I had the opportunity to have five days holiday at Lake Bonney, Barmera (SA). The lake level has been down in recent times due to restricted water flows and droughts. Lake Bonney is a natural lake on the Murray River and has been home to European settlement since the days of the Overlanders during the 1850’s. The prospects for some good finds along its beaches were good, especially with the water low, giving a beach width from the "full" level to the current level of around 15-20 metres. Up early each morning, I tested various sections along the beaches in the town and eventually found a productive "wash line". In this zone I detected the majority of my finds. My final haul included around 70 decimal coins, 3 pennies, 3 half-pennies, a 1907 threepence, a 1926 threepence, a 1941 shilling, a black onyx pendant, several necklaces, 3 silver rings, 1 silver and 9ct gold ring and a nice 7.5gram 18ct gold ring. And if I was a fisherman, I’d never have to buy a sinker again! Literally, I detected over a hundred in five days. If only I had more time! The Darling River is flowing down as we speak and the lake is expected to fill again soon. The X-TERRA 70 ran beautifully, sensitivity high around 24, the sand being fairly quiet, beach mode OFF, auto tracking on, using the 9" concentric coil. For those who can get there, the targets are reasonably deep (up to 30cm), decimal coins are badly tarnished however silver and gold items come out nice and clean. Be patient and thorough as targets are patchy. Best areas to try are near the kiosk, the ski beach near the caravan park and between the jetty and the yacht club. I'm sure there is plenty to find as I covered only a fraction of the available area. So if you are passing through, spend a bit of time there, friendly clean town, and good prospects! Happy hunting. Brian Schache – South Australia