New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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Arrowtown Public Area

simon		Posted : Friday, 24 August 2012 12:16:08 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)		yo, i'm about to head out to the arrowtown public fossicking area for a sluice. something different. i spotted someones have been digging on the inside of the bend right by town. there's actually a little stone miners wall there that is usually buried but with the river eating down due to being contained by the gravel levee that was built the wall has been well exposed. someone has hit it hard. i hope i'm not digging someone's little spot. well it is a public area and right in the middle of town. i'm not planning on finding more than the sight of gold there but you never know. more likely to find rusted crap as the arrow is the rubbish sluicebox of the past when not much made it to the tip. it worked til it broke and was subsequently abandoned. if anyone is about i might see you there. if i get sick of it i think i will head out to one of my spots. hopefully the sun emerges. looks like its clearing in town.
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Mathew		Posted : Saturday, 25 August 2012 9:11:19 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 18/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 5		Hey Simon Ive just brought a pan. Was wondering what your experiences have been like around the Arrowtown, Queenstown region. Have you had much luck in finding any colour in your pan ?

simon		Posted : Saturday, 25 August 2012 10:40:16 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)		i don't usually do much around arrowtown. it's nice to put your feet in the water there in summer. there is so much black sand in the arrow that it should be funny. if you want to learn to pan this black sand makes it tough going. it heavy and covers up the gold easily and is hard to pan off. i've seen shovels of gravel that are a good 50 percent blacksand. the shot over by the jet boats is easier going but still has a lot of black sand but not as much as the arrow. there is good flood gold to be found every day without fail down oxen bridge road. the area is under a new claim but they seem fine if you stick to this area with handheld stuff as everyone has been doing this there for years. the gold can be anywhere you just need to find it. i reckon you could find at least a speck within reach wherever you are around here. it's just not worth digging for. read up some old books at the library and look online and you might come across somewhere to explore. there's still lots of it out there.
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Mathew		Posted : Saturday, 25 August 2012 11:30:09 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 18/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 5		Thanks for replying Simon. Greatly appriecated. Oviously your not going to find enough to pay fo your fuel bill just with a few specs. Oxen bridge road where your talking about. Would they allow a Sluice Box ? do you know ? how do you know if your on claimed land ?

simon		Posted : Saturday, 25 August 2012 11:55:09 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)		i think a claim holder is meant to erect signage and put boundary pegs in but i doubt many do this. you can check the permit map to see who has a claim. remember there are many different types of permit. i have talked to the 3 guys that have the claim. they are happy to let the area keep being used by locals with non motorized gear. remember this can change at any time.
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Lammerlaw		Posted : Sunday, 26 August 2012 12:58:32 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Hi Simon - I have to check my old diary from when I was a tiny wee fella as I need to be just up the river from Arrowtown this January but need to know the date - it was just up the river form Arrowtown that I witnessed my grandfather shake hands and make a pact to meet an old prospector fellow there again in exactly fifty years time and it is now forty nine years and a matter of months so times up next January! Curiosity if you like - maybe its the gypsy in me - who knows - but somehow I believe they will meet again at that spot. We had many happy moments there looking for gold - back then it was more or less futile as I didnt know where to look or how to go about it but good fun, happy days and no worries.

Mathew		Posted : Sunday, 26 August 2012 1:13:14 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 18/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 5		Simon you shaw it was called Oxen bridge road. As i have just tried google maps searching for it and couldnt find it

kiwijw		Posted : Sunday, 26 August 2012 10:23:36 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)		From the Queenstown side of the Edith Cavell bridge, that crosses over the shotover river, just before it on the left there is a gravel track/road that goes down to the river. Go to the end & then walk up towards the tunnel over the rocks & boulders. Gold is all through that area.. I havnt been there for a few years now or since it was claimed but a sluice box should be fine. Here are some pics. Oxenbridge Tunnel to the left true shotover river on the right The Shotover Jet Boats operate in this area so you need to watch out for their wake when they come screaming up & upset your sluice box. The other pic is from the tunnel end looking back down towards the end of the track that you can drive down & park up. Flood gold all through there. photo on the rght is taken from the moonlight track looking back down on to the oxenbridge tunnel which cuts through that headland in the foreground jutting out from the right where the river turns to the left to go around it. You can see the black entrance of the tunnel in the cliff face. The Edith Cavell bridge is near the top of the pic where the river narrows & the track is on the right hand side just before going over the bridge. You can just make out part of the track below that forest of trees. The other pic is from the same spot looking up the Shotover towards the Moonlight junction, the jewllers shop as it was known. So rich in gold. Good luck out there JW :)

