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Hi, we're new to the forums - We're 2 Grandparents & 2 Grandsons, 13 & 15
Four Fossickers  
Posted : Sunday, 9 September 2012 1:16:41 PM(UTC)
Four Fossickers

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Hi, we're new to the forums. We're 2 Grandparents & 2 Grandsons, 13 & 15.
We all love to fossick - Alaska, Western USA, Australia. We'll be in NZ between 2 Oct and 2 April 2013.
Would really like to connect with other families that fossick together. We welcome any tips for fossicking in NZ, which areas are good for starting with..... We'll be mostly in the Northern part of the South Island. :-)
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Free Fossicker Forster  
Posted : Sunday, 9 September 2012 9:25:07 PM(UTC)
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Hello Four Fossickers

In the first instance there are a number of Public Fossicking areas where no license is needed, where you can use non motorised equipment including a pan or sluice box up to 1m in length and 20cm wide. See this link http://www.nzpam.govt.nz...inerals/gold-fossicking. There are some up in north South Island. Many of these have a basic campground with water and a pit toilet, maybe a shelter provided by DOC (Department of Conservation). I myself have been to Lyell Creek, Slab Hut Creek and Shamrock Creek (Goldsborough) and found the latter probably the best of these (but note I/we have been at this for less than a year). We (three fossickers) hope to get back over to goldsborough (and maybe Moonlight Creek) during the school holidays (end of Sept/early October) and its certainly the easiest for us to get to (2.5 hour drive over the mountains). The smallest of us is 5 and loves dams, is more inclined to catch lumps of clay than tiny bits of gold. (We would be happy to meet you there sometime if Goldsborough (near Hokitika) or west coast areas near this is in your range).

Beyond these areas, it is technically illegal, unless you have a claim or are given permission (you can see a map of claims on this website). Many however do wander further in their search for better gold. Also its good to try to avoid fossicking on someones claim unless you get permssion from them, and also ask landowners where privately held for access permission.

Hope you have a good time and maybe see you somewhere.

Cheers
Free Fossicker Forster
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simon  
Posted : Sunday, 9 September 2012 9:35:24 PM(UTC)
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F.F.F.:

where does this mention of what you can and can't use in these public fossicking areas come form? is in on the D.O.C. site or Crown Minerals?

you state a box can be a metre long. would this exclude a flare? technically you aren't running material thru the flare, just gathering water flow.

the width you stated above is what really intrigues me. if a box can only be 200mm wide, such measurement would mean most boxes, especially the commercial ones, are all oversize and technically illegal to use under these specs. most commercial boxes are 300mm, way more than 200mm.
i really don't know how i would react if confronted with this problem. are they serious?

i find skinny boxes useless for shovelling as you either loose half your precious paydirt over the sides or have to slow your pace down which means you process less. perhaps this is why your spec is 200mm. it sure would make sense from a lawful point of view as it means you can't process crap. if i was using a 200mm box i would prob have to classify my material and slow up my whole operation. makes no sense.

i bet everyone banging up boxes cheaply in their garage don't build to any such specs except for what works for them (perhaps even what length of offcuts they can lay their hands on for free or cheap).

cam anyone elaborate please.
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gjj109  
Posted : Sunday, 9 September 2012 9:58:33 PM(UTC)
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Hi Simon.

Those are the dimensions displayed on the Doc signs at the fossicking areas.
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Free Fossicker Forster  
Posted : Monday, 10 September 2012 12:27:15 PM(UTC)
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Hi Simon

I could see no reference to dimensions on the NZ Petroleum and Minerals website, so it may be DOC restrictions as found on the DOC signs. The ones down your way in Central Otago and South Otago are administered by the District Councils. I didn't realise this. If they have any such restrictions, you'd expect them to be on District Council signs, so maybe there are none for those ones. Size restrictions are certainly inconvenient if the commercial ones are wider. I agree regarding the effective shovelling and classifying would be restricted by these dimensions and I have also found this to be so. I have just built one based on this although the outside measurements are wider than 20cm. I was also thinking of adding a wider flare (which would make it longer as well).
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simon  
Posted : Monday, 10 September 2012 1:41:41 PM(UTC)
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Signs? i have never seen any signage at any public fossicking sites around here (12 mile, 5 mile, arrow, tucker beach).

that was my point here at the 12 mile a while back. there is a fossicking area but no one knows as there is no sign saying so even though there is now a plethora of signage all over the show.

