Gold Fever: Part I - Sam Summer's Hut

When you are waiting to use the port-a-loo at Twelve Mile Delta, chances are you will pass the time reading an ad to rent fossicking equipment from the camp manager. As it turns out, Twelve Mile Creek and the delta are one of the few places you can publicly fossick for gold in New Zealand. We decided to give it a go and rented a gold pan and a shovel.

After a short lesson on the theory of gold panning we tried our luck around camp without any success. The next day I went on a hike up Twelve Mile Creek to Sam Summer's hut and tried panning along the creek. Once again, things didn't "pan" out but I got some great pictures and had a good time:

Sam Summer's hut was built with the help of his brothers in 1930. He used it as a base of operations while prospecting and hunting for food. The hut and outhouse have been maintained by the Department of Conservation and if you are feeling a bit adventurous you can spend the night in burlap bunks.

After my hike, we went into town to use the internet and I learned that my technique was all wrong. At this point I decided to save some money and buy a pan rather then rent one. On my second trip up the creek I met a fellow prospector who was using a sluice box. He was finding a few flakes where he was working and gave me a few pointers. Despite all that, I didn't find anything on that trip either.

In this case it is true what they say - third time's a charm. I convinced Jasmine (my lucky charm) to go with me on one last hike before leaving the delta. We rented a pan for her and off we went. Once we got there, Jasmine decided that the water was too cold and the sandflies were too many. Despite that, she patiently waited while I worked up and down the bank. Finally, just as I was about to give up, I found my first speck of gold. It seemed like the worst time to quit but I was happy with my find and knew that Jasmine must be getting bored. We kept the speck in Jasmine's contact case and headed back to the van.

It was a pretty amazing feeling- very similar to winning a large pot in poker. At this point I was hooked.

My first speck of gold next to a USB drive for size comparison.

This little discovery would mark the beginning of my short career as a gold miner!