Hey guys. I am down queenstown for a few days on holiday and was hoping to get a few solid hours in digging and sluicing. Which one of these creeks are the better public areas to have a scratch for some colour? Any hints or tips for these areas? I am staying in frankton, any other places close by worth a scratch at ( apart from my own arse!!) cheers team. MahutaMan.
I just went out for a little drive. Both off these areas i didnt see any signage for public fossicking areas. I found the 12 mile and went for a walk up for a few hundred metres for a walk. Cool looking spot, much like slab hut, with bigger boulders. Is the 5 mile at beakleys bridge? How do you know where the boundaries start and finish? Nice day out there at the moment!
I dont know i was down there for a few days a year or so ago, i tried those areas and the arrow public area and found nothing except a little flour gold in the arrow.
Only had my ctx3030 and a gold pan so it wasnt a serious attempt.
Still had a great few days beautiful place.
Yes from memory you are correct,beakleys bridge is 5 mile,in between a series of blind corners with very little parking.
Looks like area is 20 meters wide strip from centre of stream from lake edge to miles up.I only ever got onto ok gold just above bridge where it widens and flattens out,with nice flakes under the larger boulders in and around the creek bed.
Good luck,water is freezing this time of year,local guys might have better intel,never found a spec at 12 mile,arrow is good fun but you have to dig a hole 1.0 mtr + deep to get below overburden.Worth a crack!!Mal
Thanks guys, i will head up 5 mile for a look in the morning weather permitting. Will let you know how i got on. Its a bit like fishing for me, always nice to get a few flakes, doesn’t matter if i dont, because the serenity of the place makes up for it. Yeah it was bloody cold up there today, will just have to suck it up for a few hours, spring/ summer around the corner, time for the gold hermits to come out of hibernation!
Gidday matey 
Firstly, enjoy one of the most beautiful areas in New zealand. Gold or not. It’s heaven. Especially when it’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey and no one to disturb your paradise,
Secondly, in answer to your question, I found ok gold in both creeks. Get your digging arms on though. You want to dig down until you luck upon a nice flat boulder or bedrock, and large flakes galore. I did this. Before even panning or slicing found 8 or 9 large flakes sitting right on top… then I started sluicing 
obviously didn’t have to test pan after seeing those haha.
I got good colour in the cleanup. Gold pile size of my bic lighter when I was done for the day both creeks as good as the other. Sandflies out the ass. Wear long sleeves and repellent and load up on shitload of vitamin b lol.