Amateur Australian gold digger finds massive nugget

An Australian antheral equipped with a fund metallic detector has deed the jackpot, uncovering a 4.6kg stone containing golden worthy A$240,000 (£130,000; $160,000).

The man, who doesn't privation to beryllium named, made the find successful Victoria's goldfields - which were the bosom of Australia's golden unreserved successful the 1800s.

Darren Kamp, who valued and bought the specimen, said it is the biggest he's seen successful his 43-year career.

"I was conscionable gobsmacked... It's a erstwhile successful a beingness find," helium told the BBC.

Mr Kamp hadn't thought excessively overmuch of it erstwhile a antheral wearing a ample backpack walked into his prospecting store successful Geelong, astir an hr south-west of Melbourne. Normally radical travel successful with fools golden oregon different rocks that look similar gold, Mr Kamp says.

"But helium pulled this stone retired and arsenic helium dropped it into my manus helium said, 'Do you deliberation there's A$10,000 worthy successful it?'"

"I looked astatine him and said, 'Try A$100,000'."

The antheral past proceeded to archer him the stone successful Mr Kamp's manus was lone fractional the find.

All up, the 4.6kg stone contained 83 ounces - oregon astir 2.6kg - of gold.

After having it valued, Mr Kamp bought it disconnected him.

He says the fortunate antheral is looking guardant to spending the windfall connected his family: "He said to me, 'Oh the woman volition beryllium happy'."

While discoveries similar this are rare, Australia is estimated to person the world's largest golden reserves and galore of the world's biggest nuggets were recovered successful Australia.