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Wakamarina Sluice & Pan - Tips Please

Crusader		Posted : Saturday, 4 August 2012 4:13:14 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Hi Team. Steve has kindly allowed us to have a crack on his claim on the Wakamarina - we are heading up for a couple of days next week. Not knowing the area, I was just hoping that someone might have some good tips of where to dig/target etc so that we can optimise our two days. There are so many choices - do we dig the banks (if so where?) or do we simply dig behind rocks hoping some au has dropped out there or dig down to bedrock or simply clean out crevices? Any advice would be greatly appreciated - cheers! We will be running a sluice & pan. Regards, Peter

gingerbreadman		Posted : Saturday, 4 August 2012 9:29:01 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 19/07/2010(UTC) Posts: 473 Location: south of the black stump Thanks: 34 times Was thanked: 96 time(s) in 74 post(s)		Hi pete I wouldnt advise digging in banks well not to much anyway as chances are the claim owner mite get into trouble unless its stated in his consent that he can. youv got the rite idea behind large rocks etc there,s loads of info on here about likely place,s to start looking. Cheers.

Crusader		Posted : Saturday, 4 August 2012 9:42:49 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Thanks mate - I'm guessing the bank will be frozen anyway! But yes we'll certainly steer clear of them knowing that and target the bedrock and boulders. Cheers

simon		Posted : Saturday, 4 August 2012 11:23:35 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		yeah, i think most river claims would state they cover the wet area bank to bank, not including the bank of course as they don't want you digging it up and leading to erosion / rivers changing course, etc. i would try somewhere where there is a good sized boulder up against a corner of bedrock, somewhere gold would trap in one of the waka's many fierce floods. my uncle always got gold on the moss just above flood height. remembering the river has been over much of the area when its course was higher, there is gold just about anywhere. i would do some research and think about taking a detector to some of the old sites - stampers, hotels, tracks... maybe check who's got permits where first. the waka's got some nice gold. there's a couple of big books about the river and it's past. amazing the scale the miners did things to get to bedrock in the big gorges.
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kiwijw		Posted : Sunday, 5 August 2012 6:47:52 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Originally Posted by: simon yeah, i think most river claims would state they cover the wet area bank to bank, not including the bank of course as they don't want you digging it up and leading to erosion / rivers changing course, etc. YES, BUT IT IS OF COURSE WHERE THE BEST GOLD IS GOING TO BE AS WELL....... i would try somewhere where there is a good sized boulder up against a corner of bedrock, somewhere gold would trap in one of the waka's many fierce floods. DOES ANYTHING SURVIVE A WAKA FLOOD?? LOL :) my uncle always got gold on the moss just above flood height. SURELY THE MOSS WOULD HAVE TO BE WITNIN FLOOD HEIGHT TO GET THE FINE GOLD CAUGHT UP IN IT, UNLESS THE MOSS IS THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD remembering the river has been over much of the area when its course was higher, there is gold just about anywhere. i would do some research and think about taking a detector to some of the old sites - stampers, hotels, tracks... maybe check who's got permits where first. DONT LET DOC CATCH YOU AROUND THE OLD SITES WITH A DETECTOR the waka's got some nice gold. THAT IT DOES there's a couple of big books about the river and it's past. amazing the scale the miners did things to get to bedrock in the big gorges. THESE BE THE TWO Good luck out there JW :)

Crusader		Posted : Sunday, 5 August 2012 9:26:29 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Thanks Simon, JW It turns out my father in law has that first book in his library - we'll have to digest some of that before heading up. We'll be stoked if we come away with a few flakes and your advice should help us with that. Hopefully the weather plays nice

Crusader		Posted : Sunday, 12 August 2012 8:47:25 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 25/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Rangiora Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Hi team. We dug and dug (for bedrock) but alas only came away with a couple of specks. The sandflies were well fed though so at least they are happy!

simon		Posted : Sunday, 12 August 2012 10:19:08 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		jw: i think it was those two books that got me more interested in gold. think i read them after my uncle took me to the waka when i was pretty young. they were a heck of a read when you are young. there were some awesome schemes to win gold on the waka. and some impressive floods to beat the miners back repeatedly. some nice gold there though.
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