Paydirt.co.nz

New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

 

The forum has moved to community.paydirt.co.nz, see you there!

This forum is now an archive to preserve the knowledge and finds posted here.

New to this (Central Otago Area)
gerter  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 12:30:31 PM(UTC)
gerter

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/10/2014(UTC)
Posts: 15
New Zealand
Location: Otago

Thanks: 9 times
Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Hi Guys newbie here!

I live in Dunedin and have a holiday house in Naseby, Central Otago.

After going there this Labor weekend I'm really keen to prospect some gold.

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck around the Naseby area, or where I should be going in the surrounding area (My guess is St Bathans?).

Is following the Goldfields Heritage Trail the best bet?

Thanks in advance,

Gerter
Back to top
gjj109  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 3:54:38 PM(UTC)
gjj109

Rank: Gold Ingot

Medals: Donation: Made a donation helping cover the running costs of the site - thank you :)

Groups: Registered
Joined: 14/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 464
Man
Location: Thames

Thanks: 217 times
Was thanked: 194 time(s) in 115 post(s)
What equipment do you have? A pan, sluicebox, detector etc. If nothing, what do you intend to obtain?
Back to top
gerter  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 4:11:09 PM(UTC)
gerter

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/10/2014(UTC)
Posts: 15
New Zealand
Location: Otago

Thanks: 9 times
Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)
I have no equipment but I am currently looking around for an entry level detector to get me started, along with a pan and essentials like a pick etc.

Do you have any recommendations for a detector? I don't have a whole lot of money to spend, so best bang for buck :)

Sorry again complete newbie here.

Thanks!
Back to top
Nz13  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 4:24:06 PM(UTC)
Nz13

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/04/2014(UTC)
Posts: 27

Thanks: 1 times
Was thanked: 4 time(s) in 4 post(s)
Bang for buck gold bug hands down. Robert from puiaki supplies can sort that :)
Back to top
chrischch  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 6:08:06 PM(UTC)
chrischch

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/08/2011(UTC)
Posts: 811
Location: Christchurch

Thanks: 192 times
Was thanked: 105 time(s) in 104 post(s)
I would say start with a pan and/or sluice then if you still interested, spend the money on a gold bug pro or similar.
Fisher Goldbug Pro, Fisher F2, Garrett Propointer.
Back to top
gerter  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 6:17:46 PM(UTC)
gerter

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/10/2014(UTC)
Posts: 15
New Zealand
Location: Otago

Thanks: 9 times
Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Thanks guys, I think you may be right, should just try it out before I go and spend some money on a hobbie I may not enjoy!
Back to top
kiwijw  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 6:31:05 PM(UTC)
kiwijw

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,152

Thanks: 92 times
Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)
Hi Gerter, Welcome to the mad house. Naseby has pretty fine gold so a detector wouldnt be much chop there. The bigger bits in the pan below were out of the upper Kyeburn up past Danseys Pass Hotel

UserPostedImage

The Hogburn is a good spot for a sluice box or dredge if you are keen. I had a very good mate in Naseby who passed away last year & he told me he could get gold in the street gutter outside his place when he set up a sluice box in it when it was raining & the gutter flowing. Naseby is soaked in gold. You dont need to go to St Bathans.

Good luck out there

JW :)
Back to top
gerter  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 6:38:30 PM(UTC)
gerter

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/10/2014(UTC)
Posts: 15
New Zealand
Location: Otago

Thanks: 9 times
Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Oh wow, that's awesome JW! thanks for the great info, read some of your story threads earlier, keep up the great work :)
Back to top
gjj109  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 9:13:14 PM(UTC)
gjj109

Rank: Gold Ingot

Medals: Donation: Made a donation helping cover the running costs of the site - thank you :)

Groups: Registered
Joined: 14/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 464
Man
Location: Thames

Thanks: 217 times
Was thanked: 194 time(s) in 115 post(s)
Have a chat to a few of the elderly shopkeepers. They will soon let you know a spot where you can pan a few colours. The Hogburn is the little creek that flows through town. It has readily obtainable very fine gold, but you do kneed to know how to pan. Get yourself one of the small plastic pans, not the big ones. Half fill it with sand and fine gravel. Add half a dozen very small lead shavings and practice panning so you recover the lead. You will be able to do it a lot faster than you think. When you take the pan to the creek, put the lead in while you pan. That way, if the lead remains at the end, so should any gold. Remember to get enough pans so the missus and/or kids get one each.
Back to top
prich385  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 October 2014 10:36:30 PM(UTC)
prich385

Rank: Gold Dust

Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/10/2012(UTC)
Posts: 4
New Zealand
Location: Dunedin

Was thanked: 7 time(s) in 4 post(s)
Have a chat to Des or Graham at the Danseys pass pub. Des used to have a claim on German creek using a trommel plant and back hoe way way back. Graham works on a claim on the Kyeburn outside the hotel and hes good for teaching you how to pan. There both top blokes. Buy them a beer.

