Digging for more than just dirt, I found an unexpected treasure!

The 4.1 kilo nugget, worth more than $250,000, has been dubbed “The Joy of Friday.” (Image courtesy of Minelab.)

What an unexpected discovery! Discovering a gold nugget is truly a once-in-a-lifetime find.

After a decade of weekend prospecting for coins, relics and gold, he made a pact with friends to share any big gold finds.

Image courtesy of Minelab.

After alerting his cohorts and downing a few celebratory beers, the next order of business was to decide what to do with the nugget. “It’s like catching a big fish and not knowing what to do with it! Where do we put it? “I washed it with water, covered it with aluminum foil and put it in the oven the first night.”

His life changes, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to quit his job and retire. Rather, he said he plans to buy a van and travel around Australia when time permits, combining travel and sightseeing with his love of detecting and prospecting.

Detector used by the lucky searcher. (Image courtesy of Minelab)

As for the nugget, which is now in a bank vault, a replica is currently being built and plans are in the works to auction it off. According to Minelab, it is expected to sell for more than US$190,000 (A$250,000).

Last year, another Australian gold prospector discovered an 87-ounce gold nugget during a prospecting trip near Wedderburn, a town less than 225 kilometers (140 miles) from Melbourne. That one, called the Fair Dinkum nugget, sold for $133,000 (A$175,000) at auction.