New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

I tend to work on the theory that everything can be explained and rationalised after a few deep breaths and in all the years I've spent in the back country on my own and in company that has prevailed in all except one instance...

A couple of years ago I was walking down from the Pinnacles Hut on the Coromandel after a day trip. Actually more of an afternoon trip. It was around this time of year - days were starting to draw out but still dark by 7 pm. I was descending the Webb Creek track with about twenty minutes to go before full darkness and was almost at the bottom of the old pack horse steps when I was suddenly gripped by what I can only describe as one step away from full blown terror. It wasn't triggered by a noise or some deceptive fleeting glimpse of a shape through the trees - this was something else and every hair stood up for what must have been only a few seconds and then as suddenly as it had come over me it passed and I was left feeling okay if slightly bemused. There's no rationalising that.

Hi all, have been an active visitor of this site for a while and decided to jump in and join up. I love the stories and advice so here is my spooky experience.
Many years ago was up the Mokohinui River and had risked life and limb to get into Maori Creek for a look. Set up my fly and camp and took rifle and pan for a wander up a side creek when I was hit by a HUGE dose of the heebies. That horrible chill went down my spine, my hairs stood on end and that lovely wee spot seemed to be telling me I should not be there!!!!!
So I decided I should probably go home, Fast....
On the way back to my fly I found a rough old bivvy complete with sleeping bags and other gold mining supplies, Never had a good look but they had not been used for a long time, and that just spurred me on to leave.
Have since been back in there with a mate and it didnt seem as spooky but that place still puts the creeps up me. As far as I am aware no one has met an unfortunate end in that area. Will get brave again this summer and poke my nose in there again.

A fascinating topic, a few beers or not. My experiences:

1. My Dad and I were heading to pan a little beach we knew on the Buller River due to lower than usual water level - a real bushbash from the road and not an easy spot to get to. We'd got a little piece there before with a sluice box. Just our luck and we had nearly reached the river when it pissed down with rain. Broke out of the bush and there was a very elderly little old woman there panning in the very spot ie on the very piece of bedrock we were heading for. She had no raingear on and kind of C19th clothes - a long dress and hat. I can still picture her. She wouldn't talk to us. As the river was rising, we just decided to go home. I have no idea how she got there as there were no other cars by the road and somehow she didn't seem real.

2. Was dredging with 2" in Nuggety Ck Wangapeka before DOC closed it to dredging. Each time I turned the motor off could hear someone walking backwards and forwards on little bank above me like with hobnail boots. Could see no-one but noise was really loud and there was no other noise - not even birds. I had found a few little match head sized pieces but lost some of them when I dropped the bottle and smashed it. It sounds ridiculous now but it was nerve-wracking at the time. Who knows - could have injested too many exhaust fumes while in the creek!

Yeah Biddy of the Buller - I did think of that afterwards but sounds crazy to mention it.