New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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

Yay! Finally a NZ prospecting site

kiwisouth		Posted : Saturday, 10 April 2010 7:10:59 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 3/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 326 Location: Blenheim (Renwick) Thanks: 39 times Was thanked: 105 time(s) in 83 post(s)		Hi folks I live in Renwick, just outside of Blenheim. I married someone from Murchison especially for being able to go panning and crevicing. And she is lovely and has given me three lovely kids. I have a couple of detectors as well, both Minelabs, my old one is a Sovereign and my newish one is a Quattro which is still driving me potty with all the funny flute noises it makes. Funny old thing, I use my Sov more even though the headphone jack doesn't work anymore. I am a member of the Te Tahi Detector Club in Auckland, they send out a newsletter every couple of months describing what the members have been up to and all their neat finds. Keeps me interested. Lots of neat sites on the web too. I have joined another group, http://gpex.ca/smf/ which is the Canadian Gold Prospectors Forum. Neat stories. I'm pleased that we don't have to contend with grizzly bears like they do in Canada. Would love the chance to eet up with someone in my neck of the woods. Love to hear from anyone Dave
		Nulli Illigitimi Carborundum
		WWW

x-terra steve		Posted : Sunday, 11 April 2010 3:51:27 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 7/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 224 Location: Nelson NZ Thanks: 103 times Was thanked: 69 time(s) in 42 post(s)		Hi Dave, nice to see another post on the site. Have you been detecting up the Wakamarina?,you are a little closer to the river than me as I am base in Nelson. I used an Excalibur (about the same technology as your Sovereign) for three years and had some good finds on the beach and parks. The best places that I detect for coins is the local parks in the swing zone. A good evening at the park is $30 in less than half an hour,very easy detecting as most of the coins are sitting just under the bark. Intermediate adventure play grounds are also turn up good returns although a feel a little guilty that it was proberly lunch money! Have you done any detecting in Murch?,there are some neat rivers that still contain good gold, although most of what I have seen is very fine. Take care out there, Steve

kiwisouth		Posted : Monday, 12 April 2010 5:12:13 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 3/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 326 Location: Blenheim (Renwick) Thanks: 39 times Was thanked: 105 time(s) in 83 post(s)		Hi Steve My Quattro doesn't have the sensitivity required for gold unless it is a decent size. It is supposedly multifrequency as is my Sov. Higher frequencies needed I think. I haven't been up the Waka, most is in claims I heard so pretty much closed down. I have ventured up the West Bank, Quartz Creek which goes onto Bartletts but I don't think there is much alluvial gold around. Murchison is proving better now that I concentrate on crevicing. Find gold each place I scratch generally. I still have some concentrates I have to pan off properly but there is quite a bit of gold visible, all pretty fine stuff, biggest is about 3 x 2mm. So no nuggets yet. I keep adding to my tool collection though. A tool for this crevice, another one for that one. I'll need a bigger bag one day. At present I use an old WW2 Gasmask satchell which has done me pretty well over the years. When I was living in Christchurch, I got about $15 within a very short time in a playground by the Halswell Rugby Club. Love the $1 and $2 coins. I went down to Picton last Friday and picked up older decimal coins only, nothing really useful. I have never found a ring since I have been here in Blenheim either. Pretty lean pickings. I want to go to my kids school but anything I find would be donated back to the school. Better get some study done. Just watched the new Pacific programme. Looks pretty good.
		Nulli Illigitimi Carborundum
		WWW

Balfour		Posted : Tuesday, 13 April 2010 5:57:53 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 6/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 12 Location: Broadmeadows/Johnsonville, Wellington Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Hi everyone, My name is Ian Balfour and I live in Broadmeadows/Johnsonville, Wellington. I have been fossicking for about 20 years, when I got the bug whilst fossicking at the Kawerau Gorge (Queenstown) and picked up a nice 10 grammer. I have panned alot around the Wakamarina (Pinedale Motor camp) and up and down the Westcoast streams. I don't have a detector yet, but am very keen to try one. I get the Aussie Gold Gem & treasure Mag and my mouth waters everytime I read the stories of detector finds over there - must go and try it someday! I am delighted there is a Kiwi fossickers site now and it is great being able to communicate with like minded fossickers - well done JW. Is anyone aware of a NZ gathering of like minded fossickers in NZ? There are heaps of gatherings in Aussie, but I haven't heard of one here - can anyone advise me? Good luck to you all and hope to send some pics of my gear/finds shortly. Ian

kiwijw		Posted : Friday, 16 April 2010 6:34:48 AM(UTC)
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 Guys, All the thanks & credit goes to Gavin. He is the brain child behind this site & all his doing. We did brain storm about starting a forum as I have longed for a kiwi gold forum so like minded "hobby" fossickers can have some where to go to meet up, chat & share what ever.... I belong to many overseas forums in Australia, Canada, USA, Alaska & great to now have this local site up & running. I didnt have the computer knowledge to do one myself & it was in fact my passion for gold fossicking that got me onto computers in the first place. Other wise I would still be a computer thicko. Goggle is a wonderful thing. And to be able to "talk" with guys on the otherside of the world in real time at the tap of some buttons is unreal. As you would have seen I am in the Coromandel region, which isnt that crash hot for alluvial but I get a little colour for my efforts. Sure doesnt pay, but that isnt the real reason I love it so much & am so passionate about it. I have met some neat fantastic people on the journey. Some have become life long friends. I have gone to some beautiful, breath stopping places in the search for the yellow..... All great adventures in themslves.... gold of a differebt kind. So welcome aboard to all of you, & if you are not into the gold side of the hunt, hey that is ok, Start up a thread on what ever treasure hunting you are into. Even rocks & minerals, bottles etc. It is all related one way or another. I am off up the Coro for 3 days to a spot with my 4" dredge, ssssshhhhh.....dont tell anybody. Will report on how that pans out....pun intended....but I am not holding my breath. But you got to try aye. Have a good weekend & I hope there is a run of gold at the point of your shovel..... or pick....:) Happy hunting JW (John Wilson)