Better Than Treasure - Metal Detector Saved Paul's Life!

During my first trip to Australia, in 1983, I found myself out in the far reaches of North Queensland - in the out bush. And I mean "out bush" - not another soul for 50 miles at the very least.

I was so far from help, driving an Isuzu 4x4 into grass over a foot deep when I began to have ignition problems. I had to remove the points and wouldn't you know it, I lost the little screw that held the things all together. It was a bummer of the worst kind, and both me and that screw were no where to be found by anyone. I rolled my little 4x4 back with some difficulty, got my new k-bar knife out and whipped the grass shorter in an effort to find the screw that would get me back to civilization…

Thankfully, while visiting my dad in Florida only two weeks earlier, I had purchased two Whites 6000D series metal detectors from Kellyco in Winter Springs. After cutting back the grass a little I slowly, slowly looked for the tiny screw I had lost. Within a minute I had it, reinstalled it and drove away instead of walking the 75 miles to the nearest civilization and, quite possibly, becoming another outback statistic.

Over the years my metal detectors have saved my neck countless times - and that’s the truth. I’ve even managed to find some treasure here in Australia by finding gold and old coins, hundreds of pre decimal currency coins scattered out here. I moved here permanently in April of 1984 and have never looked back at the U.S. I love it here, a mile of river frontage is close by with real fish in it and I use for bait what you take home, fishing out 25 to 40 pound fish from where the crocs and snakes live. There are also lots of furry critters and parrots of every size and color. Tropical plants abound and the flowers are so beautiful - all the tropical native fruits that come with rainforests. Even now my nearest neighbor is neither in site or earshot, but I’ve got my metal detector, and it’ll save my neck again if need be.