New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Hi All

Well 1864 Hatter went to the dark side, and us " Hatters" being related of course, well I had no other option. So from Chris of Detectnz, I have a Mine lab Etrac on the way. I have my flight booked to Auckland and have a Motel on the North Shore booked for a week or two. 1864 needs some competition. Maybe us alluvial gold guys have the edge on you other rubbish Collectors in Auckland lol. I have never really been into rings, apart from I went to the Doctor to get my prostrate thingie checked. That was a bit of a shocker. Kinda like a Minelab Pin Pointer. Oh god lets not go there. But I did order one of those too. And the deadly knife. So me aka the " Mad Hatter" has succumbed to this untold wealth I am about to find buried in mother earth. It was going to be either an SDC2300 (for gold only) or an F75 Fisherman, or the Minelab Etracky thingie.

After many sleepiness nights and sitting on the toilet. I finally made my decision. So its an Etrac for me. Now I have to go back to school and be a little kid in a big classroom. But don't worry folks, all the brain cells aren't quite dead yet. And a few more just might get activated after a long rest. Friggen hell I might even pop up on the Sub Forum. General Metal Detecting. Oh god I am then in " The Dark Side" . They have very funny names, like " Drunken Brother" " Metal Kiwi" ( I saw a Metal Kiwi in a Tourist shop the other day) , they will probably think I make Hats, with a name like " Hatter" I wonder if they sneak into our Sub Forum and have sneeky little peeks, like I do on theirs.

Oh god I have to be a new chum in their world, 300 ounces of bright shiny alluvial gold won't hold up there. I need Sovereigns and lots of them, and I just happen to know where there are quite a few , here is a clue, the South Island and that's as close as it gets. And I would kinda like a few rusted 1896 Colt Revolvers, and a Spanish Hat just to prove that the Spanish got to NZ first. So I have a very small wish list.

And I just love mining relics, and I live in the right place. The West (Best) Coast of the South Island also known as the mainland.

Ok Folks, enough of this dark side for now. In a few days I get back to the tales of days gone by in search of that so precious metal.

Cheers Trev aka " The Hatter" or is it now " The Mad hatter"

Awesome reading so far mate, gets the mind wandering and the heart pumping.

Well Blue Bird, whats that old saying. A bird in the hand is worth three in the bush, well something kinda like that. But let me take you on a journey.
A few years back I was deep in the mountains, after climbing a very torturous creek, alas it was a Duffer kinda creek, but I had faith in it, so kept climbing and testing. But alas no gold. It looked good, all the right geology, and no he is not a Greek god.

Anyway I finally came to a humongous water fall, that's it I cried , I am going no further. So I just sat on a rock and watched the water cascading down. And as I sat there feeling somewhat dejected and just a little bit down, and I might add completely stuffed. A Bush Robin hopped in front of me. And then damm a Bellbird began to sing, a fantail came to show me her dance. A tui began to chuckle

I lifted my eyes, with wonderment, it seemed all gods little creatures had come to cheer me up. But wait their is more. On a distant ridge, shrouded in mist I saw something. Oh frig I thought, not Barry again. That buggar gets everywhere. But that's not a rifle he's carrying, its a bloody guitar. Oh holly comolly I thought I hope its not Bob Dylan or Joe Crocker. Mind you I do really Like " I get bye with a little help from my friends" by Joe. Just that I wasn't in the mood for it that day.

And then I heard it, " Anywhere is Paradise" it wafted down from the far off ridge. But kept getting closer. Until finally he appeared. Yep bloody Elvis. I was kinda lucky as there was a good rock next to me to sit on. But I had the best rock, and he said you obviously know your rock.

I'll give you half an hour, take a look around. You and I are in Paradise. So we rock and rolled. Time for me to go, he said, after a very special 30 minutes, I have other places to be.

You know the drill he said to me. Yep I said, " Elvis has left the room" Nope he said Paradise is where you find it, and we found it here today.
But now you can say " Elvis has left the Room". Which I did, a wind blew down that lonely valley and the mist blew in. When I turned he was gone. I looked at the ridge and saw two ghostly figures in the encroaching mist, one had a guitar slung over his shoulder, the other a sugar bag pack and a 303 fully wooded rifle. They paused and looked at me. And in the distance I heard the dying strains of " Love me Tender"
And then Barry let a shot go, yep I reckon he kinda likes me. I got a " One Gun Salute" well he does have to conserve his ammo you know.

I made my way back down the creek, and swore I shall always call this " Paradise Creek" a place to return to when I am in need off inspiration
and a bit up of get up and go.

Who knows my brushed back hair mate and he of the sugar bag. May just appear.

But I doubt it. Those things happy only once in a lifetime.

But I'll be looking out for them.

Thanks Bluebird, you got me writing again.


Cheers Trev aka " The Hatter"

excellent tales m8 look forward to reading more

Any more travels to come? Brilliant posts much appreciated. Ian