Paystreak Journal
Exploration logs, historical deep-dives, and hard money investment strategies for the modern prospector.
Arrowtown Gold Panning Championships 2026: Strategy for the Shotover Sands
Master the art of competitive panning. A technical guide to the upcoming NZ National Championships and handling Shotover fine gold.
Glacial Paystreaks: Decoding West Coast Beach Gold
Learn how to read the black sands of the West Coast. A technical guide to tide-driven prospecting and glacial gold deposits.
Gold vs Bitcoin: The Automated DCA Wealth Strategy
Why choosing between gold and bitcoin is a false dilemma. How to use our automated DCA tool for NZ investors.
Why Modern Gold Prospectors Are Pivoting to Bitcoin
From digital scarcity to portability. Why the 'Old Timers' of the 21st century are stacking sats alongside grams.
Tokenized Gold vs. Physical Bullion: What's the Best Hedge?
Comparing PAXG and other gold-backed tokens with physical 1oz coins in the New Zealand market.
Bendigo-Ophir: The Next Big Gold Mine in Otago?
Santana Minerals races through approvals. Central Otago could see its first new gold mine in decades.
Macraes: New Zealand's Largest Operating Gold Mine
Over 5 million ounces since 1990. The mine that keeps NZ in the gold business.
Best Time to Go Gold Panning in New Zealand
When's the best season to fossick? Seasonal guide covering water levels, weather, and regional variations.
The Shotover River: Once the Richest River in the World
In 1862, two shearers found 4oz of gold in three hours. What followed was the biggest gold rush in NZ history.
Famous NZ Gold Nuggets: The Biggest Finds in History
From the Honourable Doris Gordon to modern detector finds. The massive nuggets that made history.
Skippers Canyon: Ghost Towns and Hydroelectric Pioneers
The narrow canyon that birthed Queenstown, claimed dozens of lives, and pioneered industrial hydropower.
Macetown: The Ghost Town at the End of the Road
Once home to 200 miners, two hotels, and a school. Today, only stone ruins remain.
How Gold Forms: The Geology Behind NZ's Goldfields
Understanding where gold comes from can help you find more of it. The science of schist, quartz, and alluvial deposits.
10 Mistakes Every Beginner Gold Panner Makes
Learn from others' errors so you don't have to make them yourself. Common mistakes and how to avoid them.
The Chinese Miners of Arrowtown
When European miners left for the West Coast, Cantonese migrants kept Arrowtown alive.
Gold Prospecting Clubs & Communities in NZ
Where to find NZ gold prospecting clubs, online communities, and local groups.
Gabriel's Gully: The Discovery That Changed Everything
Gabriel Read's 1861 discovery sparked New Zealand's first major gold rush and built the city of Dunedin.
Gold Fossicking Rules in NZ: What's Legal?
What you can and can't do when prospecting. Permits, designated areas, equipment limits.
The West Coast Wild West: Hokitika and Beyond
Black sand, wild seas, and the gold rush that built the "Capital of the West Coast."
Thames and the Coromandel: NZ's Quartz Mining Frontier
Gold was first found in NZ at Coromandel in 1852. But it was locked in quartz — and that changed everything.
Beach Gold: The Black Sands of the West Coast
From Okarito to Haast, the West Coast beaches hold fine gold. Here's what you need to know about blacksanding.
Reefton: Quartzopolis and NZ's First Public Electricity
The quartz mining capital of NZ — and first town in the Southern Hemisphere with public electric lighting.
Māori and the Gold Rush: The First Prospectors
Māori knew about gold long before Europeans. When the rushes began, they made some of the biggest finds.
The Age of the Dredges: Industrial Gold Mining on NZ Rivers
When the easy gold ran out, the dredges moved in. Massive floating factories reshaped the landscape.
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