Palmer Crystal & Craft Fair and Metal Detecting Championship - April 29th, 30th & May 1st 2011.
Having attended many of the Palmer shows over the years, this years’ event was set up to be a great one due to the donation of a GPX 5000 metal detector from Minelab - a first in the events history! Each year there is excellent support from the public and the detecting community who attend the show and this year was no exception. There were over 100 detectorists who entered the 2 one hour sessions which makes it a fun filled day.
The show consists of an oval with a huge amount of ‘tailgaters’ who come from many parts of Australia to sell their Gems and crafts with some displays looking outstanding! There are two main halls with one being a meal area during the day and an entertainment venue for those staying the night, and the other, a trader’s hall where more gem displays and detector shops are present. There was a good trade for the Friday and Saturday and when the Sunday arrived it went crazy with all the detectorists arriving for some supplies and a chance to have some fun.
A rare piece of cubic gold that was on display at the event
The weather held off from raining during the sessions but came in late in the day, however this did not deter any of the operators who all hung around to see if they had won the major prize. There was a great array of old and new machines which is always great to see. They all lined up ready to go and when released it was all head down and ears ready. Targets were either planted by the organisers or have been in the field for some time so all were told to dig everything as you don’t know what will win a prize. The best original find for the day was an old belt buckle with two crossed cricket bats and stumps with some markings which were hard to identify, but it had certainly been there for some time.
The Palmer metal detecting championship was well attended
At the end of the sessions all were told to count up their finds, recording totals for golden targets like gold keys, medallions or painted targets, trash, tokens, and other items. It turned out that the golden keys were the ticket to the big prize. There was a chest containing a GPX 5000 metal detector from Minelab. Mike Nagel from Murray Bridge in SA had the key to open the chest and he was very surprised to say the least. He had never swung a detector before and came because his mate told him he should go and have some fun. He and his son hired two X-TERRA 70 metal detectors for the competition and it couldn’t have turned out better for them. Congratulations Mike! Ian Aitken from Minelab was there to shake his hand and a big cheer helped the smile grow on his face – even though the photo didn’t show it!
Mike Nagel accepting first prize, a GPX 5000 metal detector from Minelab's Ian Aitken
The event each year is planned by a great bunch of people who donate their time to keep this one of the best gem and detecting shows in the country and it is great to attend shows like this to see that the detecting hobby is alive and kicking!
Trevor Ferraresso
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