The top of German creek has some decent gold and virgin ground still exists up there due it being on private land. You can pull some nice size pickers out of there. Its on private land so you do need permission.

Hogburn up near the siphon has some OK stuff. As already alluded to its fine although nuggets have been pulled out in the past. Sluicing in summer is a pain as there's not enough water in the creek. I've pulled an oz in one day up near ewe burn east branch with a high banker.

Wheather burn has some decent gold mostly fine up near the ranges. Stick to the creek bed and get as deep as you can. Use the large Quartz boulders as a guide to where the gold line is located.

Swinburn as you come through the pigroot has some gold. Its an area often overlooked. Gold is mostly fine. Theres also the Shag river up near its headwaters is also contains the yellow stuff. Many of its tributaries are auriferous including the Big gully creek , Wild dog creek , and Deepdell. Theres a bloke with a dredge that pulls out half oz nuggets around the Dunback end.

Check the Taieri around patearoa and the sow burn. Most people make the mistake of looking in the river but both streams it pays to work bench deposits and look for large magnetic boulders. These are heavy and indicate where heavies are located. The sowburn has lots of shist bedrock which is ideal for creavicing.

Theres plenty more locations but that will do for now

Cheers
Back to top
WWW
gerter  
Posted : Wednesday, 29 October 2014 11:03:48 AM(UTC)
gerter

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/10/2014(UTC)
Posts: 15
New Zealand
Location: Otago

Thanks: 9 times
Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)
So much good info! What a great forum, thanks again guys.
Back to top
gerter  
Posted : Monday, 5 January 2015 1:06:30 PM(UTC)
gerter

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/10/2014(UTC)
Posts: 15
New Zealand
Location: Otago

Thanks: 9 times
Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Had my first few goes up the hogburn last week, it was dry as hell. I think my pan is too big for the such fine gold there, I managed to get a few flakes though which I was pretty happy about.

Prich - I wanted to try the eweburn east branch but it is in private forestry grounds, do you ask for permission to enter there or just run the risk? There was also a total fire ban which didn't help much :(
Back to top
kiwijw  
Posted : Monday, 5 January 2015 6:04:39 PM(UTC)
kiwijw

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,152

Thanks: 92 times
Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)
Hi Gerter, Good on you with your result. You are better off to run a little sluice box & then clean up at the end of your little session with the gold pan. That way you can run a lot more material easier
& less back breaking & get more gold to boot. :).

UserPostedImage

UserPostedImage

UserPostedImage

Good luck out there

JW :)
Back to top
gerter  
Posted : Monday, 5 January 2015 7:33:06 PM(UTC)
gerter

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/10/2014(UTC)
Posts: 15
New Zealand
Location: Otago

Thanks: 9 times
Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Thanks, think I will try the Kyeburn ways next time and DIY me a sluice. :)

-e- Do you know if Patearoa, up passed the water hole would have any colours in it?

Edited by user Monday, 5 January 2015 7:36:52 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
Back to top
Jacko  
Posted : Friday, 30 January 2015 9:02:11 AM(UTC)
Jacko

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 18/01/2015(UTC)
Posts: 13
New Zealand
Location: Cromwell

Thanks: 38 times
Was thanked: 7 time(s) in 4 post(s)
Now, im a complete newbie to all of this, but im attempting to glean knowledge where i can from all sources, and i was reading some articles on gold and central otago geological formations and movements etc, and around pataeroa and westwards there is a big folded incline (this goes out past st bathans) and basically forms the last "main" edge where gold is found in central otago etc.

Goin from what i read about the rock structure and movements, i would say its definately worth having a look for some colour around there, but i cannot say from first hand hunting experience.

I hope this helps :)

oh yeah, this same fold in the rock layers and upheaval over the last 20 million years or so, is responsible for the Macraes gold deposists, which are well regarded as one of the better mines around :)

Yours sincerely ,
A complete gold fevered newb!

Vin
Back to top
Oliver123  
Posted : Sunday, 1 March 2015 10:31:52 AM(UTC)
Oliver123

Rank: Gold Nugget

Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/10/2012(UTC)
Posts: 77
Man
New Zealand
Location: christchurch

Thanks: 32 times
Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 2 post(s)
Hey gerter im also based in Dunedin and am alway keen for a gold trip, if you need a tag along?
Cheer
Back to top