The Australian gold diggers script-free docu-reality, in reality it follows the work of gold-digging teams, who often put everything on the line for great luck, as they support their families and businesses by looking for nuggets of gold found in nature. The brand new 7th season arrives on the Viasat Explore channel on Thursday, September 1st at 20:00, and the excitement is sure to be at its peak, as the stakes have never been as high as they are now. For example, Brent Shannon is preparing for a huge launch in the new act, and the conversation revealed how he sees the position of gold in the world.
Is there a treasure hunter – anywhere, anytime in history (and not necessarily a gold hunter) – that you admire, are inspired by, or look up to?
Not really, I’m more focused on gold hunting. There are artifacts that I read up on from time to time. Especially in England, where old Roman gold coins or other curiosities are found. When I read these articles I think that wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could find an old gold coin? and stuff like that. In relation to gold, there are some old, historical people that I look up to, but not really in the modern age, I’m more focused on my own things.
If you could go anywhere in the world to pan for gold except Australia, where would you go?
Maybe I’d say Klondike or go somewhere in Alaska where the natural offerings seem to be plentiful. But there is also the question of whether we could really go in there and whether we could really do large-scale mining.
If you could go anywhere in the world in search of treasure other than gold, what would it be? Jade, marble or some other natural treasure?
I’d stick with gold and probably go to England, but even there I’d rather search the fields of lost relics of the past for gold coins and jewels. Every now and then I hear what comes out of the fields in England and I’m just amazed.
If you could find the biggest nugget of gold you’ve ever dreamed of, and it could cover any debts or buy anything you wanted, would you give up your job? Are you changing to another job?
If I could find the biggest gold nugget, maybe over a thousand ounces, I’d probably go ahead and find another one.
If you could choose between becoming a gold prospector or an international TV star who would gain even greater fame and fortune, which would you choose? Which one would be the biggest adrenaline rush for you?
In fact, I would continue to do what I love. My passion is gold hunting. So, if I couldn’t mine gold anymore, I’d probably be an international A-list celebrity. But if I could choose, I’d probably still chase my dreams, and that’s trying to find a huge nugget.
The price of gold has risen a lot in the past period. Can we expect further growth, or will it stagnate or fall?
I think the price of gold will continue to go up, then down and up again. Since the price of gold is quite attractive, I believe it will grow a bit more than before in the next few years, but there will be swings.
Is investing in gold still the best option?
Well, gold is traditionally not an investment, it’s more of a speculative asset. But in general, it can be said that if you want security against what is happening in the world, then this type of investment may be worthwhile. For 5,000 years, gold has been the most appropriate monetary value, even when things go wrong. So, I think that by investing in gold, we are probably investing in the security of the future.
If someone moves to another country and keeps all their savings in gold, how can they convert it to the local currency? Which gold is better for this purpose, jewelry, gold bars or other gold objects?
Generally speaking, gold bullion can be traded internationally. This is recognized worldwide, here in Australia for example the Perth Mint, Australia’s largest mint and bullion manufacturing facility. These can be traded anywhere in the world in international trade. Overall, if one has a gold coin or gold bar made by a recognized institution, it is suitable for international trade. You can take it anywhere in the world, it can be redeemed for currency anywhere. This is what is unique about gold. They say it’s not a currency, but it definitely is.
How do you entertain yourself when you’re not hunting for gold?
This is funny and you’ll like it: I’m still looking for gold. In my free time, I look for places where I think there might be gold. I have a few hunches and when I have some time my brother in law and I are going to get a detector and see if the tip was a good one.
What was the most unexpected discovery that you or someone on the show came across while hunting for gold?
I found the most unexpected things at the beginning of my gold mining career. I came across some wonderful bottles from the 1840’s and 1860’s in America. I have found coins in Victorian gold deposits from Bolivia and I have also come across old relics that are over 100-150 years old.
I am a big fan of the history of the goldfields of Australia and Victoria. From 1852 to the late 1800s, and even into the 1900s, gold played a huge role in the history of Victoria and Australia. If it hadn’t been for the early gold rush, Australia as a country would probably be 50-100 years behind where we are today. This natural element brought a wealth of knowledge, population and diverse cultures to Australia. We are where we are today thanks to the gold deposits.
Finally, what would you say Australian gold diggers from season 7? Why viewers deserve the new to tune in to an act?
The 7th season started with a big surprise for us too. We had the big gold mining plan, but an opportunity arose to move towards my biggest dream. Which, of course, is to find a huge nugget. Viewers should get involved to find out if we really manage to reach the goal that we haven’t even planned for now.
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