. Please call Boris: 0447 001 601

 

THE HOBART GEM, MINERAL & FOSSIL SHOW in a new location March 09 2023, 0 Comments

 Hobart's Gem, Mineral & Fossil show will be in a new location this year. It will be located at 103 Melville Street, now known as Swisherr (old K&D hardware store). This spacious venue gives the show its first really central location, close to Hobart's CBD. The show is to be held on the 18th & 19th of March, with regular stall-holders including lapidary club members, interstate dealers and some new stalls. 

      Saturday - 9am - 5pm     Sunday - 9am - 4pm

         ADMISSION - Adults $5           Children $1

SALES - CRYSTALS - JEWELLERY - BOOKS - CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES -  RAFFLES & DEMONSTRATIONS  

        **********************************************************************

For those interested in the mineral world... the beauty and form of crystals, gemstones and other earth history, including fossils, the show provides a wonderful opportunity to see a wide range of specimens - a good place to share your interest.

We will see you there.....Chrys and Boris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Launceston Gem & Mineral show - Lunaris heads north October 19 2022, 0 Comments

Lunaris Gemstones will be travelling north to attend the Launceston Gem and Mineral Show on Saturday and Sunday 19/ 20 November. The event will be held at the Elphin Sports Centre. This will be our first time at this event, and we are gearing up in readiness.Whilst we have cut and polished some new Lune River material, we will also be showcasing an extensive range of facetted Tasmanian stones - sapphires (blue, green, yellow), topaz, peridot, pink spinel, amethyst and smokey quartz - even some citrine!

Our attendance at this event means we won't be at Salamanca market on the 19th  November...but we extend an invitation to all those interested in minerals and beauty, to consider going to the northern show. (please note - we won't be at Zeehan's mineral show this year).

Please see attached image for show details.

FOSSICKING AREAS in TASMANIA Booklet - now available August 13 2022, 0 Comments

It's great to see the reprint of the Fossicking Areas in Tasmania booklet, produced by Mineral Resources Tasmania. Having been out of print for some time, this new version includes the addition of a new collecting location (Tunnel Marsh), bringing the number of sites open to the public, to eleven. The glossy pages and coloured photographs are a new feature of the booklet, which contains the usual guidelines, information and any special conditions that may apply to sites. The booklet also includes maps regarding each fossicking location, listing what can potentially be found there..

Great to see the booklet available again - copies are available at our shop and at our Salamanca stall on Saturdays (near Davey Street end). 

A World of Faceted Stones from Tasmania June 20 2022, 0 Comments

We'd like to let people know that we now have some Tasmanian faceted stones for sale. Stones include peridot, sapphire, amethyst, topaz, clear & smokey quartz, pink spinel and citrine. Whilst we've had Flinder's Island topaz before, mostly from our own fossicking adventures, and a beautiful batch of the famous Sister's Creek zircon, it is wonderful to now have this new selection of other gemstones to offer. You can visit our Salamanca market stall on Saturdays....or visit us at our Lune River show-room. Please phone in advance, to confirm that we're open.