New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Thanks Shane - I just wish I could take a lot of you decent fellows up there to share the place - I was supposed to be up there now but my second name is Mr Late - so I hope to be on the hill by 1.30 today.

Have a great weekend Shane and hope that many treasures await you.

Graeme

It is so easy to say something but when the best laid plans are put into practice it is another thing to carry them out - After the floods of 1981 and my subsequent gold finds at this point I know there is still gold here - but it is easy to say that...getting it is another thing entirely. The only way to thoroughly work a spot such as that illustrated above is methodically and over a period of time...and even then success can never be guaranteed. A channel can still be seen running around the base of the hill on the upper side of the river and I assume the old timers channelled the river around there.

We attempted to move one giant rock within the scope of the above photo but it is still there and I have no doubt that under the rocks between the miners diversion channel and the main river, or where it flows now there is a good deal of gold - but getting it without heavy machinery is a herculean and back breaking task which would take a team of guys an entire summer season of full time working.

Edited by user Friday, 16 December 2011 10:22:34 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Gravity and leverage are your friends.

It was here that I had my easiest returns and all in one weekend.

This 'hole' looks deep but it isnt - three foot deep at the deepest so it was easily worked. It was here that I got half a pound of gold in three handfuls of dirt in half a minute. It was an interesting and strange spot - the flat bedrock in six inches to a foot of water above this spot had some great crevices and there was not a speck of gold in any of them, downstream where a tiny hut sat on the bank likewise - no gold. On the hill above this hole there was evidence that it was once worked and I have often wondered if the gold in the hole came from the hillside though I doubt it. It was almost as though the old timers worked above this stretch of water and below it and although they could have worked this spot with ease it is almost as if they forgot to do so or maybe thought someone else had. Despuite the dark appearance of the water in places no where in the scope of these photos is the water more than three foot deep.

It was also here at a later date that I broke open the bedrock leading up into the bank and found two ounces of very fine to floury gold - one of only two spots in this river that I actually got flour gold

In one of the photos the shiny square object on the bank is my pontoons which I floated my gear on...made of Aluminium they are currently for sale should anyone want eight foot long pontoons to make a dredge out of...price to be negotiated.

Up around the corner in photo number two and beside the word 'middle' a rock outcrop can be seen and I shall comment further about a spot below it in a latter contribution.

The last photo shows the best handful of gold I got out of this hole - nearly 2 1/4 oz or 72 grammes in one handful.

Edited by user Monday, 26 December 2011 4:13:01 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I was actually thinking of cutting it short due to lack of interest - it could go on for ten years hence but has to end somewhere! It is gratifying though that someone appreciates it but the quality of the photos isnt too good as the originals were taken with an El Cheapo camera!

Thanks for the positive comment - much appreciated it - 'Flintlock' - never have managed to get one of them...yet.

come on lammerlaw you know your the best story teller round here

i read everyone look at all the photos and wish i lived alittle closer to share stories with you

keep up the good work its just a shame i dont have many gold photos all hunting, sailing, and tramping dont even carry the camera in the bush these days
keep the stories coming you old gold digger
cheers keith

Yeah photos are something I was never much good for. Never seem to have a camera when anything interesting happens, and if I carry one nothing interesting happens .. what-do-you-do.

keep sharing graeme, I have done the the same, keep taking camera for a walk, must start taking pics of the son dredging, but i get so engrossed in prospecting i forget to take pics. Whats with the probs with the gorse, a shame the tussock is so close, chemical persuasion migth help, the smoke and hawks circling looking for a cooked feed, but alas no barbecue to be had that far out of town!!!!! I,m sure there is enough people close by on this forum that would be glad to lend a hand to a fellow digger in time of need. I have use of an old david brown dozer up mount cargill, bloody tracks migth handel it

Hawlich have a good size dozer up saddle hill quarry, must be a bloody good one as there is few people scared it is going to change the shape of the hill ,might have to get on to Brett, and see if he wants to move your mound around and some gorse with it aye

Graham i also love your stories..as i think everyone else here does..keep up the good work and the pics..they may be old but they tell a story as well.