There’s still gold in this South Island river: one Kiwi just proved it

It’s been over 150 years since the Otago Gold Rush, but one South Island river is making headlines again — because someone just pulled real gold from its banks.

Armed with nothing more than a sluice box, a shovel, and a weekend off work, a 33-year-old man from Timaru struck gold — literally — while fossicking along a public stretch of the Clutha River.

And now, locals are wondering: how much is still down there?

A discovery hiding in plain sight

The lucky fossicker, who asked to be referred to only as “Mike”, says he wasn’t expecting anything serious when he set up camp near Millers Flat earlier this year.

“It was just for fun,” he says. “I’ve been watching YouTube videos on gold panning. I figured I’d give it a go for a few hours.”

But by the end of the weekend, he’d collected over 2.7 grams of gold — small flakes and nuggets, mostly lodged between river rocks and gravel beds.

At current prices, that’s worth over $250 NZD, tax-free. Not life-changing, but enough to get attention.

“What surprised me is how easy it was to spot. Once you know what to look for, it’s there.”

The river that keeps giving

The Clutha River — known as Mata-Au in te reo Māori — was one of the richest sources of alluvial gold in the 1860s. Prospectors came from across the world to try their luck.

Most large-scale operations ended decades ago, but small amounts of gold have continued to wash downstream, especially after heavy rains or snowmelt shifts gravel bars.

According to hobbyist forums, fossicking areas near Roxburgh, Gabriel’s Gully, and even sections of the Kawarau are still producing trace gold — if you’re patient.

And yes, it’s completely legal — as long as you’re in a designated public gold fossicking area, using hand tools only (no dredges, no explosives, no machinery).

A growing community of modern-day prospectors

Gold fever may not be as loud as it once was, but it’s far from gone.

Online groups dedicated to New Zealand fossicking have seen a sharp increase in membership over the past two years. Rising gold prices, cost-of-living pressure, and a post-COVID shift toward outdoor hobbies have all contributed.

Many treat it like fishing — a quiet escape that might just pay for itself.

“You won’t get rich,” Mike says. “But the moment you see that glint in your pan, it’s addictive. It makes you want to keep digging.”

Is there more down there?

Almost certainly. According to geologists, New Zealand rivers still contain unclaimed gold, particularly in older, less-trafficked riverbeds and side creeks.

DOC currently lists 18 legal public fossicking sites across the South Island, most of them in Otago, Southland, and the West Coast.

Locals say there’s a reason they keep their best spots quiet.

“If you know, you know,” says one old timer in Clyde. “And if you don’t… well, good luck finding it.”

So should you try?

If you’re willing to get your boots wet, work for hours without results, and leave nature exactly as you found it — maybe.

Because the gold’s still there.
And every now and then, someone proves it.