New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Interesting - I have walked every bit of this river and never seen one sign of gold nor any likely rock which might be of a gold bearing nature. I spend seven years up in there during weekends hunting and back then was as keen on gold as I am now so kept my peepers peeled but saw nothing.

Yes I had heard rumours about gold up that way many years ago when I hunted there and read this article or one similar to it many years ago as well

http://paperspast.natlib...d&d=THD18651209.2.10

One thing of interest that does come from this article is the fact that YES a great deal was found back in the pioneering days throughtout New Zealand then it was either not worth following up or the information got lost in archives and reports never to be seen again!

There MAY be colours there and yes it is worth going for a look see with the proper equipment - not a detector but a scratcher, bent screw driver to scratch out small cracks in the bedrock, a small trowel, a glass bottom box and a small lightweight pan. I would go well up though and look in all the side tributaries WELL UP the river as it is gravel bed for miles up Otaio Gorge. It might not seem a long stream but its a long haul into it through to the headwaters and out of it again. The headwaters are just 'across the ridge' from the headwaters of the North Branch of the Waihao but good luck!

Edited by user Friday, 26 April 2013 11:19:34 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Interesting comment - do you know who the old identities are who could tell you anything about the gold within striking distance of Waimate. The most knowledgeable are not so long dead and gone, carked it, snuffed the candle, curled up their toes and woken up dead and now reside in the Marble Orchard which is in the dead centre of the town.

There s one woman who was part of a group of four who in the 1970s had a great deal of knowledge about gold mining - one of them knew bell, Hooper and Kilgour and was also an active gold miner. The four of them had two claims, one of them being at or in the vicinity of Scotland Point where they went for a few weeks every year. They did a great deal of research into the gold around Waimates hills but only one of them is alive today and she is in her late 90s and whether she would be happy to have her name passed on I have my doubts but will ask her.

Many of Waimates old identities are not Waimateites at all but are relatively new comers but there are some who might know. A personal approach to me and I can give you a couple of names of people who might know a little but I have either never asked them or had never known them to ask and dont even known now if they are alive and even then they might not know a thing even though they had associations out Kaiwarua way.

I dont know now if Colliers still have associations with Otaio Gorge area but if they do then they would be worth approaching - old John Collier was a great guy and most obliging.

Gold and its existence near Waimate was totally unknown to 99% of the Waimate population and if it wasnt for a personal friendship with the people mentioned above I would not have known myself.

A new Conservation reserve has been created in the Hunter Hills and before it became Public knowledge I had a hand in suggesting its name and writing a paragraph for the brochure. This reserve does incorporate a very tiny section of the headwaters of one or two branches of the Otaio - only a few hundred meters and it does overlook the North Branch of the Waihao River but does not take in its headwaters.

As it is a public forum I shall not elaborate excepting to say that most of the land holders are really decent and obliging people and are happy to give access as well as the fact that there are public easements in places and the fact that much of the Te Tari a Te Kaumira area is now DOC estate with publicized walking tracks.

I was trying to find some photos of the headwaters of the Otaio where I did a great deal of hunting but alas cannot find them otherwise I would put them on here so you can see the type of country it is. There is a great track which goes from the entrance to Otaio Gorge - this is a private track so permission must be sought. It goes up the ridge on the left side of the gorge or seaward side and is steep in places and not for city yuppy four wheel drivers or the faint hearted and goes right along the very top ridge of the Hunters Hills with a couple of branches down to the Otaio in places.

Edited by user Saturday, 27 April 2013 1:36:47 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Thanks for the info helps quite a bit so you reckon go right up near the head of the river and target crevices in the bedrock. does anybody know if there would be any access to the head of the otaio as its along way to the head from any roads marked on the map

"Ask your friend in Waimate to find out if Jim McNeely is still around...."

Lammerlaw, you may possibly be confusing big miner's comments with mine. I can't see where he makes any mention of a "friend in Waimate" as I did. One would think he might know a few locals, though, as he lives there himself according to his profile.

I had an uncle of my mothers lived up Fitzmaurice road he was Ted Fitzmaurice .He had a small bottle of gold that some tea leaf got ,don't know where he got it from but his name may be worth a mention also Fox and Logan surnames ,Ted had a cuz staying with him Bill Fox or Bill Logan they are both long gone,they were about 80yrs each 40 years ago.Mount horrible isn't all that far away I think,could be a source

giday thanks for putting me right I just assume geothermal and volcanic activity are sometimes linked to the yello stuff

Hi Matt - If you can get to the spot there is a nice band of Glauconite at the Green Island Cement works and in it you will get them - some nice ones there up to the size of the ones I have shown - just over two inches - also fish vertebra, stingray teeth once again and penguin bones.

If you ever want to go have a look for them near Mt Horrible and I am about then its all go - otherwise if you want to go there yourself let me know and I will pin point the spots for you.