New Zealand Gold Fossicking Forums

" I have found two caches of miners gear which had been placed under rock overhangs many, many years ago by miners who never retrieved by them."

Now that would be exciting! I'd be wrapped to ever come across something like that but I'd imagine there wouldnt be many of those left and the ones that are, will be still there for a reason eg unaccessable I guess.

These items are samples of crucibles used for melting the gold before pouring it into ingots. The larger ones came originally from Central Otago mines while the smaller ones were found years ago in Dunedin and would have been used to melt buttons of ore, perhaps sampling.

A few more to come Chris but all in good time! I have to sort them out and I am sort of otherwise engaged these next two days - which reminds me - I must throw my metal detector into my truck!

Shame you cant get down here this weekend as the weather supposed to be good and I am going back to where I was last Saturday.

Hi Graeme, Well done. Were you detecting?? Bugger about the brakes. At least you were able to walk away unscathed. Bugger about your friend dropping his bug in the water. Is it ok or did it fry?? Might pay for him to get the Garrett AT Gold. Water proof to 10 feet

http://www.akmining.com/...-s-New-Detector-is-here!-The-AT-Gold...

Thanks for the posts & pics. Great stuff.

Good luck out there.

Regards

John :)

Hi Graeme, You found the gold detecting....bloody good on you. So much for not being able to teach an old dog new tricks aye. LOL :) There will be no stopping you now. LOL :). Tell you what.....here is a good hint for you. Detecting is a lot easier on the body than dredging. No heavy crap to cart around. None of those shrinking wet suits to contort yourself into, or out of, no ice cream head aches, no throwing around big rocks & jambing fingers etc etc. You will walk a bit but that is at your own pace.
Look forward now to a lot more pics of your detected gold.

Happy hunting

JW :)

sorry to hear you are selling it graham but good to see you got gold with the detector.

Hi Graham,
I don't think a website would be that hard to set up. I agree that the land should have a use and I'm sure it has many. I wonder what type of venture could be setup to get the returns you require? Maybe a group hunt with an arrangement with finds. Must be something that can be done that requires little start up capital and allows you to keep something that most of us can only dream about having.
Might be time to seriously consider that book *8^) Would be a good way to ask for donations.
I don't know the first thing about owning land but it just seems there is so much potential. I realize what a huge part of your life this land has been so deciding to sell must have been very difficult and I respect that. If I can help at all just let me know.

Hi Graham.
I only know the basics about creating a web site but as everything that's all that is needed to begin. If you can find that other web page then that's a good start, get an idea of the layout and style and changes you would make or features you would like.
Once you get a few people involved who are passionate it will grow from there and it's all ready started.. you have people on here that no doubt would trade labour or other skills for a good place to go hunting, fossicking etc. I'll put my hand up to help!
I remember you said to me "When I'm Prime Minister" well it's your land so it's your rules.

Although others may not consider them to be 'treasures of the goldfields' books are indeed treasure - its from books that we gain knowledge - All of the books illustrated here belonged to professional miners, professional from the point of working at mining full time or by qualifiication having gone through the School of Mines. It is from these books that miners and minng engineers learnt their trades and it was through the knowledge gleaned from books and then experience that all past owners of these books were successful in lifes journey.

I just love the engraving of the miner with the pick over his shoulder, his swag slung on his belt and his 'Pepperbox' heater thrust into his belt.

The two older books which I have showed content photos came from one of New Zealands most successful and famous mining personages and the book 'A Textbook of Mining Geology, came from a chap who went through the School of mines - after he returned from WWI, where, in Gallipoli he won the Military Medal.

Note book values of Ion Idriess 'Prospecting for Gold' and the first edition of Ortons 'Underground Treasures' and Prof H.S.Osborn's A 'practical Manual - Minerals, Mines and mining' - they aint cheap - books can be treasures to and in more than one way.

I appreciate that Stuart but its a huge task - gullies full of gorse, its a nightmare really and even the clear areas now have clumps of the accursed stuff - if gorse made a person rich then I daresay I would be the richest Kiwi around!

The place could suit someone who wanted to lease it for a small weekly lease and do some work on the gorse - I would have happily leased grazing for a certain amount per week plus gorse control and maintenance of tracks/fences - on terms agreeable to both and in favour more of the other fellow as I dont want much - as long as I have the gold fossicking and hunting for friends and self I am pretty free and easy.

Love my books heaps - There are a lot of good books guys on here might be interested in including many of the Geological surveys that were done many years ago on many areas around New Zealand including the books containing the 'New Zealand Geological Survey Reports' - some of these reports refer to individual mines such as the Waitahuna Copper Mine, Deep leads and surveys done on them and various mineral deposits around the country.

This book is also a real treasure as it details all the mines, Dredges, Mining companies and Mining operations throughout New Zealand at the time of publishing, in this case 1906