Mathew		Posted : Wednesday, 29 August 2012 1:31:36 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 18/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 5		Hey thanks very much for that. Greatly appreicated :D makes you wonder if its under claim why who ever owns the claim isnt working it

Cleggie		Posted : Wednesday, 29 August 2012 6:14:37 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Mathew Hey thanks very much for that. Greatly appreicated :D makes you wonder if its under claim why who ever owns the claim isnt working it Probably issues with resouce consents and alike. Not sure that Shotover Jet boats would be happy with a bloody great suction dredge floating about and getting in their way. Like Simon and JW mentioned, you will find color in your pan... just not much. I found some nice wee flakes there last Easter when I dipped my sluice and spent about 4 hours digging amoung the rocks with my brother and his wife. He told me to keep quiet about this spot as it is a secret place that knowone knows about... yeah, right... funny guy.

Golddigger7		Posted : Thursday, 6 September 2012 5:04:31 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 6/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 252 Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 46 time(s) in 35 post(s)		i got 1/2 ounce there in an afternoon, that was some time ago, probably been well picked over now, was further down stream than whats shown in the photo's

simon		Posted : Thursday, 6 September 2012 7:23:49 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)		mathew: the guys with the claim are planning on working it alright. they just can't be everywhere at once. they've gone upstream somewhere. it's all flood gold at this spot so it's not going to make them rich there. you would need a bigger digger and plant and the jetboats and that sort of stuff don't mix too well. they told me i was allowed to keep at it there as i helped them out with some info. they are happy for people to continue using the spot as long as they keep it to hand tools and no engines. it's a nice accessible spot for all ages. you will never go home without at least seeing gold there. just don't expect to see any nuggets i think. cleggie: i got a couple of ounces there a couple of years back. took me several summers and parts of other seasons on a daily basis to get mind you! that's where i got hooked.
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oroplata		Posted : Thursday, 6 September 2012 7:49:13 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		Originally Posted by: simon mathew: they are happy for people to continue using the spot as long as they keep it to hand tools and no engines. They sound like damn nice folks. Any similar folks over on the coast with beach claims? I'd like to go over there with my nephew and give it a go for a day to see what it's like.
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TroutnGold Stalker		Posted : Friday, 7 September 2012 12:26:58 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 7/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 11 Location: Canterbury Thanks: 2 times Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)		I went on the Shotover Jet earlier this year. One of the guys working there told me someone found a $40,000 nugget while digging just up from the jet boats. It's probably just a story they tell all the tourists though lol.

Mathew		Posted : Sunday, 9 September 2012 12:10:22 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 18/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 5		Originally Posted by: TroutnGold Stalker I went on the Shotover Jet earlier this year. One of the guys working there told me someone found a $40,000 nugget while digging just up from the jet boats. It's probably just a story they tell all the tourists though lol. Wow thats a good days work. Just out of curiousty wheres the best place to sell your gold down south in Southland or Otago ?

Cleggie		Posted : Sunday, 9 September 2012 11:21:24 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Originally Posted by: simon mathew: the guys with the claim are planning on working it alright. they just can't be everywhere at once. they've gone upstream somewhere. it's all flood gold at this spot so it's not going to make them rich there. you would need a bigger digger and plant and the jetboats and that sort of stuff don't mix too well. they told me i was allowed to keep at it there as i helped them out with some info. they are happy for people to continue using the spot as long as they keep it to hand tools and no engines. it's a nice accessible spot for all ages. you will never go home without at least seeing gold there. just don't expect to see any nuggets i think. cleggie: i got a couple of ounces there a couple of years back. took me several summers and parts of other seasons on a daily basis to get mind you! that's where i got hooked. Thanks for that info Simon, the claim owners sound like good sorts to allow people to fossick on their claim. I plan to be down that way for a week at the end of October and will spend a few hours fossicking on that spot... guilt free... thanks.

chrischch		Posted : Friday, 14 September 2012 11:34:19 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 811 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 192 times Was thanked: 105 time(s) in 104 post(s)		I'm in Qtown for a wee bit til Tues anyway if anyone wants to hook up for a prospect. went to Arrowtown for a look yesterday but accidentily threw the god damn concentrates back in the river at the end of the day! Wifie was most impressed! You guys sure are right about the black sand there. My cell is 027 3700293, just gimme a txt or call if you are keen, prefer someone with a bit more local knowledge than me but beggars cant be choosers! Will go have a nosey around the shotover today, I love those boats but I gotta find a fair bit of colour to pay for a ride!! Edited by user Friday, 14 September 2012 11:35:02 AM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified
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