I've got six thousand dollars here now
so I might go to Europe or something like that.
One sold for 380 thousand dollars.
There is a new gold rush.
They can change lives.
Gold does strange things to people.
It's gold fever.
They get this look in their eye, it's like...
it's like a devil.
You know then, "Watch me back."
So now we'll go prospecting.
Chances are zero.
But, you never know.
I'm Matt Kelava
and I'm an Australian gold panning champion.
When I drive I change me hat
and I wear a different hat.
So I look a little bit different.
I started prospecting in 1981.
I want to get rich.
He wasn't working at the time, and he was panning for gold.
He cashed it in and we payed the month's rent on a shop
and we started our business.
We're still here.
When it's a cool day like today probably I'll prospect around
four maybe five hours.
You know, taking a dog for a walk, I call it my dog.
This kind of thing it not for everybody.
It's only for special people.
He's eccentric
very much eccentric.
Picking up something.
We'll just pick it up a little bit like this.
At last count we had 14,500 miners rights holders in Victoria.
And there’s probably quite a few people
who haven't got a miner’s right who are doing it illegally
There are many rogue prospectors
that behave outrageously in the bush.
Victoria is the only state
in Australia that allows prospecting in national parks.
These are the creeks just heavily impacted by people prospecting.
There's a place for everything
but it has to be the right place.
I can't grow potatoes on the MCG even though it's public land.
Like everything you get a few rogues who do a bit of damage
but you’ve got a lot of hoons on the road
and you’re not going to ban driving because of a few idiots.
I’m getting exhausted.
That's a piece of gold.
Five hundred dollars in there, that's not bad money.
No I haven't sold any gold because my...
wife has got leukaemia.
If she needs a bone marrow transplant I can...
quickly sell the gold and get support for her.
To keep her going for a few years.
That's my little one.
This is old man's.
I’m Tom Calvert, I’m a former Australian gold panning champion.
This week we’ve got the Australian Championship coming up.
We run as a team, as the Calverts
When I first taught Dylan he was six or seven.
He just took to it like a duck takes to water.
I actually caused a little gold rush up at the school.
Everyone started digging up the oval trying to get this gold.
The actual house we're under right now has been paid mainly from gold
that we've found throughout our lives.
When I was five weeks old I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
It's a chronic lung condition.
Last year I was in hospital
and I said "I need to come out for the competition."
So I checked myself out of hospital that day
and competed that day with a tube in my arm leading all the way to my heart.
This is my therapy, this is what I live for.
He won the men's skilled
and I dropped him back at the hospital on the way home.
The life expectancy last time I checked was 32.
But if anything it's pushed me forward to going harder.
Sadly tomorrow I can't actually compete
for the first time in nearly 20 years
and that's, that's cut me up.
I've never been without him.
It's a toss up isn't it?
Between you and me.
I don't think so.
I don't know.
If Dylan was here who would you back?
If Dylan was here my son.
I only back myself.
I've won the Australian championship three times.
I'm always in with a chance.
I've got the same attitude as my youngest boy,
you know, we go for it.
Are you ready panners?
Each bucket is seeded with
a set number of pieces of gold.
Then everybody in that heat has the same amount of gold.
And you can't lose one piece.
One piece is 3 minutes off your time.
I lost some gold.
There's mind games going on,
there's sledging.
"Dead last."
One little mistake, that's all it takes
to make the whole competition tip on its head.
Yeah, there's not many young people around panning.
Abigail has been competing since she was 5.
Hopefully she's gonna do well today.
Fingers crossed.
Alright mum.
I miss me son not being here.
This is a battle to get in the finals.
Settle down, don't get nervous.
Because the minute you start rushing things
same as life. You lose.
Hopefully this becomes an Olypmic sport.
I might end up getting to represent Australia.
I'm number one in two events.
First and second heat.
With all me pieces in both,
I'm in the final.
It'll be up against Matt Kelava.
It'll be interesting.
Best of luck mate.
You too Tom.
Didn't you have a different colour hat on before?
We've got Tom Calvert in number 1,
and we also have the defending champion
Matt Kelava.
As soon as they hit the finals
everyone goes for broke.
You either do or die.
It comes down to seconds.
One bad itch, you're going to lose the title.
6, 8, 10.
Depends how many pieces they lost.
So depends all on that.
2, 4, 6, 8, 9...
And second place...
Abigail
And first place...
Tommy Calvert.
Disappointment does not go into it.
You can't be champion every year.
My son will be very proud of me.
That’s who it’s for.
I promised Dylan I’d do me best.
It's mint.