New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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overdog		Posted : Monday, 31 March 2014 6:40:15 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 2/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 418 Location: nelson Thanks: 69 times Was thanked: 82 time(s) in 68 post(s)		Just wondering-how thoroughly has the country been prospected for alluvial gold? Has every creek,river and gully been gone over or are there fortunes to be found in some out of the way (or not so out of the way) spot?

1864hatter		Posted : Monday, 31 March 2014 6:46:57 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 4/08/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,007 Location: Auckland.... Thanks: 49 times Was thanked: 566 time(s) in 269 post(s)		Depends on if you mean the sort of fortunes that you can just scoop up or if you are prepared to involve heavy machinery! I think that there are spots where thousands can be scooped up in a few days but that's it. I think the days of multiple pounds of gold in a day found with just a pan and sturdy knife are gone.
		And now....On sandy beaches and muddy soil, rings and coins await my coil!

NuggetHead		Posted : Wednesday, 2 April 2014 4:52:16 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 19/10/2011(UTC) Posts: 42 Thanks: 11 times Was thanked: 19 time(s) in 11 post(s)		I believe (And most probably naively, but will debate it none the less) that there would be places where there are large deposit. If there were previously there still would be today, despite the good going over the place has had. Fact is, we have large gold bearing areas and while the "stuff on top" has been scooped up, not everywhere has been picked over. With modern equipment and techniques I am CERTAIN there is more to be found. Imagine this, the number/amounts of nuggets and color sitting in cervices just waiting to be sniped or the areas in remote locations where the rivers have deviated over time leaving large deposits still yet undiscovered. The crux of the whole scenario is: How the frick do you get to it (location remoteness, overburden, permitting, licensing, etc... We all know... Gold is where you find it. Also, there was a source for all this lovely mineral, wheres that? People are stumbling across massive nuggets in OZ on a semi regular basis (if you go on a fact that some finds are reported and the majority are not) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiAnhfZ9HKI Now I know Oz is a vast and remote place but this 177 ouncer was found super close to civilization. NZ might be slightly different, but one thing is consistent, both countries are gold bearing, so there is hope that similar scenarios are possible here. Now, can you rock up somewhere and start a hole and find a few pounds per day (By hand)... Hmmmm maybe not... can you rock up and start a hole and find a few ounces per day (By hand)... Hmmmm quite possibly.... Can you rock up somewhere and find a few grams per day (By hand)... Hmmmm bloody oath you can... and there are many combinations of the above, depending on location, equipment, season etc... Tell me, if you could successfully and economically dredge the sea shelf around the west coast for instance, what do you think would be there? I bet there a ton of the stuff that's been washed down the rivers and into the ocean sitting there... now is it as accessible as what you see on the TV show "Bering Sea Gold" nope, but that doesn't mean its not there. Anyway, I love the fact that if I do some homework and gain some experience (the more the better) I still hold onto the simple fact that I could find an amount of it reflective of my commitment, luck and skill... Plus I just love doing it, and that's worth gold in itself. Rant Over... time for rebuttals.

overdog		Posted : Wednesday, 2 April 2014 5:57:08 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 2/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 418 Location: nelson Thanks: 69 times Was thanked: 82 time(s) in 68 post(s)		No rebuttals from me my friend-I think what you are saying is on the money. If memory serves some research was done into mining the West Coast shelves but it was considered too uneconomic-tech difficulties versus reward wasn't good enough but I suspect there is a huge amount of the stuff as you say just sitting there-it may be under quite a few metres of gravel and sand and whales the japs missed but its there. The old timers (I hate that phrase but it fits so there you go) would have prospected around the edges of the known fields till the gold gave out but Im convinced they didn't go everywhere-I have found gold where according to every man and his dog there isn't any but damn if I don't dream of finding truly virgin ground...