New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

In areas that you suspect are "hunted out" think outside the square. Look around and work out the last place you would detect like under shrubs or that overgrown long grass spot a the end of the park (but not the no go areas like bowling green!). These are places that other detectorists seldom bother with so will still give up finds even with a basic detector.

100 odd years ago the park would have looked very different and the areas in the park that are now rarely frequented by anybody could have been the main picnic & gathering place in times gone by.

No place is ever fully hunted out.

Edited by user Friday, 11 October 2013 8:58:56 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Try after a rain to get deeper targets. The conductivity goes up when the ground is wet.

Look online at old maps to see what parks were around then and what else may have been a popular spot where people gathered.

A tip for beach hunters.

If you want to find old coins or jewelry then seek out protected inlets and coves, especially harbour etc areas. Compared to nowadays not many people could swim very well in the 1800's and up to the 1950's and kept away from any surf beaches. Most surf beaches that are popular now like the Main Beach at the Mount or Pauanui in the Coromandel were barren but neighboring quiet beaches in the same area like Pilot Bay and Tairua were crowded.

To confirm you have a good beach near you, Google image up the old photo's (choose Black & White) or take a look at http://www.matapihi.org.nz/

Throw some coins on the driveway

I found something novel to do with the last 200 odd coins (a haul of decimals) i had found, i biffed them all down the driveway.
Been good fun spotting coins as you walk along, and for others walking along too. Hopefully most will dig in to be found some 50 odd years or so later.

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For sure, nothing like spotting a coin on the way to the car each morning. Specially those big 50 cent pieces.

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or glue some to the curb out the front of your house and watch the kids walking by getting frustrated trying to pick it off lol!

great advise for summer as the headphones can get quite hot on the summer days

Plastic queche trays. Great for putting or collecting finds in. Running out of ice cream containers so these have become more useful.





HH

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Edited by user Tuesday, 3 December 2013 8:08:38 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I see your tip and raise you:

When beach sweeping, check any cigarette packets as people sometimes use them to store goodies so they don't lose them in the sand.


...Then they forget and walk away.

Good tips guys. Regarding headphones I just use some cheapy walkman type, they are light weight no volume control, with a single wire, but I position them above the ears and they seem to do the job. I do intend to get a decent pair of headphones one day though. I did start with a similar set with volume control but I found the two wires coming into the one got caught up on everything and anything and didn't last long at all.

Edited by user Saturday, 15 February 2014 2:26:59 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified