New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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roman holiday		Posted : Monday, 26 April 2010 5:14:03 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 26/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 147 Location: Tauranga Thanks: 18 times Was thanked: 8 time(s) in 7 post(s)		Hello to all. I've been working in Korea [in the heart of Seoul] for six years now and am returning back home to NZ at the end of this year. My plan is to buy a decent camper van and travel around the countryside for a year while doing some fossicking. I must say I was quite delighted to stumble acroos this forum, and the wealth of nformation on it. Though I know a bit about gold from the economics/ investment side of things, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to fossicking. It would be great to be able to meet up with some others from this site, on some field trip or something. Best luck to all with your fossicking, Paul. Edited by user Monday, 26 April 2010 5:14:58 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

gavin		Posted : Monday, 26 April 2010 5:20:25 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		Hi Paul, Great to see you on the forum! I'm always keen for a social fossick if you want a partner in crime. Still pretty much an amateur myself though but got all the toys. Cheers, Gavin
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roman holiday		Posted : Monday, 26 April 2010 5:48:55 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 26/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 147 Location: Tauranga Thanks: 18 times Was thanked: 8 time(s) in 7 post(s)		Cheers Gavin... I look forward to it! :) I also noticed kiwijw has some interesting equipment for sale up in Coromandel. My sister and her family have a farm near Waihi, so I think I might just have to pay kiwijw a visit and stock up on some gear. The plan will be then to travel down South in the camper to get into some panning and sluicing around the Buller area [this will be around next summer... until then stuck in this city of 8 million or so]. I appreciate very much that people here are willing to share their time, advice and experience. I can't wait to get my hands dirty... and enjoy those wide open spaces!

gavin		Posted : Monday, 26 April 2010 6:12:39 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		I can vouch for kiwijw's wares - most of my toys are from him. All well put together. Also been very forthcoming with advice even before the forums started up when I was struggling to get the sluice box set up just right in the water. South Korea - sounds like an interesting place to experience? Not sure I'd want to be there for 6 years though. Been around South East Asia a lot and loved it. Been doing anything interesting over there? I'm actually a pommie who's living over here now. Heading back to the UK 1st May to catch up with friends and family. Got a stop over in Bangkok for the best part of a week, hopefully I'll be avoiding the rioting!
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roman holiday		Posted : Monday, 26 April 2010 6:29:28 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 26/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 147 Location: Tauranga Thanks: 18 times Was thanked: 8 time(s) in 7 post(s)		Rioting in Thailand. A warship blown up recently in Korea. The Eurozone falling apart... alot going on in the world these days... I just want to get back to little NZ... ha ha. 6 years has been a while in Korea, but have had a great job at a good university here. The density of living here is incredible and really gets to me at times... there is also constant construction going on. I've put up with it pretty well, but the idea now is to get back to Aotearoa and enjoy some peace and quiet. Not that I want to retire or anything, being in my early 40s, more the idea of taking a sabbatical [though I suspect this could become quite extended :)]. And of course getting back to nature, and doing some real work fossicking. :) Edited by user Monday, 26 April 2010 6:36:17 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

kiwijw		Posted : Monday, 26 April 2010 11:37:24 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Hi there Roman Holiday, Welcome to the mad house, I was living at Waihi beach for a few years & prior to that, Waihi itself for 7 years. Have now moved to Whangamata which is about half an hour up the coast from Waihi. I am going down to Queenstown on friday for 6 months. Work up here is bloody grim & I havnt done much this year. I am a builder by trade & I cant weather the storm any more. A phone call to QT had me work straight away & of course there is all that Central Otago gold going to be all around me. Only bummer is that it will be through the winter. BBBBrrrrr...... I am taking two sluice boxs & 5 crevice suckers & some snuffer bottles & crevice scrapers down with me that I have in stock which I will sell from down there. I was going to take my mig welder with me to carry on making sluice boxs down there, but dont think I will now. The unit I will be renting doesnt have a garage or work shop. Gold fossicking is a great hobby, but dont dwell on the money making side of it because it aint that easy or all that rewarding & dont think you are going to make your fortune. If you are happy with that & look at it form a fun point of view, the beautiful places it will take you & the neat like minded people you will meet on the way, then that is gold of a different kind. And money cant buy that. If you are in it for the money only.....then you wont last. Dont give up your day job......Other than that you will have a ball. Regards JW :)

gavin		Posted : Tuesday, 27 April 2010 3:24:54 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		If you're stopping for a quick break on the way past / through Chch give me a shout. I'm taking the day off to pack for my trip. Would be cool to catch up in the flesh!
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roman holiday		Posted : Tuesday, 27 April 2010 10:06:56 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 26/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 147 Location: Tauranga Thanks: 18 times Was thanked: 8 time(s) in 7 post(s)		Hi JW.... Well, I'd be interested in buying one of those sluice boxes, and one of each of the other items there. I particularly like the idea of "crevicing". I can pay by cc, and the gear could be either posted or dropped off to my sister's farm just outside Waihi... whichever is most convenient for you. As for the money side of things, wise words. I'm loking for more of a lifstyle kind of thing... and am not concerned too much about the money side... though that said, finding a 2 ouncer would be nice :). The main thing for me is to escape the consumer rat race. I was bought up in Te puke [Papamoa Beach] and did my fair share of picking and pruning kiwifruit. I have good memories of doing the hard graft during the day and getting to the hot pools at night... so no stranger to a bit of hard work.....I hope they have some decent hotpools down there on the West coast. Edited by user Tuesday, 27 April 2010 10:22:53 AM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

kiwijw		Posted : Tuesday, 27 April 2010 2:51:36 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Hi there Roman Holiday, I am of to Queenstown on friday & wont be back up this way until october. I am taking two sluice boxs down with me to sell & about 5 crevice suckers & scrapers & snuffer bottles. I arent set up to take credit cards but only online banking. If you want something before I go maybe you could get your sister to pay for it & I will drop it off to her. I was in Waihi today. Either that or can you wait until october or do an online bank payment. Regards John :)

roman holiday		Posted : Tuesday, 27 April 2010 4:54:32 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 26/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 147 Location: Tauranga Thanks: 18 times Was thanked: 8 time(s) in 7 post(s)		Hi JW, might be best for me to wait until I'm in the country then.... the plan is to get back towards the end of this summer. Until then, I'll have to keep the green eyed monster at bay seeing all the fun fossicking you guys are doing. Good luck in Queenstown... I was down there for a season years ago... wish I had the nous then to try my luck at some panning.

kiwijw		Posted : Wednesday, 28 April 2010 3:28:16 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Hi there Roman Holiday, Thank you. When you get in the country is fine. Take care Regards John :)

criticol		Posted : Tuesday, 18 May 2010 4:13:04 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/05/2010(UTC) Posts: 234 Location: coromandel Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 66 time(s) in 48 post(s)		Hi there KiwiJW,---JW :), or John ? Interesting to see you lived in Waihi for some years, as i myself(& wife) used to own and run a little takeaways called "Tiki Takeaways" at the top end of town many, many years ago,it was just down the road from where those houses sunk into the old drive that passed underneath their feet.I dont know whether you ever explored the Main drive to the old Waihi gold mine (may have disapeared under Newmonts pit before your time) but if you did see the size of it you must have been impressed as to the mining ingenuitys of the old boys. Cheers---Colin.
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