New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

i thought this topic needs some mention.
i'm sure others can add their piece.

I've just been out to the shotover with 2 DOC staff. I am looking at planting some kowhai under the project gold scheme.

A bit of a community project for my business. i've already cleared a lot of pine and broom and uncovered some mining activity and relics.

I was showing the staff around and we went up to look at some of what i had uncovered and some dodgy bugget had dug holes all over the place and not bothered to fill in ANY of them!

i'm the first to admit i don't always fill in holes. when you are up a mountain where no one ever goes and you are surrounded by even bigger rabbit holes you have to question why.

BUT, other places are more sensitive. LIKE, Doc reserves!

it is this sort of thing that ruins it for the rest of us. Fill your holes!

If this is true then are we NOT allowed to metal detect in Gabrielle's Gully?

Was looking at a trip up there when it drys out a bit

yes but there will always be people that dont give a toss and dig and walk away,making it hard for others.

Hi Sycotoad,

You may find this link useful.
http://www.historic.org.nz/theregister.aspx

I think you will find the Historic sites listed are all off limits without permission. However sometimes it may pay to determine what radius of land is protected. As Shilo mentioned nearby ares's could be available for searching. With DOC land there is a form available to apply for permission to use but I don't believe it would override any HPT site on Doc land. I once made verbal inquiries with Doc on a site I was interested in. I found them very helpful and they gave me good information. As it happens I decided not to pursue that one but there will no doubt be a next time.

MK

Hummmm that didnt work the way i wanted it to..lol.....

"I treat DOC land the same as council parks - if it is in a popular & busy area then I avoid it"

I wanted to remark on the statment above.

......I agree with you on the doc land side of things shilo but not on the council parks.

As you are all aware we here in CHCH hunt hagley park quit often and it is a very busy popular place,but we do it with the blessing of the park rangers and the council guys that keep it clean....we run into the same problems as you guys do..we have one or two here that dig big holes and dont fill them proporly or dont give a dam... and if we catch them we will give them an ear full.

I think proper Etiquette is the same for detecting weather you are hunt for gold or coins and relics

1) Make sure you are allowed to dig there
2) Dig as clean a plug as posible.
3) when target found fill the plug in properly and leave as little mess as posible.
4) stomp plug down as even as posible so you can hardley tell you were there if at all.
5) IF YOU FIND TRASH IN HOLE TAKE IT OUT WITH YOU, DONT LEAVE IT IN HOLE AND FILL BACK IN.

Sometimes it is hard to keep a clean plug...you go to dig one and it comes out nice and clean..but the next one you go to pull out crumbles in your hands ,you try to avoid it but cant allways in which case you put the crumbled parts back as best you can and leave it clean.

If everyone followed these simple rules of Etiquette I think we would never get hassled or not much anyways.

Well we like to think so anyways - Had a walk around our local park with one of the bosses of the SDC - I was taking photo's of damage caused by cars & drunks - He was trying to find where I had recovered metal objects - After a hour or so he told me that my local councilors were trying to do everything they could to stop me from metal detecting in the park, in fact on ALL SDC land - He said that they wanted to serve me with a trespass order, however they could not find any damage whatsoever & they could not take it any further -

So down this way it matters not if you follow the rules to a tee - if the boss has nailed his old fulla to a bar, your pretty much stuffed - In fact I try to help our local museum which is struggling, but to no avail .......... the old phrase 'urinating into the wind' springs to mind -

You guys are so lucky in Christchurch - Aucklanders want to go there to find ALL that silver - This Southlander wants to go there so he can hunt without being threatened

Happy & Safe Hunting ;)

LMAO - thanks man - ;)

I actually went to see them yesterday to ask for the name/s of the councilor/s who have been telling ratepayers at meetings, that I am causing damage to the park, when clearly I HAVE NOT

I have advised them that I will take the matter to the police if it keeps up - for defamation of character

It was after that a boss from Invercargill & I spent an hour or so at the park exchanging concerns

I am standing firm on my stance because I feel if I don't, no-one will ever be allowed to swing a detector down this way, or at least out this way - gotta luv these deep south banjo pickers lol

woah, looks like i've opened a can of worms on this topic. I've been away from the internet a bit and missed all this.

looks like poohbear has summed it up pretty well.

perhaps treat it as he has mentioned. i guess in the more populated areas where coins detectorists operate they have to be even more vigilant in who's keeping an eye on them.

Maybe that is the way to detect. always presume someone is watching / waiting to complain. so if you leave no mess they have nothing to have you up on.

the public areas are open to anything non motorised. so detectors are fine. just remember it is the wet area of a waterway that is open for fossicking. this means no digging up the banks as i believe has happened at sites such as the moonlight creek (west coast one).

as far as where you can swing your detector, i say anywhere you have the balls to venture. i don't go near people's claims unless invited but the detecting spots aren't necessarily near these anyway. taking the gabriel's gully example mentioned above - who is going to stop you detecting there? you only dig when you get a target anyway. and if you fill your hole in what is the dilemma?

i think the historic places trust is really only concerned with people destroying items. so if you dig down the side of an historic dwelling you may disturb it's foundations and ultimately in a worse case scenario destroy the building.

on the other hand they will be fully against you removing any object. this is more what they are about. so if you dig up something one of the many bullets on such a site, or an old teaspoon / boot scrap, you may be in big shit. if you are caught. which is easily done with all the digital cameras everyone has these days.

So if you don't catch the eye of your local community nuisance you should be fine. just remember there is always someone not happy with whatever it is you are doing. i always try and say a nice hi to everyone i come across. usually people are just interested in what you are up to and finding.