New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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First Week Gold Panning...Central Otago!! - Gabriels Gully

Dreadedchick		Posted : Saturday, 10 October 2015 8:13:39 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 10/10/2015(UTC) Posts: 0 Thanks: 5 times		Hey... new to all this.... So up at Gabriels Gully to have a go... Many people tried here!?

gavin		Posted : Sunday, 11 October 2015 7:29:08 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		I had a go there when I was pretty new at it. Didn't do very well. But that might have just been inexperience. Biggest tip I can give it - look for bedrock. Gold can't sink past the bedrock and you tend to find it resting on it or in little crevices in it. You do find gold in gravels, but I find most of mine in spots with good bedrock present. From what I remember Gabriel's Gully didn't have any bedrock, all just gravels. One of my favourite spots, when I first got into it, for finding at least a little colour was the Arrow behind Arrowtown. I also hear the creeks just out from Queenstown on the way to Glenorchy are okay too. Set your expectations low though. Easy to get discouraged by expecting to see nuggets straight away. You might be lucky, but more likely to find little specks first of all. Best of luck!
		WWW

c4bb0ose		Posted : Sunday, 11 October 2015 9:07:52 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 7/09/2014(UTC) Posts: 97 Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 32 time(s) in 29 post(s)		Read up on how gold likes to settle, search for bedrock first and if nothing is to be found, try rock crevices. Then if there is still nothing look at river bends were the flow is slow on the inside edge. If there is gold there then it will be in some of those three places.

hopefull2012		Posted : Wednesday, 14 October 2015 9:45:26 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 6/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 4 Location: whangarei Thanks: 2 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)		yep, I tried Gabriels gully, got a couple of colours, easily the least productive spot that I tried in the south island, the best place was in front of the shops in arrowtown, lots of black sand but quite a good yield of fine gold as well. I got just under 8grams in 6 days there. that may not be much, but for me it was great!

Dreadedchick		Posted : Wednesday, 14 October 2015 8:03:15 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 10/10/2015(UTC) Posts: 0 Thanks: 5 times		Wow.... Thanks for the replies everyone :) I didnt find any colour, but thats ok, it was a nice day to sit by the creek and enjoy the scenery :) I will go try Arrowtown... Or maybe Macetown??? Not expecting nuggets... A flake would make my day :) I have bought a steel pan.... Thinking maybe i should have got a plastic one??!!

Golddigger7		Posted : Thursday, 15 October 2015 11:56:55 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 6/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 252 Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 46 time(s) in 35 post(s)		Hey Dreededchick Now Arrowtown is a place you will find some colour, there is a public fossicking area that goes up the Arrow for close to 1.5 kms, so you will have heaps of stuff to do there. Unfortunately further up is all claimed, and I hear the the claim owner up past Macetown does take to kindly to claim jumpers, unless of course there just lying in the sun taking in the view. GD7

Dreadedchick		Posted : Friday, 16 October 2015 7:55:49 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 10/10/2015(UTC) Posts: 0 Thanks: 5 times		Haha cheers dude.... Fair enough... My gold is my gold, hehe ;)

wayco		Posted : Tuesday, 20 October 2015 1:04:06 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 20/10/2015(UTC) Posts: 0 Location: westport Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Arrowtown is fine for getting a bit of color, you can get a bit in every pan right on the corner of the river at the town itself, good luck.