Big Bessie Fossicking Area

West of the Capricorn Highway in the Central Queensland gemfields, a couple of kilometres from Sapphire township, this small but enduringly popular fossicking area works shallow, sapphire-bearing wash lying close beneath the surface. Much of the ground has been turned over since the early diggings, yet patches of virgin wash still give up sapphire and zircon. There are no facilities and water must be carried in; camping is allowed for a limited period and a Queensland fossicking licence is required.