winebago wrote:I have yet to purchase my first detector- waiting until I have a bit more time to spare. Am following your activities with interest and trying to learn as much as I can.
Does anyone know if any gold has ever been found on the North Island West coast.
Although the SI seems to be the most productive place, I would prefer to prospect in the North Island at this point.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Ok, I'm originally from Porirua, so I mostly read about gold before moving south!! There was gold at Terawhiti Station, Wellington, on the southwestern coast. Some serious money was put into a lot of holes around Makara!! The land is owned by Meridian Energy, and I asked the very nice lady in charge of access a couple of years ago about getting out there by car/4WD to pan a little, and she reckoned, very nicely, not likely to get a look at access until after project Westwind is complete. Fair enough, OSH and all that. There are a few creeks on the extreme western cliffs you might be able to get too from a boat, but that would be a pretty serious trip, in Cook Strait, and coastal walking is many Hours in from anything like a road.
The best book available on the subject is "Terawhiti and the goldfields" by James W Brodie, published by the Karori Historical society and sometimes seen on Trademe, or try one of the BusyBees bookstores in Wgtn. One of the better books on any Kiwi Goldfield I've read. I've compared his maps and Photos to google earth, and Terawhiti may just become quite accessible and interesting one day. Don't think I'll move back though!
Joe
PS:TOny Nolans' New Zealand Gold Prospectors' Handbook mentions several places around Otkai/Waikanae and the Ruahines/Wairarapa too, Pg76/77.
Edited by user Friday, 10 September 2010 5:10:32 AM(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified
