New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

At the end of the seasons gold mining these photos were taken bringing the gold gear home.

The photo taken with the breathing gear was taken at the hole shown in the last photo but by the tie the photo had been taken the gold had been recovered and it was just a chance for my father and us to try out the new compressor.

Back in those days the gear was all home made - At this stage I had never seen any commercially produced gear and even when it did become available my ancestral and heriditary tendencies toward spending money on anything that could be made by myself prevented me from ever really upgrading.

The pontoon floats were Hydrogen Peroxide containers purchased for the handsome sum of $2 each and the frame was scrap metal - some how it was just as efficient as the most expensive gear money could buy. If one of the 20 L containers ever got damaged it could be immediately replaced for $2!

I never saw any point in the most expensive gear and for that matter still dont. Home made might not look as nice but is it any less efficient?
'
The last photo is of an eight pennyweight or 12 gramme nugget which came from the hole where my father is standing with his skin diving suit on.

Edited by user Friday, 23 December 2011 12:33:57 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I dont mind you stating this in the thread - it is good that you have contributed so for that it is me who is grateful - I am sorry to hear about the mig welder, the liquefaction and the whole mess that haas been created by the series of Earthquakes - its a heartbreak to see the people who have been displaced, many of whom dont know where to turn next, dont know what tomorrow will bring forth.

Its also great to see that some of you out there still make your own and do your own thing - ironically enough I have found that those who spend the least and make things themselves usually end up with more in the end as expensive items are often no more or even less efficient than homebuilt and costing more devalue at a far greater rate.

Edited by user Wednesday, 21 December 2011 11:00:36 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

That may be damn handy thank you.....I normally am a cheap ass and use gasless wire....i have a whole roll here.....what size wire do you use?

keep yor eye open for an old co2 fire extingusher carbonic gases will fill it dont know about nzig

That was probably my fault for starting that conversation...sorry mate.

This photo is taken about 200 metres upstream from the 8 ounce hole.

The confluence of the small stream and the main river was a point where I picked up small amounts of gold regularly for years.

The first photo was taken from where just along from where we used to park the Landrover and looking toward the historic track going up to a quartz reef which was prospected in early days - at the site of the reef tunnels, the site of a stamper and the site of three mud houses,barely discernible now in the high tussock.

The last photo was taken from the hill at the top of the track in the first photo looking back toward where the first photo was taken from and careful study will shot the Landrovers visible on the hill above the side creek.

The second photo was taken from the ridge on the far left of the first photo and looks up the main stream - from the top end of this straight I had to walk on my own back to the landrover with a broken leg - I guess the hills still reverberate with the cuss words - that happened on the first day of the Christmas holidays!

The third Photograph show people beside a hole in the small stream leaidng into themain river

The fourth photograph shows yours truly dredging out the hole - there was next to nothing in it and yet 100 meters up the small creek two or three crevices gave good returns.

The fifth photograph was taken from a point standing beside the Landrover as shown in the last photo.

The wing dam clearly visible in the main river opposite the confluence with the small side stream slowly eroded over the years and after each flood good gold was found from the points where it had eroded out. The last time I was there I picked up a 3 gramme nugget. Also just upstream from the confluence beside the main river and on the same side as the small side stream stood a substantial two room house once, made of mud. Beside it we picked up a couple of Chinese Jars and a bottle of Mercury and many broken Chinese jars lay on the bank.

Just below the wing dam I got another nugget over a half an ounce or 15 grammes

Just upstream in the side stream stood another Chinese hut.

Directly below where the Landrovers are parked is the site beside the small side stream where depression era miners camped...one of them left a full tin of Havelock tobacco in a small rock niche where they had their tent pitched...this tin remained full of tobacco all those years through frost, fire, and the heat of summer until I found it.

The men who camped beside the stream below where the Landrovers are parked were there an entire summer during the depression and recovered three (3 only) ounces of gold - in one day right in front of where their tent was pitched a friend of mine got half an ounce!

In the last photograph at the top right hand corner can be seen the line of the old miners track which led down into the river, across it and up the other side as shown in the first photograph...more photos to follow as the track at this point also shows in one of my historic photos taken during the depression.

The last photos show some of the gold that came from within the scope of these photos - the largest nugget at ten penny weight or 15 grammes came from the main river just below the confluence, the D shaped nugget of eight pennyweight or 12 grammes came from halfway up the main river, the third largest nugget came from beside the wing dam and the rest came from beside the eroded wing dam as well.

Edited by user Friday, 23 December 2011 12:48:37 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Well there sure was a fair bit of activity in those there hills over the years. Great stories. Thanks again.

Hi Graeme, Priceless stuff mate. What a great contact to have made. Isnt it amazing where info can come from & what it comes from. Life changing stuff can come from such thin threads. That info & photo's could have been "lost" for ever.
Thanks for sharing.

JW :)

After having camped at the site above the members of the Depression era party decided to move camp - for what reason I have no idea but their second camp was on a bit of a slope and on a site which was more poorly drained.

Their second site was within a stones throw of the hut I built into the hillside as shown in the first page of this thread although 'Old Mac' who sent me the photos claimed that is was a lot further but where he suggests has no background similar to the photos he took so I can only conclude that with seventy five years to remember back he has become a little hazy in his recollections.

When they left this spot they intended coming back the following summer and left their equipment under a rock shelter in front of which they placed a stone wall and then turfed it over to disguise it - 'Old Mac' and his friends never went back and in his letters to me he told me about the gear and informed me that it was mine if I care to retrieve it all.

If I have the location correct then the bedrock has been drilled and blasted down in the creek near his tent and a great deal of gold must have been recovered here in years past. It was near this spot that in the 1890s 21 ounces of gold was stolen from two miners.

http://paperspast.natlib...a=d&d=TT18911021.2.8

also the following report states that no 'Celestials' are suspect - a term used instead of Chinese.

http://paperspast.natlib...mp;e=-------10--1----2--

Personally I find it pleasing that the Chinese were not suspect as I have read a great deal on the Chinese miners and hold them in exceptionally high regard - they were unassuming, kindly, hard working and kept to themselves. On the Californian and Australian Goldfields they were often persecuted and bullied but in New Zealand experienced by and large better treatment and after the gold rush years were over many remained here to form the nucleus of New Zealands Chinese community and like all those who emigrated to this land became 'New Zealanders' and thus helped to create the international flavour which has become the culture unique to New Zealand...a little bit Maori, a little bit European and a little bit Asian. The Chinese market gardens and fruit shops became a well known part of our culture.

Edited by user Wednesday, 28 December 2011 12:38:58 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified