New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Really looking forward to the posting of your find.

Those trenches you will be, or have been, digging on the beach will be good training when you start shoveling that gravel through the sluice box.

When you see that first bit of yellow you won't be able to stop yourself. Good luck!!

Now I really do want to see that rock sample close up - if it does indeed turn out to be gold then it would be a great idea to be back there searching, foraging, hunting, pillaging and plundering to find more specimens.
Have a look under a stereo microscope or a good hand lens and gently scratch it with a darning needle - if fine dust scratches off it then it is iron or copper pyrites but if it merely gets a ting groove in it and no dust is produced then it is most likely gold - gold is maleable so the needle with just dint or scratch it without producing fine bits of. dust.
An acid test is also OK - take it to the local jeweller and get him to give it a test for you - if its gold...Shh dont tell anyone I said this...go into partnership with Jafa!

In any case rock samples with any sort of mineralisation in them are ace so all good Shane.

Keep the sample as it is and pretend its gold - when you are down this way I know a spot where if you are lucky you can get microscopic colours on Quartz and sometimes some really clearly visible pieces appear - I have seen one piece form this particular spot which was about 1 gramme in the quartz - its a fair hike and possibly too much for me but worth a visit.

I am sure that there must also be some good samples to be found up in the Coromandel as well - I suppose that it is a cross between knowing where to go and a spot of good luck.

I dont know about down south before winter - it is here I think as a dark gun barrel grey sky is coming up form the south and snow is foreacast so I have an idea that gold fossicking is finished for the season. At christmas time I found a spot and although where the photo was taken is a crevice the gold just seems to continue along the flat rock shelf under the bank which is getting rapidly eroded due to increased water flows recently.

Creamer, i wouldn't get too discouraged at not finding gold in quartz. i've been keeping an eye out for years and still haven't found any specimens.

it's amazing what looks like gold underwater especially. you eventually learn what is and isn't.

once i even hauled a huge quartz boulder home with the help of a couple of mates and smashed it open. we thought we had gold too but it was only big crystals of fools gold. looks impressive still though!

Hi Simon. The only big GOLD trip weve been on was at the coro last year. We spent half the time in the wrong valley and the other half of the time looking around and battling the weather. Altho we didnt find GOLD we came home much learned and we had a great time. Not hitting the mark just wants one to try harder next time. Bit like fishing i guess. Sometimes heaps, sometimes none.
So im definately not discouraged. All the more sweeter when i do.

Im looking at the weather down south and it looks cooooold.

Edited by user Tuesday, 15 May 2012 6:45:54 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Not sure the hourly rate on that one is going to have many people leaving their jobs Shane.

I went to a famous goldfield yesterday for a look see with my Goldbug - great day - bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, and wanna guess - bullet shells...copy and paste is no where near as boring and tedious as digging up - bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells, bullets shells and more bullet shells.

On the way back to the big city from Central I decided to cut off the main road at lawrence and go up toward my place - we met a guy who had asked if he could do some panning on my place and he had found himself some gold including a nice nugget, the biggest he had found and which made him go gaa gaa

Your nugget is up there Shane just waiting for you so you had better come and get it before my son or I find it!

GOLD Rush

Watched GOLD Rush (alaska) for 12 hours in a row on ski yesterday. They played every episode this year in a row. Had to work for 2 hours in the arvo but other than that , watched the lot. Not alot in it but the young fella and his grandad adds interest. The other half likes it too which is cool.

[bGOLD Where][/b]

My trip too the small stream runnin thru the quarrie just got complicated, i just found out where it is... (and i know my way around). No way if anyway, too hard, but ill keep tryin all the same.
This is the far north.
.

Edited by user Tuesday, 12 June 2012 8:22:57 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

A claim... I cant even take a pan to a creek up here, even as a New Zealender. But an overseas mining company can come in and wreck the countryside. No hope. Mite as well apply for a job there like everyone else will. Thats what is going to happen. There is no work up here, the recession is alive and well in northland. The way out of it, so it seems, is mine GOLD.
.

Shane if you have the time GO for Gold.
We all know it is somewhere up there now.
There was a gold mine dug up the back of KK there back in the early 1900's I believe but
not successful so don't look there. :-)