Planning first trip and need advice :-)

As the title says, I'm planning my first trip in WA for some gold. I've found some yellow in Vic years back but WA is a whole different story.

From what I've read the easy stuff has all been snapped up. So what I was wondering for a first time out should I head out by myself to somewhere close (I'm in Perth) where I may find nothing but will get a feel for what it's like? Try and tee up a trip with another more experienced prospector? Or do a tag along trip?

At the moment I like the idea of the tag along, though there are a few operators out there so any tips on who are good and who should be avoided would be appreciated.

Any other tips or tales of getting out for the first time would be great.

Cheers,

Mark

A great place to start is with bill and Udo who do a tag a long and instructional course up at cue. great fellas and you will learn what you need to know.
http://www.gold-prospecting-wa.com/about-us.html

team up with some of the experienced people here is also invaluable especially the first few trips.
My fist trip was a comedy of errors and not much prospecting done, I made the mistake of going out with a mate who apparently knew his stuff...   
better with people who are actually doing it and there are many who will welcome you along. do the right thing and get permissions, join the APLA,
wish you luck
Martin

Thanks Martin.   

Hi Mark,
I can recomend Peter and John from Goanna Gold Adventures, check out their web site for tours and costs etc.
I spent some time with them and found some good gold, that's me holding the silver plate of nuggets in their photo album

Regards Brian

G'day mark personally I would go it alone if you have a basic understanding on using a detector and identifying potential gold bearing ground.
What detector you got?
But as Martin mentioned going out there with someone who does have a bit of prospecting knowledge would be more ideal should you be inexperienced.
When you looking at heading out?

I agree with Martin you cant go past Cue for a place to learn the trade -nice people plenty of available ground if you do your homework,good pub and caravan park,and still a few surprises around the edge of the old areas,if your machine is set up for slighly deeper ground ,dont make the common mistake and head straight for the pepper and salt ,thats been flogged to death -get out onto the red ground close to these areas and put your ears into overdrive-and if you do stay at the caravan park stay away from shack six its haunted to hell and back and thats talking from experience-dragon

I should start a new topic for anybody who has the crap scared out of them in shack six lol-dragon

Hi Mark
I to agree with Martin, Cue is a good spot to start, on my first trip to the West I did the course Martin mentioned and found it great value. Arrived a couple of days prior to the course and had a couple of bits rattling in the jar from close to town before the course, only detecting for gold I had done before this was a couple of days in Vic, had half day tuition that was part of the deal when bought the ML5000, found a couple of bits after that which gave me the confidence in the machine before heading west.
The caravan park in Cue is an excellent base to work from till you get your bearings, it was relayed out in 2012 and a new amenities' block added, including a tv room and kitchen. NICE.
I spent quite a few weeks there as kept finding bits of gold in the area, lot of small stuff, just have to put in the time and maintain good technique, if you do the course you will get good info and settings, put in the time stick with setting and you will be rewarded.
Beware, I'm sure if I had used some of the "helpful settings" and advice on using my detector given by a few helpful folk I spoke to along the way, I would have had little to show for the trip. some maybe just a" bum steer", some just passing on the great setting someone else had told them about, sure some hadn't ever read the manual.--- a must first thing to DO, and then again.
If your buying a new ML5000, Minelab offer a free training day from time to time.
I will spend a bit of time there again while in the West this year.
Its a great hobby, Good luck.
Cheers salt-d

PS, Didn't hear anything about the "Haunted" number six while there purple-dragon, Maybe empty tinnies rattling in the wind   another drink anyone, hic'.