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A question most new detectorists ask 
is where do I find treasure? There are 
actually lots of areas in which you can 
search, and it is best if you research 
where people have been in the past, 
and what type of objects they may have 
had with them, and hopefully lost. You 
can also go to areas people still use on 
a daily basis such as the beach or parks, 
and look for modern coins and jewelry. 
Here are a list of some of the more 
productive places to search, but be sure 
you obtain permission before entering 
any private property:
>  Your own backyard
> The beach
> Showgrounds & racecourses 
> Picnic areas
> Battlefields 
> Camping grounds
> Swimming holes
>  Parks and playgrounds
>  Ghost Towns  & ancient town sites 
>  Old homes & public buildings 
>  Old gold mining sites
> Sports grounds
>  School yards and ovals
> Around jetties and piers 
>  Drive-in theatres  
Where Will I Find Treasure?
Basically, anywhere people have been 
in the past there is a chance you’ll 
find buried treasure - coins, relics, and 
jewelry lost years ago are sitting in the 
ground waiting to be found, and are 
also being replenished on a daily basis! 
The trick to maximising your return is to 
select sites that have the most potential. 
For example, a small park that is just 
used as a walkway between houses 
is likely to be littered with junk with 
very few valuable targets in it. Whereas 
a larger old park with picnic tables, 
playgrounds, etc. would have had 
thousands of people sitting around, 
playing sports, laying on blankets etc. 
and you can almost be certain that there 
will be some goodies waiting for your 
metal detector. 
In addition to obtaining land owners 
permission before searching on 
private property, be sure to check 
local regulations, and always refill your 
holes. If you leave the ground exactly 
as you found it, you shouldn’t have any 
problem detecting the same area in the 
future. 
A trowel, knife or small spade are good 
tools for recovering targets.
Once a target has been located, clear 
the surface of loose material and check 
again for a signal. If there is no signal 
then the target is amongst the surface 
material. In this case, search the surface 
material until the target is located. If the 
target is still in the ground, Pinpoint its 
position.
When digging, the aim is to leave the 
area of ground exactly as you found it. 
Using a sharp tool, cut a neat portion 
of grass or soil and place it on a plastic 
sheet. This prevents the material being 
scattered around and allows the hole to 
be refilled quickly. Dig carefully to avoid 
defacing or devaluing the object. 
Check the hole for the target. If it is 
not in the hole, place the detector on 
the ground with the coil flat, pick up a 
handful of soil and pass it over the coil. 
Be sure not to wear rings, bracelets or 
a watch which will produce a signal. 
Repeat this procedure until the target is 
located. 
Ensure that no other targets remain, 
then refill the hole. All soil and portions 
of grass on the plastic sheet should 
be returned to the hole as neatly as 
possible. Step lightly on the soil to 
compact it.
Leaving holes, or a scarred area, may 
result in action being taken to prevent 
the use of metal detectors. Please 
ensure that you remove all rubbish and 
leave an area of ground as you found it.
Recovering the Target
A simple and effective target probe can be 
made from a large flat-end screwdriver. 
Round off the tip of the screwdriver with a 
file to minimise damage to targets.
Ask for permission before searching on 
private property.