In this quick edit, we take a look at Daniel Brown’s (Archon Mining) AI model he has trained to recognize precious opal, potch, sandstone etc. I feel slightly threatened, but quickly remember the many million of years of highly sophisticated dopaminergic systems us little ol’ humans have that keeps us digging where AI is still just growing a brain.. Albeit relatively quickly! 

In this whirlwind edition the GO bro's are so sick of chasing potch that they have a smash at pillarbashing only to be reminded of how generally unrewarding crawling around on their guts and finding next to nothing can be..

4 days and about 30 odd hours of pillarbashing our claim with a jackpick produces copious amounts of potch (coloruless, low value opal) with a few surprises.. Just enough to keep us digging, who knows if it's good or bad until we exhaust the area.. Not an easy job, but hopefully rewarding in the end..

 

Day one, fly to Coobs and get out to Dead Horse for a quick 4 inch drill after an old friend
who found 30 years ago, no joy.
Day two, head to Donna's Rush to chase potch, and more potch, with a few small but pleasant surprises, enough to warrant another day.

Day three, continue chasing bloody potch with the jackpick and drill, my arms feel as though they're about to spontaneously detach, a few lovely but small gems to show for it.

On the fourth and final day, extremely fatigued from manual digging (I'm not exactly 'work hard' these days) and only a few possible hours to find something worthwhile, I head down an old haunt on Olympic where I knew the slide produced good colour decades ago.

The drives in the first shaft are only 40 feet long, blasted shut to the top level, I ascend and devour an amazing, if cool CK's Bakery steak and mushroom pie.
This is it, my last flourish of energy before heading back to Adelaide early day five..
Well what do you know.. BIG GEMS!

Watch the full adventure HERE: