Hi all,
My fiancee and I are in New Zealand for a total of four weeks, of which two more to go. I have always been watching YouTube videos on gold prospecting, but in our home country Holland, there is absolutely none. Now, as we will be married in June of this year, I thought it would be awesome to have some self prospected gold added to our wedding rings.
I bought two pans and a shovel and went to slab hut creek and waiho river. We did find some specks and fine stuff and I really got the gold bug. Yet not enough to really add to a ring.
In the next two weeks we will be in otago region. Is there anyone that can help Some advice where to go? Or is there someone allowing us to go onto your claim (or pay a fee, also ok)
Thanks a lot in advance!
Kind regards
Leo (and julia)
2 Likes
Takes time to find enough gold for wedding rings. I know as I did that once. Maybe just spend your limited time at some public fossicking areas enjoying each other’s company, use the bits you find and bulk it up with some from the many lots of gold available for sale on trade me auctions or from some of the Facebook gold groups. I’d say you’d have to be very fortunate to find enough in your short time here for rings but who knows, you might get lucky. With the price of gold now I doubt anyone is going to disclose their favourite spot though. You’d also be very fortunate to get on someone’s claim if they don’t know you. Best of luck out there.
If you only have pans and shovels, try finding a second hand shop (eg the Salvation army store) and get some big flathead screwdrivers for scraping out bedrock cracks and crevices. They’re normally only $1 each, and in the right spot will pay for themselves 100x. A gooseneck wrecking bar for moving rocks would be helpful too.
Hopefully there is a claim owner here with a suitable spot for you, if not, have a search through this forum about the Queenstown fossicking areas - the 12 Mile and the Arrow are both beautiful places, good to scratch around in.
Good luck 
Thanks for your tips guys. Today we will head to arrow river today.
And yes, enough gold for rings is probably too ambitious but then we will add some store bought hold!
Good one on the screwdriver, we will start using them!
Kind regards
1 Like
Pop in and see Justin at the gold shop in the main street. Lots of gold to oogle. And he’s got a display case of large nuggets found by local prospectors over the years
1 Like
Good idea hitting the Arrow. Theres a good chance you will find a bit of colour. But more memorable will be chatting with other fossickers
