Ziggy plays guitar

ONE OFF THE WOOD: Gold Road Resources executive officer Ziggy Lubieniecki announced he will be retiring from his role with the company. He dropped into The Roadhouse to have a chat.

 

Ziggy, it’s hard to believe you have pulled the pin?

It’s not really pulling the pin, I’ll still be involved with Gold Road in a consultant role, but the company is expanding and I think it’s time for me to step aside and let somebody else run it.

Is your decision a case of having made the largest gold discovery in Western Australia in the last seven years, you would now like to sit back and watch it be developed?

In the early days if the company Ian Murray [Gold Road executive chairman] and I were the only employees.

We worked hard to make the Yamarna discoveries, which was a great adventure with its fair share of drama – exploration isn’t just walking down the shop and buying a gold discovery.

So I feel now is the right time to sit down and relax and enjoy the benefits of the hard work I have put in.

Also the right time in regards to your successor?

Justin Osborne has been around for a long time and he has a pedigree that is just fantastic.

He is the best person for the company – he has a lot of knowledge and experience and he is also very keen to move the Yamarna Belt projects forward. He understands this Belt has enormous potential.

He is the perfect person to take over from me.

The highlight of your time with Gold Road has to be the discovery?

When I was first offered the job I understood the potential of the Belt, being untouched, virgin country. At the same time I also understood the difficulties that were involved.

At one stage the company had less than $500,000 in the bank. We raised some more funds, around $1.1 million, and promised we would make a discovery.

That led us to the discovery of Central Bore, but Dorothy Hills was always my favoured target.

Strangely enough the discovery of Central Bore and Gruyere happened when we hardly had any money left to continue exploration.

What was it like at the moment you realised you had made a big gold discovery?

There was one anomaly at Central Bore, where I thought the weathering profile was not properly developed.

I remember we had two incline holes drilling, which were producing mineralisation. My field geologist at the time panned a sample and we could see ten centimetres of gold – it was very, very fine but it was there.

I remember that moment so well. I knew then we had something different – it was an amazing feeling.

I’m pretty happy with the experience I’ve had and very happy that I took the job when it was offered to me seven and a half years ago.

So, now that you will be taking a back seat so to speak. What do you have planned?

I’m looking forward to having a bit of time to myself. I love music. I have a musical studio and I have 20 guitars, a piano, and two drum kits.

When I was young I played on pretty basic instruments, it was always my dream to have a Les Paul Special, or a Fender Stratocaster – and now I have, but I never get to play them because work takes up so much of my time.

Does this mean that instead of going out making gold discoveries you will now be producing gold records?

I don’t think so. Who would want to listen to some old fart play old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll?

I just want to play for myself. I enjoy playing and listening to music – classical music as well, I’ve trained as a classical musician.

It relaxes me and makes me feel good, so I want to do more of it.

So more time to do more of what you want?

Yes. Maybe even go fishing or sailing, or do some travelling. Things I just haven’t had time to do.

I’m not sure what I’ll do. I might drive my wife crazy.

I bet while you’re doing all that you will still have one eye on what the company is up to?

Yes. Geology is my passion, it is my life – it’s not work to me. So I can’t see myself divorcing myself completely.

How does the future look for Gold Road?

It’s great. It is the only company controlling an entire greenstone belt. We have a fantastic team now, it’s not just me and Ian anymore.

We have learnt so much from what we have already achieved so I think it is just a matter of time before our next big discovery comes along.

 

Website: www.goldroad.com.au