dag66,
It's only expensive once the tenements are granted! Sometimes the applications can take 12-18 months to be granted. Plenty of time in some instances to go out rock/soil sample and geol map the heck out of the area, get results and decide to drop it if the ground doesn't look that prospective - you then only pay a small application fee! Common practice so you don't end up paying big rents/rates on large land-holdings.
Edit - Sorry just saw your last post!
