Keen adventurer Kristian Gerathy and girlfriend Beda Vilhelmiina Makela uncover 12.3g of gold in northern NSW creek

A Ballina Shire couple had their lives turned upside down by the 2022 northern NSW floods. Now, the same series of disasters has resulted in an “amazing” discovery.

Kristian Gerathy and his partner Vilhelmiina Makela found more than 12g in gold nuggets after the 2022 floods badly damaged her home.

A North Coast couple recovering after their home was badly damaged by record flooding that pummeled the area a year ago have struck gold nuggets unearthed in the disasters.

Adventurer Kristian Gerathy and girlfriend Beda Vilhelmiina Makela uncovered 12.3g of gold in a northern NSW creek.

It comes after about 1.5m of floodwater rushed through Ms Vilhelmiina Makela’s Ballina home during the February-March floods, soon after the pair began dating.

“It’s an amazing find due to the flood opening up some new areas,” Mr Gerathy said.

“The gold was located about 4-5km up a small creek that floods when it rains.”

The gold was found in a creek.

The couple evacuated the home for Mr Gerathy’s Lennox Head residence.

“We finally got it all fixed about four months ago and have both moved back over here,” Mr Gerathy said.

The 37-year-old has lived on the North Coast since he was 18 and took to “gold sniping” about four years ago.

“You snorkel the waterway and move all the overburden until you reach the bedrock. The gold is heavy so falls to the bottom and nestles into cracks … ” Mr Gerathy said.

“This usually involves a lot of hard work, but after floods the river naturally moves all the rocks.

“I was lucky enough to stop on this tiny creek at the perfect spot, lay down in the water and find 12.3 grams of gold.”

Mr Gerathy started “gold sniping” about four years ago.

He said northern NSW waterways were “loaded with gold”.

“Just got to get out there and find it,” Mr Gerathy said.

“I can’t drop a pin or give out any exact locations as some people take this very seriously.

“I don’t want to blow up a spot they have worked years to find – yet most of our rivers here have gold in them. I rarely come back with nothing.”

Mr Gerathy said he “wanted to find everything to make an engagement ring” and sapphires were “next on the list”.

But he stopped short of a proposal after the “epic find”.

“My partner is amazing but we are only recently dating, so she doesn’t qualify just yet … ,” Mr Gerathy laughed.

“I have given some gold to friends who recently got married. I actually took the groom out with me so we found some gold together to make their wedding rings, which is pretty special.”

Mr Gerathy said a jeweller was working on a ring for his niece’s 21st birthday and “the rest I just keep”.