i have had to search a ridiculous range, for a week, and was willing to up and move permanent home and start building fresh when i finally did find it. nothing anyone else couldn't have done.
i found dozens of mines all over the game, untouched. still i know of mines far away i would never even travel back toward.
and only settled at a spot that had the most closest together.
this was long work, but easy work.
time does not equal difficulty. if people are never walking past their home, then they will not succeed on this game.
what i did was very easy, i just didn't settle so fast.