New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Hi,just wondered if anyone would care to PM me some info on whether theres any alluvial areas in the Hauraki/Coromandel/Waihi area,I do all my digging down South but live in the North,have investigated a bit on North Island gold,but the story always seems to be the same,the gold is in the Quartz,its hard finding any information that isn't donkeys years old,I suppose that's because of the 'restrictions' placed on the area,cant help but think theres something wrong with the country when you cant pop up the bush for a pan without breaking the law,,,,crazy,,,,anyway would appreciate any info,cheers



Dig deep!!!

iv been hearing some storys from an old timer lately about some gold well more than some lol being found out of an area near tepuki!

Just wondering, could you make a living by trying all the legal gold sites for panning and using a sleuth box.

If you stuck at it and moved around the South Island, got a bit of luck, or hit the right spot.

Are there a lot of people thinking the same way?

Do people really make good finds to make it worth while?

It is just all for the fun and adventure.

Is there a lot of people doing it part time, or are there full timers out there just following the dream?

WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ANY ONES PAST EXPERIENCES, or get any advice on the best way of making it a full time pass time for a while.

Is it a big risk to do it full time or is there gold to be had?

Appreciate any tips and ideas on how to go about it.

Thanks all

gold hunter

Gold hunter - I sure dont know about the public fossicking spots unless you worked like a cross between a Human Steam shovel and a Demon possessed.

If you worked quietly and unobtrusively in some unseen posse away from the prying eyes of whingers, whiners and lowlife scumsucking tell tale twits with nothing better to do then yes you do have a good chance - when gold was $500 an ounce I averaged $350 worth a day INCLUDING in those statistics those days I was in the field but stuck in the hut because the river was in flood or snow or rain prevented me getting across to the river.

Forget the Public Fossicking areas - some self righteous diplodocus will report you and have you moved on. Find a friendly farmer who will allow you to camp by the river, maybe in exchange for a few days work or something and then you will be as good as gold - your own wee spot and no one to whine.

If you are in Otago or before you came to Otago send me an email and I will tell you a spot where you can camp free of charge and everybody does a bit of panning there and better still is that it is not claimed - the gold is patchy because every man and his dog went there but second last time I was there I walked straight into the creek and got 10.5 grams. One day in passing I stopped to talk to four Scottish people who were pottering there and they had enough in a day for the wedding ring for two of them as they were getting married.

Hi there,
I think ts possible,but as many would know,not probable,they say that in the old days 1 out of 10 men might do well chasing gold.to really have a good crack at it I think that there are a few must haves.Firstly,you need time,prospecting time,gold dosnt jump onto the shovel,you have to find it first and in saying that,you have to find rich enough ground to make it work out,so time is important,also you need some cash behind you to pay for that time(food,gear,transport,etc) your spending digging up and testing ground,as you wont be producing the goods until you start putting the test results through the box so to speak,sandflies arnt to bad if you have a pair of longjohns,long sleeve shirt and gloves(saves on a bit of repellent)haha,as mentioned you need to factor in the weather and also the fact that its hard yakka,sometimes just to get to your hole can be a rough trek,also after a hard days slog you want fairly comfy camping conditions to rest your weary bones,can be pretty rough when your sleeping on hard ground and slogging it in the creek all day,Im sure there are a few other factors to speak of and all I can say really is that its hit and miss,so many things against you but I think we have it easy compared to our forefathers,so don't see why it wouldn't be worth a go,but be prepared for hardtimes and heartache,keep putting dirt through the box as every shovel will bring more experience,Its something Iv been working towards,but I know its not worth a half hearted attempt,will require some dedication and time to get started,good gear and luck with the weather,I believe it should be a right of any New Zealander with a shovel and box to set up wherever they can when it comes to crown land,especially in times like these and be given the opurtunity to try and put a little bit of food on the table,unfortunatly the PC power trippers sitting behind their desks pushing pens and making the rules to suit themselves cant see the leaves for the trees,if you have the money you can buy a claim,a few diggers and dig up as much as you like,if your a down on your luck average kiwi with a box and shovel then your only legal option is to hit a designated area that is normally 9 times out of 10 been done over already by the oldtimers and has a low concentrate of gold per footage,we live in a country with rich ground and low population,surely it should be a option for every Kiwi to try and make a dollar doing a job that has been around for centuries,whats the place coming to!
Anyway went off track a bit there,but needed to vent!

Good luck with your endevours,as I said Im working towards that goal,I use to do gold back when the price was $300 and have decided to try my hand at it again,spent a month down the coast already this year prospecting,have a couple of good possies on the go,but need to put a few more things together before I head back,being winter now iv got some tough decisions to make but am on track for the next adventure.

Cheers