New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Hey guys,

I've been looking through the forums and seem to notice everyone finding the older (cooler?) stuff mostly seem to be from the south island/Christchurch, etc.

Just in general is Auckland a harder location to search in? I know it sounds stupid haha but was just wondering.

I got a landowners permission to search a huge field that dates back a bit here in Auckland and the place is just packed with signals, under one big tree today I spent a few hours and literally every swing was a signal, found a good 40 or so coins from seperate holes, nothing fantastic though but got a bunch of nz and aussie pennies and halfpennies from 20's - 50's.
The other day I found my first silver coin, a really good condition 1926 british 3pence. I also found 2 rings but think they're both junk haha. This spot will keep me going for a while.

But back to the original point, is the south island better searching ground than Auckland?

My guess is that Yes, the South Island has more to offer the detector user than Auckland has. The only reason that this could be is surely that the detectorists have hit Auckland harder and for longer than we have down here. Without being a bearer of doom and gloom however, I think that the balance is being slowly redressed and that finds down here (certainly in that great yardstick Hagley Park) are getting a bit harder to find.
Only a year ago on this forum we were having stories of 20+ silvers in a day coming out of the ground (41 in one particularly productive hunt as I recall). Nobody seems to have those 'great' days anymore, too many detectors fighting over too little ground has made pickings a good bit slimmer nowadays. This morning I did 2 hours on Hagley and relieved it of two silvers which was about par for the course. Last year I'd have been disappointed with such a meagre haul.

The times they are a changin'. ;-)

I just spent 30 minutes in the back yard and found 4 pennies, an old 50 cent, a button, and two silver spoons. Not sure why I keep driving places to detect...


hmmm... while trying to get this photo on my other post I accidentally stuck it here too... eh, what can you do?

Edited by user Sunday, 8 September 2013 5:42:23 PM(UTC)  | Reason: incompetence

Thanks! There was an 'old' house in the paddock behind the house I live in that they burned and buried. I have done a bit of detecting out there and have found a few pennies and half pennies and a six pence, but haven't really done much looking around my yard other than to test detectors. Starting to think I should do a proper grid search, I am sure there must be a jar full of sovereigns buried out there somewhere :)

Rubbish I dug up in the back yard today

Edited by user Sunday, 8 September 2013 5:39:50 PM(UTC)  | Reason: picture didn't stick

i think some of the cause might be in how the town/city has evolved from then to now. places such as auckland and queenstown here i live have had much growth. a lot of the old sites have been redeveloped and built over. a lot has been hit by urban sprawl and lifestyle blockers ceasing assess to sites.
on the other hand some towns/cities have not flourished. dunedin would spring to mind. yet dunedin used to have the immense wealth of the gold rush which saw many elegant buildings and other infastructure erected. the lack of general intensification of people and buildings into dunedin and the decay of once glorious dwellings should allow a good deal of opportunities. you may just have to beat the historic (or hysterical as some who say) places types to the locations. i could rattle off some but i don't want to ruin it for any dunedin folk that are already frequenting such spots. if anyone is interested i could list a few places that might produce results.

Djevel, you're a lucky chap. If you grid that field and work it both ways, it'll keep you busy for some time and, going on what you have found so far, should be nicely productive.

That 705 should suck a few silvers for you - the penny dates suggest they will be there.

Hey Kiwisouth,

That sounds pretty interesting I'll try come along if time/other commitments allow me too, be good to meet up with some others, how big is the md scene in Auckland, are there many detectorists, I see a few on here but not many.

Cheers.

Has anyone had a hunt in the domain? if so how did they get on.