would it be that some local group has used their own initiative and made signage for the west coast sites? i know it is doc who has the permit for the public fossicking.

down here i've seen doc guys looking at people with dredges where they shouldn't be and doing nothing. i've had them chat to me about my work but never said i wasn't to be there. i don't think hassling miners down here is too much on the work agenda as they have better stuff to attend to. not like it's national parks people are in down this way like around nelson.

i think this is the biggest problem regarding the rules on mining. it is never clear and what you can get away with in one place does not necessarily fly in others places in other regions.

as far as the general public believes it is simply hand tools only for public spots.


i do get a few that think small 2 inch dredges are ok. i don't know where that has come from but it may be due to the rules allowing small dredge use in other countries
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gjj109  
Posted : Monday, 10 September 2012 2:08:38 PM(UTC)
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The signs that are at the Doc sites are Doc signs. Perhaps some conservancies take their responsibility more seriously than others.

Personally I believe the restrictions at the Doc sites are reasonable and fair. It allows all comers to participate on an equal basis.

No one I have ever met, fossickers or Doc, is going to get too upset about a few centimeters of width or length in a sluicebox. Bring a dredge along though and it will be a different story.
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simon  
Posted : Monday, 10 September 2012 3:05:45 PM(UTC)
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Yeah, my thoughts exactly. i personally don't think the 200mm or 300m will make too much difference from the lawful end of hand tools only.
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oroplata  
Posted : Monday, 10 September 2012 3:54:39 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: simon Go to Quoted Post

would it be that some local group has used their own initiative and made signage for the west coast sites?


I imagine the paperwork to get permission to put a sign up is similar to getting consents for a gold claim :)
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gavin  
Posted : Monday, 10 September 2012 4:42:24 PM(UTC)
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I remember emailing Crown Minerals way back about this. They said any restrictions are imposed by DOC.

I should imagine if it's obvious you're hobby fossicking and not taking the piss then they're never going to measure your sluicebox. I've never had mine measured while at these sites and I think mine is probably just a tad wide, but a bit shorted (so probably evens out). Most DOC guys have better things to do than come chasing after you with a tape measure ;)
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simon  
Posted : Monday, 10 September 2012 6:55:12 PM(UTC)
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oroplata: you've hit the nail on the head there.

gavin: they sure do have better things to do. such as removing carparks from fossicking areas so no one uses them anymore by putting the replacement way up the road - no good for the old or kids. now the local are doesn't need a sign as f all people go there. i even got a note from the ranger complaining about my new inventive parking up the roadside bank. i see others are now simply driving around the usual obstacles put over the old carpark entrance.
i would love to know the reasoning for it all. must have cost a bomb for the new carpark and toilet way up the road. they only just finished widening the track so doesn't make too much sense. i bet the local guided walk operators that pay concessions to DOC are fuming about the whole fiasco.
would be a good laugh if i didn't have to haul my gear so much further.
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Lammerlaw  
Posted : Monday, 10 September 2012 11:07:10 PM(UTC)
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Pretty sad really - thats all I can say - DOC playing policeman imposing restrictions on good honest Kiwis having a great day out in one of the few areas they can actually go while Macraes mining has one area mine that area and it is probably larger than all the public fossicking areas put together - this is not New Zealand land of milk and honey - this is New Zealand the rich mans Utopia and we the fools but mere slaves of an unjust system.
The pioneer spirit has been taken from us in a gradual series of supressive actions designed to get the general populace under rule of thumb so that the wealthy and offshore businesses can do what they like - it is high time that ALL decent New Zealanders threw the politicians into the street, put honest people in power and made rules to suit everyone fairly and squarely.
These people who act as policemen for their masters do not realize that it is their own rights and freedoms that they are helping to erode.

Oh yes - Welcome to the forum Four Fossickers - welcome to New Zealand Land of the Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise - Gods Zone - Milk and Honey - and suppression of the masses.

If you are down Otago way we might be able to organise something for you if you like high wind, dismal weather, bleak outlook and no gold - in fact the last guest from overseas my son and I had got washed away, lost his camera, got trapped on the other side of the river, got his Minelab 5000 for a swim, got no gold - and gave me two nice bottles of real high powered Belgium Beer...I felt so sorry for him that I had to donate him 5 or so grammes out of my secret hoard so that he at least took something back to the Northern hemisphere.

Edited by user Monday, 10 September 2012 11:14:04 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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