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Post by RKC on Dec 7, 2010 7:34:41 GMT 12
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Post by fudnz on Dec 9, 2010 8:16:31 GMT 12
Well, this is an interesting one, and a little bit of money involved for 10 years, and yes there is a bit of gold in this bit. Right where the guys standing behind him you can see that gravel bank it is 15 feet down to the bottom there -- and in the end I was actually having to hang onto the hose to get the final two or 3 inches to the bottom. Three days dredging there -- 6.25 ounces -- eight-foot overburden -- an inch of oxidized wash on the bottom. It would take two hours cleaning off the overburden to get at about 2 ft.² of wash. But when you did it was quite good looking. I only did probably half of the bank and was always 'gonna' go back again but never did. Edgarl Purcell was the owner on the left-hand side at the time and I got on really good with him supplying him with as much fish as it needed to maybe get in there. I was full time trawling at this time. I have a feeling that the Browns took over the property at a later stage. I did try up around the corner with very little success I've also tried probably a kilometer upstream got color but not a lot. If you find some of the oxidized bed you will do good. But before dredging up once you have exposed the oxidized layer you have to give it a good whacking with a hammer to break it up first otherwise little chunks of it with gold in it will disappear up the nozzle and over the table -- gone --. It's a great area for sure, but can be a bit susceptible to rain that will bring the river up reasonably quickly. It has good access which is a good thing.
Cheers for now -- Allan
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Post by fudnz on Dec 9, 2010 8:29:41 GMT 12
The 6.25 ounces from the Nevis, I know it was this because another guy he was there at the time -- Terry Holland -- a few of you will know him more often -- I termed him as a bit of a likable rogue :-) -- and he showed me when we got out of the Nevis how to melt gold. Man -- what an experience -- he had a little retort system that was operated by, LPG, a vacuum cleaner, hot water jug, and a prayer that it would all happen. When he started this thing up it sounded like a Boeing taxiing, the vacuum cleaner was one with a variable speed motor and is the speed of the motor went up so did this horrific screaming from the retort. There was no regulator on the LPG bottle it was just straight in and the more that you opened the tap the higher the noise got. I don't know what the neighbors thought when he had it going but I don't think he really cared -- 15 minutes in the gold was all but melting --"I think it needs a bit of a help"and then he disappeared coming back with an electric jug full of boiling water. This he decanted over the top of the LPG bottle -- up went the flaming noise a few more decibels -- I was out of there --"where you going" he said or mouthed to me, "nowhere I just want to be safe". "No worries he said, done it all before".
He must've been right, because when I came back into the shed all was good the gold had disappeared down through the Borax and he was ready to pour it into a mold. That little blob of gold weight exactly 6 point 25 ounces. Terry has left this world now, not through an LPG explosion, but from one of the lurgies that we get and don't really want to have. There are a few other stories that I could tell about Terry and Cromwell, the jewelers box area, and Philip Wilson -- another time maybe. Cheers for now
Allan (fudnz)
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Post by RKC on Dec 9, 2010 15:12:58 GMT 12
G'day fudnz, That is sad news about Terry. I knew he had the big C but never learnt if he survived or not. At the link below is a photo of his dredge at the Nevis crossing when he got busted by the RMO from the ORC. img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coochee/nevisdredgeEDITED.jpgIts a shame he did not do better from the Digger 'n' Screen mining he attempted up the Fraser river. With hindsight, he would have been better to have got a suction dredging claim as there would have been less capital investment and no repayments to keep up each month to pay off the heavy equipment (and therefore much less stress). The upper gorge on the Nevis must be the best area to dredge in the entire Nevis. Its always appealed to me as a likely looking dredging proposition with little risk. I took an Australian miner up there once to check it out during one of the rare times when it was not under claim. But he was not interested ... if I remember correctly he though it was too remote. His loss ... he went on to dredge a claim on the West Coast which was very poor in gold and could not be regularly dredged because of reoccurring flooding during a wet summer. He then disappeared back across the ditch to never return to New Zealand. The upper Nevis Gorge img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coochee/GQSS19.jpgimg.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coochee/nzriver.bmpRegards, Rob (RKC)
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Post by jbmurc on Dec 11, 2010 8:45:07 GMT 12
Hello to all the dredges a newbie here looking at this exact claim hope to learn from the pro's if I do indeed take the up the claim Also post on -Sharetrader-Hotcopper under the same username
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Post by RKC on Dec 11, 2010 19:31:11 GMT 12
G'day jbmurc, This claim on the Nevis appears to me to be one of the best claims available in the South Island at present ... with good potential. But if you seriously want to purchase it I would advise you to first check out all the legal aspects, such the details of the consents with the Regional Council (if there are any). And be sure to read the licence (Mining Permit) to see if there are any restrictions such as the largest size dredge you would be permitted to use (if you have to change anything there always seems to be a charge involved). Additionally, the review of the Crown Minerals Act ( tinyurl.com/2efo986 ) that's presently underway could very well have an influence on whether it is worth purchasing this claim or not (or any claim). Crown Minerals should be saying something this month about the review and I will post on the forum about this as soon as I know something. These days miners such as the West Coast trommel miners commonly employ consultants, who specialize in resource management, to sort out the legalities of acquiring a Mining Permit (claim). The investment made by all trommel miners is much much more than any suction dredge miner would be putting into any dredging project, so to safeguard their significant investment they are more inclined to use consultants to make sure all the t's are crossed and the i's dotted. And it can often be advisable to use a consultant if an access agreement needs to be negotiated ... much depends on who it is you have to negotiate with. And complicating things further is that the Nevis valley might be flooded sometime in the future. If the flooding does look like it is to go ahead it won't be happening anytime soon ... but it could still effect whats happening now, with the legalities, and a consultant can unearth any possible potential problems. Or, if you are a gambler, you could just pay for the claim and hope no problems will arise. Regards, Rob (RKC)
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Post by aotea on Dec 11, 2010 19:59:34 GMT 12
Hi RKC,
This claim is held by a good friend and myself. Certainly agree there are serious RMA and process issues potentially. Im a RMA planner, and have been for over eight years, and my mining partner is an RMA solicitor.
We have all the details sorted legally, in fact the conditions and fees are very favourable.
In short, consents off the Otago RC are granted for 20 years, allowing a 5inch dredge in parts, and up to an 8inch dredge in the gorge. Even spawning restrictions are absent within the gorge. The Mining Permit is granted for 10 years, but as it authorises an 8inch dredge, the review going on at present will not affect it, so there is the automatic right of renewal without issues. We have access agreements off the landowner for the life of the claim. LINZ access for the activity in the riverbed is sorted, and we have dispensation from LINZ Pastoral Unit and DoC for walking over Crown Land and marginal strip respectively. Basically this is probably the most lawful dredging claim in the country..but unfortunately I need to sell to fund another project.
Cheers
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Post by RKC on Dec 11, 2010 20:15:19 GMT 12
G'day aotea,
Thanks for the information on the Nevis claim!
If I wanted to buy the claim myself I would attempt to have the conditions changed so a 10-inch dredge could be used. Even in the gorge the river is wide enough for a 10-inch. And flooding in the summer would not be a problem like it is in West Coast rivers like the Buller (wouldn't like to be up in the Nevis valley in winter though).
It would be great to see someone do well out of this river. What defeats nearly all commercial scale dredging projects these days is that its difficult to get the right men to do the actual dredging and get on the nozzle for 6 or more hours a day.
Regards, Rob (RKC)
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Post by aotea on Dec 12, 2010 6:18:28 GMT 12
Cheers,
I agree but unfortunately DoC, Fish & Game or Iwi would not allow a 10inch in it. F&G would fight that all the way...
The ORC's own science staff are strongly opposed to 10's in here too.
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Post by boaraxa on Dec 12, 2010 10:56:31 GMT 12
Hi there Aotea slightly off the topic i gess....but....just read with interest in one of your posts that if you have a permit that allows the use of a 8inch there will be no renewal issues..does this also mean that if a new claim was to be sought in the future if an 8inch was used it would be unafected by gerry,s plan to scrap future small claim permits...? ...phill.
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Post by aotea on Dec 12, 2010 11:38:56 GMT 12
Gidday, yes from the consultation document they put out, any claim authorising more than a 5, would not be affected and you would have the automatic right to renew in perpetuity.
For any dredgers, I am more than happy to help with RMA consenting advice to get thier consents/ permits through..there are a few tricks to get good results!
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Post by RKC on Dec 12, 2010 12:37:14 GMT 12
G'day aotea, I guess I can see their reasoning for not allowing 10-inch dredges in the Nevis. However, there still are a few other Otago rivers where 10-inch suction dredges would suit. The Shotover is one, along with the Kawarau and Clutha ... maybe one day. At the link below are the details of an application from a few years ago for a dredge intended for use on the lower Clutha img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coochee/HOT%20LINKED%20to%20GDF/cluthaapplication.jpgMaybe the West Coast is where the first diver-controlled 10-inch production dredge will be employed in New Zealand. BTW:The Grey river bucket dredge is presently operating out in the river, and its still easily managing to contain its tailings so no turbidity is entering the flowing river. img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coochee/new%20coochee/DSCF0219kk.jpgRegards, Rob (RKC)
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Post by aotea on Dec 12, 2010 13:53:15 GMT 12
Gidday, Yes I know of Danny's claim- I wrote that report that link goes to. Actaully it looks like the text from quite a few dredging consent reports by the ORC. Didnt mind the old cut n paste to try and keep the costs down for those poor gold miners!
I recall that claim allowed for a 12inch dredge..
And as for Alan Birchfields dredge- I did work on that while living on the Coast also...
cheers
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Post by jbmurc on Dec 20, 2010 6:54:01 GMT 12
---Old news worth a read----going up for a dredge tuesday wed hope to find bedrock without having to go to deep
Nevis gold rush tipped Home » News » Regions By Lynda Van Kempen on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 The Regions: Otago High gold prices have sparked renewed interest in the Nevis Valley and Otago Fish and Game is predicting a flood of gold-mining applications.
Two proposals to mine alluvial gold in the Nevis were considered by the Otago Fish and Game Council at its meeting in Cromwell yesterday and members expect these would be just the start of many.
"Given the price of gold, I expect we'll see a plethora of gold-mining applications coming in. Every Tom, Dick and Harry will be applying," Dan Rae said.
Fish and Game chief executive Niall Watson said the council was being asked for its opinion on the mining plans and did not have to say "yes or no" to either proposal at present.
The valley is already in the spotlight with an application to amend the water conservation order on the Nevis River and tenure review proposals for two Crown-owned pastoral lease properties in the area.
The Otago Fish and Game Council and the national body have sought an amendment to the water conservation order so the river cannot be diverted or dammed.
More than 240 people made submissions and a special tribunal spent 16 days hearing evidence.
It will reconvene in February.
Pioneer Generation, which plans a hydro-electricity scheme on the river, leases two properties adjoining the river, both of them the subject of tenure review.
Last month, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust moved to register the lower Nevis as a historic place and has suggested further protection by way of gazetting the area as an archaeological site.
Its Otago Southland manager, Owen Graham, recently described the lower Nevis valley as "virtually a gold-mining museum in Central Otago".
Gold is not the only valuable resource in the valley.
In 2007, a London-based mining company, Xtract Energy Plc, was granted a five-year mineral exploration permit covering 10,450ha of the valley to explore and test for oil shale.
Fish and Game members heard yesterday the latest gold-mining proposals were quite different operations.
Mohikinui Gold Ltd planned to mine gold using a suction dredge from Whitten's Creek to 200m below the Nevis Crossing.
The small-scale operation would operate only about 25 days a year, Fish and Game environmental officer John Hollows said.
The Golden Bush Mining Ltd proposal was a much larger operation, in the Schoolhouse Creek area.
It would be worked by three staff, six days a week, using two or three diggers.
The gold dredge would work a large pit, about 25m by 40m, which would be formed away from the river.
"Given the high level of attention the application to amend the Kawarau Conservation Order [on the Nevis River] has brought to the valley, potential environment impacts need to be carefully considered," Mr Hollows said.
He recommended the council negotiate appropriate conditions to protect sports fishery and associated values from the impact of mining in the Nevis.
If conditions could not be agreed, the council should oppose the applications.
Fish and Game officer Rasmus Gabrielsson said the small-scale suction dredge operation was in part of the valley used by few anglers, so the conflict with anglers would be minimal.
However, he was worried about the effect of both proposals when trout were spawning.
The Golden Bush proposal would cover about 5ha of land at any one time.
Mr Rae said the land covered by the Golden Bush application had been mined before and was now covered in native vegetation.
It would be difficult for the site to be returned to its current condition, given the harsh environment.
A sizeable bond of $200,000-$300,000 should be sought, he said.
Dave Witherow said if the amendment to the water order was granted, "the status of the river will be elevated and that will stop proposals like this".
"We should wait until we know that decision before discussing these."
lynda.van.kempen@odt.co.nz
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Post by fudnz on Dec 23, 2010 20:01:15 GMT 12
Well it was good to go in there again - first time for I would think 15 years. Shame that the rain decided it was time for it to fall:-). I met up with the farmer - Trevor - and he made sure that I was comfortable in the accom; that he has beside the main house. The rain was just sort of intermittent during Tuesday but during the AM it really started to come down... I got up around 6am and it was quite steady... I could hear the river from the hut - so guessed there was a bit in it - I packed my gear back into the truck and left about 8am. I stopped to have a look at the river on the way out, it was not all that dirty but was above its normal rate. Looking through the valley towards Garston way the clouds were very black and heavy looking. So I pointed the truck up the hill and was back in Naseby around 11am. It was worth the trip in again and look forward to going again in the New Year. Allan... Fudnz
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