Gold fossicking

Find out what gold fossicking is and if you need a permit to do it.

There are areas in the South Island where you don’t need to have a permit to fossick for gold. There are no fossicking areas in the North Island.

If you want to look for gold outside of the areas in the South Island listed below, you will need a gold mining permit.

What is gold fossicking

Gold fossicking is collecting gold by a stream or river using metal detectors, pans, shovels, picks and sluice boxes.

Areas where you can fossick for gold without a permit

You do not need a permit to fossick for gold in the areas listed in the table below. You must use non-motorised machinery and hand tools.

Alluvial gold, which is found in soil and sediments around rivers and streams, is present in all gold fossicking areas but usually in low concentrations.

You can learn more about the areas by searching the gold fossicking area (GFA) number in our Minerals Permit Webmaps.

Minerals Permit Webmaps — NZP&M

There are no public gold fossicking areas in the North Island.

Gold fossicking areas

Fossicking area Gold fossicking area number Operator

Tasman area

Louis Creek (GFA 12) [PDF 845KB]

42012

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Lower Louis Creek [PDF 270KB]

55529

Tasman District Council

Aorere River A (GFA 13) [PDF 199KB]

42013

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Aorere River B (GFA 14) [PDF 199KB] 42014 New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals
New Creek (GFA 15) [PDF 205KB] 42015 New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

West Coast region

Jones Creek (GFA 4) [PDF 194KB]

42004

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Jones Creek (GFA 5) [PDF 194KB]

42005

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Lyell Creek (GFA 6) [PDF 204KB]

42006

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Britannia Stream (GFA 7) [PDF 338KB]

42007

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Nelson Creek (GFA 10) [PDF 936KB]

42010

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Waiho River (GFA 11) [PDF 216KB]

42011

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Slab Hut Creek (GFA 30) [PDF 2.1MB]

42030

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Moonlight Creek [PDF 456KB] 42031 Department of Conservation
Shamrock Creek [PDF 717KB] 53804 New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Otago

Twelve Mile Creek (GFA 20) [PDF 487KB]

42020

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Five Mile Creek (GFA 21) [PDF 474KB]

42021

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Arrow River (GFA 22) [PDF 542KB]

42022

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Shotover River (GFA 23) [PDF 527KB]

42023

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Gabriels Gully (GFA 33) [PDF 1.1MB]

42033

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals

Areas where you need a permit to fossick for gold

If you want to look for gold in any area outside of the gold fossicking areas listed above, you will need a mining permit – this includes on your own land, as gold is owned by the Crown.

Before applying for a permit, you need to check whether the area you wish to apply for is available for permitting. You can see this information on our Minerals Permit Webmaps.

Minerals Permit Webmaps — NZP&M

If the area you’re interested in is available for permitting, you will need to apply for a new permit.

A mining permit application costs $5,750 to apply for, and there are fees payable each year to continue to hold the permit. Permits are ordinarily granted for 10 years.

Applying for a new permit

Last updated:
Find this helpful? Give us your feedback