image copyrightAussieGoldHunters / DiscoveryChannel
Two gold nuggets worth about A $ 350,000 (£ 190,000; US $ 250,000) have been discovered by a pair of diggers in southern Australia.
Brent Shannon and Ethan West found the stones near the gold-mining town of Tarnagulla in the state of Victoria.
Their lucky find was shown on TV show Aussie Gold Hunters, which aired on Thursday.
The men dug up the ground and used metal detectors to detect gold in the area.
“This is definitely one of the most important findings,” Ethan West told CNN. “To have two big pieces in one day is pretty awesome.”
They found the nuggets, which have a combined weight of 3.5 kg (7.7lb), in a matter of hours with the help of Mr West’s father, according to the Discovery Channel that broadcasts the program.
image copyrightAussieGoldHunters / DiscoveryChannelThe show, which also airs in the UK, follows teams of gold prospectors digging in gold fields in remote parts of Australia.
“I thought we were a chance,” Mr Shannon told Australian TV show Sunrise. “It was in a little virgin soil, which means it’s untouched and not mined.”
-
The biggest gold nugget of the world remembered
- What is it like to find treasure?
- Huge gold-laden rocks found in Australia
Mr West said in four years’ mining for gold he would have picked up “probably thousands” of pieces.
The Discovery Channel also said that collectors can pay up to 30% more for the nuggets than their estimated value.
Gold mining in Australia began in the 1880s, and remains a major industry in the country.
