New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Won't be long before a local tribe nabs the claim back and starts hitting him up to reclaim any possible riches he manages to find, probably get the camping ground too and turn it into an over-priced tourist attraction with no discounts for locals.

What's the deal with sub-leasing though, what's to stop someone making him an offer to 'use' a small stretch of it?

I agree ... it's time to move on.

I just spoke to my dad who lives in Oamaru & used to go there regularly ... he thinks he met the claim owner a few months ago & was told there will be no access to the claim for legal reasons.

Sounds like Mr Franklin has had alot of grief from upset locals wanting something for free & was forced to draw the line.

It was good while it lasted, but I won't be going back there.

The information on this topic is viewable on the New Zealand P.A.M website for all those who seem uninformed on this matter and choose to make light of there illegal mining operations in Area in question. All information is view on how to apply for a permit and were you can fossic for gold for FREE. To insult someone who is a close Friend for many years and taking a post out of context is not what I expected from the party's involved. I hope this will clear up any confusion on what is leagel and illegal mining practices.

I think this thread has potential to get nasty so how about we all forgive and forget. as said we don't have to agree with the claim being taken but the fact is it has. I don't think the claim owner has done himself any favours with his facebook comments but its history too now. I know I wont be going there again. its not worth the hassle. I think he will still have to deal with a lot of probably locals who will claim jump but that's his problem. as for the oamaru mail taking up the story, I don't think they would as its always been illegal and even more so now. I don't think they will be getting involved with condoning breaking the law. what they could do though is an article on needing more public fossicking areas.

Edited by user Tuesday, 13 August 2013 10:22:24 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Now i really feel for the guy.

It's this sort of behaviour that has permit holders trying to hide behind company names and trusts, until the tech savvy 'track them down'.

Good on everyone that didn't jump to conclusions with the guys FB snippet. i wouldn't trust nothing on that shite site. iit actually really grinds me that the media lazily pull people's pics and info off this site to use also.

Anyhow, as pointed out above, the real criminals in the eyes of the laws are those people ripping the place up - pulling up tree roots and trees that are in banks causing erosion is exactly why crap like the RMA got started in the first place. to protect the land from those that were destroyong it for their own purposes.

sure, it may seem like just something small. still damage. it doesn't take much for one guy's holes in a bank to be the start of a major river meltdown in a flood with scouring and the chance of channel shift etc.

oddly enough i think hand sluiceboxers can cause more damage than dredging. the dredging simply sucks the gravels up and spits them out, in channel. the sluiceboxing often see holes and crevices dug out that are way above waterline (so will be visible for ages). i've seen it round here plenty. usually the domestic or international tourist that won't be back so make a mess. the rubbish is the pits. i remeber one guy that was camping where he shouldn't have on the shotover. everyone was nice enough without being rude, nek minnit, he's attracting more people who want to camp for free. end result, after weeks of free accommodation and locals showing how to pan etc they take off leaving a massive mess of broken glass and unwanted traveller van furnishings. unfortunately it's this sort of behaviour by a few that will one day soon see public fossicking even more restricted.

That would be good ground for the dredge that the claim holder has, deep sediments on top of a false bottom of limestone and volcanics. Some of the gullies into the Marewhenua were sluiced, and there were workings at, livingstones, Awamoko and all around the back(south) of there, where the old quartz gravel sits on the schist, and immediately west of Kurow. Aye get cracking on the Topo maps, papers past- key words as above but include Gold in the search title, and sift onto the farmers, would not bother asking till lambing is well over eh...chins up to all aye, there really is more ground for us to fossick over than we have time in our lives to explore...happy hunting...oh one more thing....when you go into a pine forest to get pine cones, you don't ask the forestry company eh, cause they will say no, as they know you are there and they are liable....but it does not stop us getting pine cones ;) http://paperspast.natlib...-0Marewhenua+goldfield--

Edited by user Thursday, 15 August 2013 9:08:03 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Thanks for the update reading a lot of this stuff on here and inbetween the lines you would think the guy was first class A Hole like youv pointed out twisty it sounds like its simply not true probably the opposite and not surprising "at all'' as most people no first hand how some tend to overreact ...i wonder how many bridges have been burnt because of that in a way i guess it makes it easyer for the claim owner to make decisions .
I wonder if the overreacters are from Waimate iv heard a few rumors about that place something along the lines of kangaroo,s bouncing around with huge man members lol

Mostly you are write but if u were caught with a gold pan I think you are asking for trouble I mean if fish and game caught you fishing in a river with no licence and your defence was that you are not trying to catch trout but perch would you get away with it !
I would think not.

it could make a lot of work for him cleaning up rubbish left by fishermen, swimmers and so on. he will be responsible for that if he has to keep the area clean. personally I never noticed a lot of rubbish around and cant say I saw tree roots ripped out either but I never went far up the stream. maybe it was worse further up. I would expect floods would rip up more roots than people ever would. about the misquoted/altered quote from facebook. tell their admin. team its a libelous quote. can he not ask for it to be removed. anyone seeing that without the information we now have |(and the majority wont have it) will automatically think he is a smartarse. I know I did....and no I didn't send him abusive emails or any form of abuse for that matter although I certainly were calling him some names that would make a nun blush. I just kept them to myself.

Edited by user Thursday, 15 August 2013 11:17:45 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I'm only new here but have been watching this thread with interest.

EVERYBODY HERE ON THIS forum knows or should know with all the information available here that if you don't have a Claim then your only allowed to fossick in public areas assigned by the Govt. Simple really..

And if you did happen to do some illegal fossicking and found gold in an area then don't bitch about it when someone else puts a claim on that spot.. You should have done it yourself.

As I understand it all panning/sluicing done in the area under discussion whether allowed or not by the campground owners was illegal so your all bitching that you cant break the law in this area anymore.. Good one..

Now some clever chap with the balls to take the risk comes along and puts a claim on that land. Good for him and I wish him well. If you knew there was gold to be had there(and it sounds like some of you have known this for many years) then you have had plenty of time to go through the proper process and put in a claim yourselves.

I was looking at buying a claim in the South Island myself but after reading all the comments here on this site and realising the amount of illegal mining and some people 's willingness to claim jump I've had second thoughts..
I'm staggered at the amount of people who own dredges but don't own a claim. And I've read in other places where people have openly talked about dredging in Public fossicking areas ruining that area for everyone else who wants to try their luck. Then there's the folks who find out someone has applied for a Claim so they visit the area and have a dredge and clean out all the easy gold before the permits approved.. New claim owner goes to his new claim and it's no longer viable for him to operate there.. This sucks after he's spent the money on going through the process legally.

Anyway.. To the Claim owner. I wish you all the best on your new claim..
And to everyone else who's illegally mining I hope you get caught. As with fishing.. If your doing it illegally then the Govt officials have the right to confiscate your gear as well as the horse you rode in on..