New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

The forum has moved to community.paydirt.co.nz, see you there!

This forum is now an archive to preserve the knowledge and finds posted here.

Where to gold mine around nelson area???

ollie007		Posted : Tuesday, 1 January 2013 7:38:22 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 1/01/2013(UTC) Posts: 3 Location: nelson		Hi everyone, I'm new to gold mining, just brought a sluice box and I'm wondering where's a good place to gold mine close to nelson, have recently tried sherry river, baton, and howard valley(louis creek) with no success, is there any other good places?

kiwisouth		Posted : Tuesday, 1 January 2013 7:48:07 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 3/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 326 Location: Blenheim (Renwick) Thanks: 39 times Was thanked: 105 time(s) in 83 post(s)		Welcome to the group. Read some of the other posts in this section and you should find a lot of info. My main area is Murchison but you have many areas not to far from Nellytown that are open to public fossicking. Good hunting
		Nulli Illigitimi Carborundum
		WWW

Good to go		Posted : Wednesday, 2 January 2013 2:26:17 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 8/06/2012(UTC) Posts: 121 Location: Ashburton Thanks: 57 times Was thanked: 21 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Hi i am new to it too and coming to nelson in a weeks time, im looking for spots to go as well while i up there, what sluice did ya get and where ya get it from? im looking on TM atm but still deciding.

fish		Posted : Wednesday, 2 January 2013 3:34:45 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 17/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 3 Location: mapua		All those rivers have colour, are you looking in the right places like on inside bends in gravel bars etc? I found some nice colour in the motueka river the other day just above where there is a claim on it. I did a test pan not expecting much but had about 15 colours but when i sluiced the area around the pan there was hardly anything in there, must have been a fluke pan. So you could try round that area to begin with, it was all in the top layer so im guessing float gold. Hope that helps, gluck.

ollie007		Posted : Wednesday, 2 January 2013 4:20:40 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 1/01/2013(UTC) Posts: 3 Location: nelson		Went to louis creek(howard valley) yesterday, we were digging deep behind big boulders down to bed rock ect, got about 7 specks/colours of gold, nothing much, sherry river i got 3 specks, all small gold thou, is there any big gold in these creeks or is it mainly fine stuff? Also does digging in the middle of the creek down to bedrock produce much gold? hi good to go, the sluice i ended up getting was a Keene A51A sluice off trade me, i was looking at a ABS plastic california sluice box but i thought the aluminum sluice would be more durable, it all depends on how much u want to spend.

simon		Posted : Wednesday, 2 January 2013 6:31:27 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 the term is flood gold, not float gold. flood gold is indeed in the top layer/s, in the silts and sediments that have been deposited during a flood event, hence the term. while some rivers are known for fresh supplies of flood gold, ie the shotover around arthurs point, the gold is generally on bedrock. so if you aren't finding gold when you get to bedrock chances are someone's beat you to it, or no gold is depositing right there. BUT, there could well be some right next to where you are digging. Something to look for is dirty sediment filled pay dirt. you don't want to shovel riverwash as the gold's gone through when all the sediments washed out. you need to get to bedrock. And instead of blind stabbing with your spade you need to stick your head under and see if gold is trapped in cracks etc. i personally find gold is nearly everywhere (traces of it anyway - not unfortunately amounts worth digging up, get good at panning and you will find flour gold especially all over the place). never say there is no gold somewhere as i'm sure someone's got some from the same spot, if you're in gold country of course. i used to say that and always was proved wrong by someone. i just wasn't looking hard enough.
		WWW

overdog		Posted : Thursday, 3 January 2013 2:46:12 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 2/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 418 Location: nelson Thanks: 69 times Was thanked: 82 time(s) in 68 post(s)		Totally agree with what Simon said.There is gold everywhere its just that in most cases there just isnt enough or big enough to get excited about.Bedrock is key-thats your best hope for something decent so be prepared to work for it or like he says get yer head wet looking for gold in the middle of the creek. Another tip is to go where the access aint that easy-anywhere within 500 metres of an easy access point to the river will have been done to death so be creative-I carry a rope to get into some nasty spots and thats where Ive got my best stuff. Try Blue and Nuggety Creeks up the Wangapeka valley-park @ Courthouse flat and start walking!You can score some good stuff in the side creeks-dont just stick to the main rivers.As I said get creative and you will be surprised what you come up with-try and borrow a detector as well,that will widen your search area to dry land. Just had a reasonable fresh up this way so that should have moved some stuff around so go to it and good luck. Oh and be advised-lots of DOC bods in the Kahurangi and Owen areas looking for that poor bastard tramper.I dont think they will be too concerned by a bloke with a pan but you never know with those idiots...

ollie007		Posted : Thursday, 3 January 2013 3:28:19 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 1/01/2013(UTC) Posts: 3 Location: nelson		hi overdog, thanks for the info, might try those creeks u recommended :)