New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

I like tourists, they leave pretty coins to find, just a shame about other things left from their behinds.

Surprising we have any freedom campers these days seems almost every time you turn on the news something nasty has happened to someone camping, slitting tents, rape - setting campers on fire and of course more recent events.
I remember as a kid if someone escaped from prison, you would hear it on the radio and that would be like a starter gun, everyone was inside closing windows locking doors etc, within minutes the streets were like a ghost town.

Now it seems the first to get in trouble are those who try and protect themselves or their property.

Hi Kiwisouth - I have to admit to having a desire to prove you wrong in regards the statistics and I did a great deal of research to do so I might add - but I am honest enough to admit that your statistics are there in black and white for all to see. I was truly amazed at the number of people directly involved in the tourist industry and indirectly involved as well - so a learning curve for me as well.

As for slanderous - what is slanderous for some is not to another - It depends on whose side you are on, whether there is an element of truth in what is said and the context of the contents within the article. The great pity is, as I said, the dangerous and inconsiderate driving of some and the lack of hygiene of others. The vaste majority of tourists are decent and blend in without any problems whatsoever. I note that in Dunedin that the only way to tell a tourist when the cruise ships come in is by the fact that they are the ones with cameras...if it wasnt for the camera they would be any other Dunedinite going about their daily routine!

As for the tourist industry - my heart was once set on a major museum at a place called Omarama coupled with an Art, Craft and Gift shop to be run by my family and a cafe to be leased to third parties - reason? - to cater for tourists of course! The cafe to induce people to stop - often they only do so for their stomachs - and once stopped the other Art, Craft and Gift shop becomes a must and the museum an option.

Edited by user Friday, 27 January 2012 11:22:13 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Kiwisouth

Your brother intrigues me as he has what was another dream of mine - lucky fellow.

You took me by surprise when you said a Railway Station for sale because there is really only one that is worth having so I did a check - and yes it is the one - Hyde - its a historic Goldmining centre and hasnt changed too much in the last few decades.

The brother of its owner took a couple of us up to visit it ten or fifteen years ago and the owner took us on a jigger for a run up the line for quite a few miles - it was a tremendous trip and well worth the while - looking down into the Taieri River and thinking of all the gold down there. I guess that was the last time the jigger went up there as the track lifting crew were already at Ranfurly and it was only a matter of days before the tracks were gone forever.

The Hyde Rail disaster took place not so far from the station - just down the line a bit.

While I was there I found some old sleepers with date nails in them so grabbed them as I collect them.

Some photos to show your brother; - http://www.odt.co.nz/new...yde-railway-station-sale

It is well worth owning - had I known it was for sale I might have been interested myself - its really a forgotten area for gold and a great deal of opportunity there for the fossicker...I cant find my reference at the moment but I think that one miner got 120 ounces of gold from one relatively small area . Another miner also used pushed a wheelbarrow with all his gear in it from Dunedin to Hyde back in the good old days

http://paperspast.natlib...mp;e=-------10--1----0--

http://paperspast.natlib...mp;e=-------10--1----0--

Great reading and all because Kiwisouth mentioned the Railway Station!

They should all be preserved - for that matter the railways should alls till be operational! New Zealand had a great rail system once and if it had been operated properly I am sure that it could have run at a good profit.

The old railway stations are an iconic piece of New Zealand history and the young people today could never possibly imagine the rush there was tot he railway tea rooms in places like Oamaru and Clinton back i the days of the old steam express trains...they were magic days when New Zealand WAS New Zealand.

Edited by user Friday, 27 January 2012 1:56:21 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

That sounds like Wingatui station - I used to travel to into Dunedin on a train to go to High School - great days with the steam trains - coming home on the late train was great during winter as the glow from the firebox and chimney could be seen on the paddocks and things we passed...My greatest claim to fame was being able to hold my breath all the way from Wingatui to Mosgiel station - from start to stop.

Back then some of the lights in the carriages were gas ones which ran on carbide and their flames used to hiss.

I can well remember this intriguing sign on the carriage walls that said 'PLEASE DO NOT EXPECTORATE ON THE FLOOR' - For years I wondered what in hell anyone would want to have a baby on the floor of a train carriage for...I kid you all not. How many like me dont know what that means and are about to rush to the dictionary?

Edited by user Friday, 27 January 2012 2:04:35 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

A dictionary? so much easier to cut and paste into google *8^)

ex·pec·to·rate ( k-sp k t -r t ). v. ex·pec·to·rat·ed, ex·pec·to·rat·ing, ex·pec·to·rates. v.tr. 1. To eject from the mouth; spit. 2. To cough up and eject by spitting. v.intr. 1.

You are as usual correct good Sir that is the name of the place.
It was the park/playground between the the community hall and the tunnel that I found the 100 Peso coin, hence that is why not all tourists are bad *8^)

I hear what you are saying but the Public Fossicking areas are an insult to the intelligence of us all and the reinstatement of the old miners licence allowing access to fossick on crown lands (unoccupied?) and along the rivers should be made so that for a small fee all New Zealanders can go and potter around to their hearts content.

The tourists are here and then they are gone and many like to do 'their own thing' which is fair enough and therefore I see no reason why they could not buy a limited prospecting licence, say half year or three month - just as you can with a fishing licence and do their thing alongside us Kiwis.

To have 'tourist only' fossicking areas would not be practical as it becomes a matter of policing.

With the miners right should come a map showing all rivers and land which is available to fossick on just as the Dept of Constipation will provide a map of areas you can hunt on when you get a 12 month hunting permit.

I think that there should also be another form which can be used when you approach a private land owner such as myself - I might give permission to an individual to fossick on my place using the standard 'right of entry form' and that permission like any other permit is non transferrable, relates to my place only but is proof of right of entry for the express purpose of fossicking should that person ever be queried by any third parties or be found there by someone who also has permission and who has been asked to keep an eye open for intruders; - poachers, gold fossickers etc.

I liked what you say in the comments and loved the part about the Japanese buying the railway lines to turn back into cars - As soon as you said that my abstract mind saw a clear photograph of all the little Tojos, taking ship loads of scrap iron off to Japan in the 1930s then using it to sink ships at Pearl harbour and to fire back at us and the Australians!

I think that things must be a lot less regulated in Australia than they are here as it appears easy to go over there, buy a metal detector then beep beep your way all around the outback looking for Lassiters Lost reef.

Tourism is an inefficient use of New Zealand's excellent resources and entrepreneurship

i work in tourism. i don't think we do too bad a job at it. the exception is letting those bloody campervan companies keep mass producing and renting large truck sized monsters to people with minimal driving skills. and then there's the bottom feeders in beat up old vans, station wagons etc. still, the argument is they buy gas, food etc (mostly from companies that send profits offshore.

when i say we don't do too bad a job i compare to what i've seen overseas. i cringe at some of what i've seen. people resorting to begging off tourists, people displaced from their homes by tourism, people not being able to afford the basics such as houses and food because of tourism.

at the end of the day it is people's choice to travel where they want. you can't stop supply and demand. often it's just manners that some tourists need. but that can be said of parts of all societies also.

gold fossicking, walking, mountain biking, kayaking are all ways i get way from mass tourism that i deal with daily. most of these people are nice guys but there's always one or two that get to you. wanting shit for free, moaning and whinging stuff ain't as good as back home etc.

nothing like hitting the river to forget all that.