Hi all, new here and just looking for info.
My daughter and I are heading south for a holiday for March and aprill,
My daughter really wants to try her hand at panning.
Not overly keen on Fosicking areas so was hoping there might be someone on here that would let us onto a private claim for a couple of days yo have a dabble,
We are traveling all over the south island so would be up for any area if anyone would be able to help.
Much appreciated
Scott
What’s wrong with the public areas? Some have camp grounds right beside the rivers/creeks. Or do you think that by going to a private claim you will find your fortune? You will/can still find gold in the public areas, that is for sure, & they are mostly in easy to get to spots. Like you can drive right to most of them. Not so private claims.
JW 
Not sure of much wrong as I said I’m new to this and have heard and read stories of people getting possessive, angry etc,
Just not the environment I want to put my daughter into.
Hence why I was thinking of looking for private land
Cheers nz
I have experienced & seen the opposite at public areas. Like minded people sharing & helping many a newbie with hints, tips & help. Great times had in the evening too over a few cold ones in front of a camp fire trading yarns. Making new friends & sharing nature. That’s a nice environment for your kids. Gold of a different kind. Guess there are always arseholes though.
Good luck.
JW
From my gold trip last year
Slab hutt had a bunch of shot goats dump 50 meters from the camp lovely . Moonlight I was offered drugs twice by random people . Was up a river near hokitika and a guy came out of the bush panicking after a quick chat 3 huge american bull dogs came out of the bush that they where using to pull down deer and goats . Further south bumped into a hunter had a chat gave him a left back to his camper had to ask nicely could he unchamber the 303 . Most clams are quite remote if it was me I would go to Collingwood nice camp ground you have two big public areas if you stop at st bainham store you might get lucky and for something easy maybe doctors creek which is on Danny walkers claim but he’s cool with people having a fossick
Maybe its a West Coast problem, I have never encountered that sort of behavior in Otago… As JW says, usually quite the opposite.
Would still be manners to ask him though. My first gold ever in the Aorere area was from Doctors creek years ago. I’m guessing 30 odd years ago.
JW
Hey your not going to find much but it’s safe and easy stop a st bainhams store buy some candy and maybe Jeff will help you out
Can handle the guns but american pit bulls with eyes that are dead no
A West Coaster understands the “West Coast” lol. Dope-growers paranoia maybe?
I only got a bit of colour for a lot of effort but the whole place is rich with the earliest of gold history which I am into as well & like exploring those kind of places. The early gold dredgers did very well. Hard country to really get into but that’s half the fun of the adventure & exploring of these places.
Two great books written by Mike Johnston, Aorere Gold 480 pages & just released this year, Opps last year 
. Mohua Gold 517 pages. Full of absolute matriculas detail & old photos of the history of this goldfields area.
Same author as the two volumes of the history of the Wakamarina & Eastern Marlborough goldfields, Gold In A Tin Dish. Volume 1 600 pages & volume 2 456 pages.
He also did a book High Hopes. The history of the Nelson Mineral Belt, copper mines, asbestos, serpintine quarries, platinum, Maori argillite quarry & NZ’s first railway.
JW
Have all of the above and there still another to come from Mike next year I believe. Probably the best written and researched gold mining books in NZ. Just reading Mohua at the moment.
Cheers
Hi musketballs. Yes, I will have to agree with you there. Crazy amount of time spent in research. No stone left un turned. The West Coast Gold Rushes by Phillip Ross May is another great book. I often refer to this as the encyclopedia of the west coast gold rushes. While maybe not as in depth detail wise as Mike Johnstons books it covers most if not all the west coast fields.
Cheers
JW
Hi JW
Totally agree with you. Pity May died so early on as he would have had a few more books in him I’m sure.
Cheers
