Welcome to the details page of GolddiggerMike's GOLDTOURS
Please read carefully & E-Mail me for any Question's, that you might have.
Join in the search for the "Mother Lode" * Guided Expedition Tour *
My name is Michael Christiansen, I have lived in New Zealand/Auckland for 5 years & have been gold prospecting for 12 years now. I come down to the Stunningly Beautiful South Island as often as I can to prospect for gold.
( I'm NOT an expert that garantee's a major goldstrike, but I will teach you everything that I have learnt over the years from the many "old timers" I have been so fortunat to meet, and all the books & maps that I have obtained over the years.
I have explored many of the known goldfields of the west coast & Otago, as I'm a keen hiker with a heavy back pack and really enjoy the excitment of exploring a river/creek for the first time. However, it takes many trips to really get to know an area well enough to be able read where the best deposit's were in the old days & then figure out where there could be some Undiscovered gold left behind. I have personally witnessed a "mate" finding a piece of VIRGIN ground that produced over 100 ounces of gold up to ½ oz nuggets.
I personally believe that it is possible to discover new deposits of gold on many of the old goldfields and finding the source of it as well = THE MOTHER LODE. Not only by luck, but with the use of new equipment such as metal detectors/pinpointers and my own " Golden matrix" scheme to locate a new Reef of gold.
From DEC 03 to April 04 Golddigger Mike takes tourists for 1 week +
on gold prospecting adventure-tours, tailor made for 1-3 people
that wants to learn all about gold panning, crevicing, sluicing, metal detecting,
& NZ gold history & the unique nature & much more. Also GOLD-DIVING IS Availible if you have a wet suit. (snorkle only)
OUR Communication is the key word when you are planning a nice holiday experience or looking for a potential bizness opportunity
MY OFFER TO YOU.
1. Price 795 us$ p/person/week - 1395 us$ 2/per - 50 % deposit on sign up - 2nd half payed cash on pick-up.
* Discounts availble - please ask *
** This INCL's Transport to/from goldfield Decided by GolddiggerMike. (not reveilled before arrival)
** All food/drinks/tents/cooking gear & gold digging equipment is provided..
** All the gold that you find is yours. If we join up together we split 50/50.
** Gumboots.
## NOT INCL. your bring your own backpack/sleepingbag/good hiking boots/ (rain gear is very important as it rains like hell sometimes) MAX 15 kg total + room for your food (5-8 kg.)
*Insurance* It is recommended that you have a travellers insurance, that covers hometransport e.c.t.
(In case you break a leg or 2)
2. I need a complete discription of yourself/each member of the party with your expectations / your fitness level + shoesize / your strengths & weaknesses under stressful conditions. ( ex. hungry,tired ) I get grumpy & impatient when I'm hungry, & very excited when I find GOLD.
3. PICK UP POINT: WEST COAST Greymouth - Mondays at 12.00
4. We do the final shopping together for the last supplies before driving out to Mike's secret goldfield and begin the adventure of a lifetime.
5. The first day we tramp up into the hills with a good backpack load to basecamp (already set up), and then
we start with the basic, but very important goldPanning technic's, and after a good camp meal,I will tell you about this whole "golden valley" with it's history and tales of the 18-1900's .We'll do some map reading & talk basic theories on gold. After a good "Cuppa" and a warm camp fire, I'm sure your'll sleep very good in the tent. Single rooms avail.( mini tent) (If we can find it...haha)
6. On the 2nd day, we proceed further up to camp 2 witch I have already set up & then we will do some fossiking together, still panning and testing the ground as we proceed further upwards until we find traces of gold, then we will try some sluicing, to cover much more gravel in less time. By now we should have our first gold, flakes,pieces or even a small nugget.
7. All though sluicing is quite fun, and hard to stop, when you are getting "colour" in your box, we will now have a go at crevising, which takes alot of concentration as we check the crevises for any trapped gold. It can be rather hard & teadious, but when you first find a small piece og gold, then you'll get hooked for sure. "GOLD FEVER"
8. For this I have purchased a brand new mini-metal detector, called a pinpointer, of witch I am expecting quite a lot, as it will save heaps of time and hence we will be able to cover more ground. Remember - theres gold lots of places, but theres often to damn much gravel mixed with it.
9. It is now time to try my metal detector, and here you are looking for nugget's hidden beneath the waterline as well as under rocks & gravel. But more important is that gold bearing Quartz that will lead us to the " Mother Lode ".
10. You have by now already learnt quite alot, but you need to do it on your own for several days before you really understand some of gold's secret's & and find out what you find most exciting to do. Remember - the last mile is often the most rewarding.
11. If you have your own wetsuit, I can take you Gold diving in a river - closeby and show you how to test a river for gold and how to check, if it is worth dredging with a eductor/suction dredge.
This I do not offer as I currently do not have a dredge, but it is certainly one of the coolest things that I have tried. ( It's like having an underwater vacum cleaner and you simply suck almost everything though it - 4-5-6 Inch suction hose and then though a floatable sluice box, witch seperats the gold from the gravel. I can however recommend an experienced guy that takes tourist's on dredging tours.
12. Normally, I meet other prospectors/hunters way out in the bush, and this is always very interresting and often leads to camp fire "yarns" ( NZ for storytelling - true & untrue ) & friendships, but I cannot garrantee this will happen. The unexpected is what keeps me going.
13. Depending on the Party I take out, and their skills/hopes I have sometime's split up the group for the day, even the night, in a pre-agreed area. This has given some fantastic feed backs from the guy's that wanted to try and explore on their own & camp out in the wild.
14. The area that we will be in is so vast that even though I have been there many times, I have still not covered more than 10-20% of it. Most of it is still "unclaimed", witch means that it is possible to apply for a mining license, that gives you the exclusive right to mine a specific area.
AFTER your Tour with me, you are welcome to stay as long as you like, and I will still help you with transport/advise ect.
One guy (Frank-1996) stayed for 3 weeks, and worked his secret claim, and keeps on coming back, I will however not show you his site, unless you come across it yourself.
15. * FREE BONUS * After a week or two in the bush, you really will enjoy the HotWater springs that I usually go to, and just sit & relax in the warm/soothing mineral water.
This is only some of the things, that you can expect.
Please ask, if you have any questions - Specail requests are Welcome.
