With the recent two claims for sale on trademe that got me thinking about what the claim map actually means…
Like, when you look at 56274 you see that the claim is partly in the active riverbed and partly on dry land…
Then you look at 56179 and that claim is actually covering the whole width of the river…
So, does the claim, like the shotover one, move with the change of the active riverbed or does it actually stay like it’s on the map?
I think that’s probably same for the public fossicking areas… They also seem to be a bit off in some places…
I imagine ideally the claim should cover all the potential area that could be dredged, but I imagine with some of the older claims, that have been renewed multiple times, that the mapping available at the time may not have been the most accurate.
I feel it probably doesn’t matter too much with these more historic claims and that people will still mine in the areas that may not been 100% covered by the claim boundaries as long as you’re not creeping too far or onto someone else’s neighbouring claim.
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When applying for a new permit now nzpam makes you follow the exact river bed.
old claims need to apply to change the map to cover the bed of the river or else someone else can come in and claim the areas of open ground to mine themselves,
Thanks 
That’s what I expected…
Im only guessing but if ya use centre line of a river, then like queens chain rules ,its 10metres each side of current river centre. Probaly a good way to get extra land in ya claim. Dredge it all then divert the river over start again then sell it to jw cheap when ya finished.
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You can’t pull the wool over my eyes. 
JW 
Bahaha but im probaly like the old timers left that much behind its still a good buy 
I don’t think much has been left behind these days. I was happy finding 4 smallish bits out detecting for a few hours this arvo. The ground had thawed out & it scratched my itch. 
JW
Ya not walking far enuff i recon, where they were walk to the start or headwaters of the river normally 12 to 15 km of not very nice walking from closest access. They were mostly just as lazy as people are today and there gear was much heavier, so no one much has been there. I assure ya
Depends where you are talking. I have a hell mission coming up this summer. I had a couple of goes trying to get in there end of last summer. Very remote & going to need to camp out there when I get there to make getting there worth while. I am picking there will be gold left there from the old day boys as it is surprising what they missed or threw out. I am talking detecting.
The old boys were far from lazy back in the day & it is crazy the places they got into & having to carry everything with them. That’s before even knowing if gold was going to be there. True prospecting.
JW
Then your on the sameish mission as me cause what i seen march april this year b4 the snows came was no one been there.
In haasts reports on lake sumner lake taylor loch katrine, he called it lake katrine, blew my mind 400 odd miners living above lake taylor butcher tent hardware tent sorta thing yet he reconed none of them had gone to the heads of them rivers he was the only one, and he wasnt a small chap geology wasnt a occupation to him it had to be a obsession if ya read where he walked.
Chris Ralph 101 if ya wanna find small gold go where everyone else goes park the car walk a distance and set up ya sluice, but if ya wanna find the big gold ya gotta go where the small gold comes from. And he bets 80% chance if ya get there ya will find not many if any been there b4 ya. And hes talking about usa today. As he says even one creek is a very big place to cover.
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Can’t argue with that. The more remote you go the better your chances. Even if you find nothing it is a hell of an adventure & part of the passion. Becomes a numbers game, but you got to be out there looking. Won’t find anything sitting on the couch. 
JW
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