mn90403

I'm preparing to leave Queenstown this morning. I wish that I could report finding my own nugget but I do have some NZ gold courtesy of JW. Simon and I went out on just a perfect day to a spot just like many others I saw here in the south that once held lots of gold. Once again we gave it out best effort but came away without a nugget. We had a great time which could have only been made better by finding a piece. My big relic of the trip was an unfired 22 long. We both found dozens of tiny bird shot. Simon was using his 6000 and I was using my Algo. While I just started using it this trip I'm finding it to be a very capable detector with the Sadie on it. More on that later when I get back and meet up with some of you. This was near where we detected. It was one example of many that I saw of gold mining activity that took place over the area. The specific area we detected reminded me of the climate and growth at Rye Patch. There is just much, much more exposed bedrock and no crystals. On my return trip to the north along the West Coast of the South Island I'm told this is where the largest nuggets were found. I did stop by a shop and meet someone who had a 500 gram nugget! Lots and lots of gold was found and taken but I'm only taking back a little gift. Thank you Simon and thank you JW. I'll try to keep some of your secrets safe. haha

Tomorrow night the family and I will be going on a camper van trip to New Zealand. It's not a gold trip but I have accepted an invitation to hunt a couple of days in the Queenstown area. That will be in the second half of the trip. I'll be with Simon and JW for a few hours to experience some of the mild soils I've been hearing about for years. There is so much to do in New Zealand before I get to Queenstown and on the ferry return. Seventeen days don't seem like enough now. I was not aware that it is about a thousand miles from Auckland. When you add in a ferry, some hot springs, a worm cave here and there, the Hobbit village and a train ride it eats up all your time. Maybe I'll have to go back but for now my kids have a chance to miss a bit of school here so I'm going. If any of you have some 'don't miss spots' please let me know and we might be able to stop.