JASON A MAGNET FOR OLD RUBBISH
A TOWNSVILLE treasure hunter who was hoping to unlock the secrets of local waterways has been given a rude awakening.
Jason Franks bought a 500kg double sided fishing magnet six months ago to explore Townsville creeks and rivers hoping to hit the jackpot.
What he has found has been anything but treasure.
Mr Franks said he liked to magnet fish at Louisa Creek behind Domain Central and four spots along the Ross River where he is able to cast from a kayak.
“I have found 10 shopping trolleys, a machete, a screwdriver, a pair of secateurs, a few knives and a spanner,” he said.
“People look at you a little bit strangely when you are there throwing a magnet around in the water.”
Mr Franks said Louisa Creek was littered with Bunnings trolleys. “You get a bit of pride out of cleaning trolleys out of the river and it makes it look nicer, which is the main thing,” he said.
“It is hard to get the trolleys out when they are in the mud. I have had to hook a trolley up to my car to pull it out once.”
Instead of taking riches home, Mr Franks said had retrieved about four ute loads of rubbish. He said he was proud to be able to keep Townsville looking clean and green.
“If people are going to visit the town and walk down a riverside track, they are not going to see shopping trolleys sticking out.”
The 33-year-old said there was one thing that would keep him coming back to explore the depths.
“You just don’t know the story behind what you find and it is the biggest intrigue for me,” he said. “You can come up with 20 different reasons why it was there but all of them could be wrong.”
Mr Franks said he hoped to one day find a safe.