New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

 

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Tcol  
Posted : Tuesday, 18 December 2012 10:53:41 AM(UTC)
Tcol

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Hi there I am new to the forum. The other day I purchased a gold pan from Dannidor on trade me, and eagerly awaiting it I am keen to know if there are any locations around Taranaki that could be panned for gold just as a hobby? After reading this article http://www.pukeariki.com...-in-them-thar-hills.aspx I have a hunch that small quantities may be found in tributaries coming off the Kaitake ranges, but unfortunately I will probably have to cross farm land that I don't have authorised access to to have a try. Being a geology student myself I am very keen to have a go at gold panning, although I have to admit my university studies have not made me an expert in any light on the nature of gold deposits, and rather I have had to do a lot of research myself. Any how I will stop rambling now, if anyone had any advice or tips it would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers.
gjj109  
Posted : Tuesday, 18 December 2012 10:28:56 PM(UTC)
gjj109

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Good to see you have a bit of enthusiasm and optimism, both essential ingredients for success.

Don't be shy about approaching a cocky for access across his land. No firearms or dogs and a smile on your dial will get you most places.

Get a crevice scraper and a sucker. You will need to get the lowest bits of mud and gravel to have any chance of success.

Good luck with the hunt. You only need a speck or two to turn a good day into a great one.

Don't forget to post the results, whatever they may be.

peteatpapaaroha  
Posted : Wednesday, 19 December 2012 9:34:26 AM(UTC)
peteatpapaaroha

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Good on you Tcol my Great grandfather was involved in the gold prospecting in the ranges in a big way for a while along with removal and smelting of iron from the iron sands, he always reckoned there was plenty of gold there only trouble it was some how locked up with these other minerals and at that time there wasn't a method to release it.
I have poked around around the old workings at boars head etc and found some of the rotten type of Quartz that he was talking about, and remember researching about the removal of the locked up gold. There is now a process for doing it, but I never took it any further as it sounded a bit complex for me.
I am sure he was right as he was a pretty clever old bugger for his time, made a lot of money out of gold as a young fella around the country and invested it in rental properties, shops and housing around New Plymouth. And lost (invested) some in the iron sand, gold and early oil prospecting, around NP.
NUGGY  
Posted : Wednesday, 19 December 2012 10:05:27 AM(UTC)
NUGGY

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Hi Tcol, really good advice/tips in both above posts. Doing heaps of research yourself, and your geology knowledge will give you some ideas about where to start. Looking for gold locked into other minerals as above, seems like a great way to come up with a worthwhile discovery. There is also thermal spring gold and micro gold in sedimentary rock that could be worth looking into. Must also be a chance of discovering some other mineral in worthwhile quantities too, there are lots of possibilities. Good luck NUGGY
Buckrogers  
Posted : Tuesday, 17 December 2013 7:59:03 AM(UTC)
Buckrogers

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Hi there, new to this forum but as someone who spent a lot of time in Taranaki I remember as a wee boy heading out to New Plymouth library reading old fossicking books about gold in Taranaki. One book mentioned small amounts of gold had been found on the Huatoki river although like most I headed up to the Boars head area at the time. Much of what I have seen there is pyrite in a brecciated quartz matrix.

I did find a very siliceous section in one of the streams off the one that parallels the one running through boars head many years ago but can't remember how far up it was. I also headed out with an old time prospector there who took me to the paint mines / pits on the Kaitake ranges which are not far from a disused logging railway line. It was a long time ago now but given the volcanic history there must be some hydrothermal gold some where. I believe native copper has been found around the port sugar loaf islands and Andesitic volcanos tend to be associated with porphyry copper deposits which yield low levels of gold.

Am in Taranaki for three weeks over Christmas / New year otherwise and may head out for a test of a few rivers but as with the family won't get to the South Island this time.

Edited by user Tuesday, 17 December 2013 8:02:37 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified