Tried to make my way from creek out to mangroove estruary at low tide.
Was a nightmare, very quicksandy, knee deep in a second without warning.
Finally hit a point where I could go no further, no remaining bank, 4 metres up.
I’d left it too late in the day, just before dark I crossed a small stretch of farm to the road. Later I discovered I had only made less than a quarter of my mission.
Didn’t even get around to detecting!
I also forgot to weigh the darn thing, lucky it was very light to carry for it’s size.
705g (light for it’s size!).
Kauri Gum, knew exactly what it was when I saw it - this area is renouned for it.
Looks a little ugly, but might be nice inside or if polished.
Here is a close up, the end looks as if it was cut by someone, I gather it has broken off a larger piece perhaps.
Should I sell it as is?
Is it worth anything?
Who wants to see it cut or polished?
Okay, I’m going to try and add something sensible.
From an analytical science-geek point of view, that is obviously a late holocene item.
Estimated to be a sub-angular item with an approximate volume of 120cm³\
Okay, based on Pandemics reply posted in the time it took me to type my reply with one finger…
It hasn’t been cut, and is well oxidised/UV degraded.
As we previously cut through an old Kauri iron pan at work, we got lots of Kauri gum like this
You can try the age-old trick of wiping with a rag soaked in meths for a quick finish, but regrettably too weathered and porous.
But it must have come from somewhere near there…
(and forget mangroves unless the mud is less than ankle deep… More than that and modern siltation will likely have pushed any finds beyond the limits of your detector - shells on the surface are a good sign that it’s worth hunting)
HOLLY HELL, just checked trademe.
It is worth $160 minimum, could easily get $190.
Some pieces are selling for $1000!
Yes it is ancient, I’ve not seen a piece that is as nice on the outside shape wise or as long.
Never thought my first nugget would be Kauri
Update: I’m off to give my baby a bath and gentle scrub.
Well you had me fooled I was thinking bread as well. Sweet oddball find GP…mmmmm a bit forward of me Goldpandemic.
Who needs a detector when you have eyes.
I thought it was a piece of wood which had turned to stone. I found a whole lot of stone trees in the desert in Saudi,some like giant Redwoods, it was a bit strange to see them in the Desert and laying on sea shells as well,shows how millions of years change our Planet. My kids thought it was great fun.
Wish I knew the price of kauri Gum as kid, I grew up in the Waitakere ranges on a bush property with quite a few old trees, we used try and blow nuggets up with fire crackers (double happys for those who can remember)
Looks cool - I am jellyarse! I have heard heaps about Kauri gum but never got a chance to go looking for it. When it comes to mangove though I was crossing abridge up in Auckland the other day and saw what looks like a safe lying under the b ridges amongst the mangroves - probably stolen by some hoods and thrown off the bridge if that is what it is. And those swamps look a bit formidable to go wading through - I noted someone had thrown a kids scooter off the same bridge and someone else had gone to great trouble up to their you know what to rescue it the next day.
Like the Kauri find - a just reward methinks.
