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New Zealand Fossicking Atlas

Fossicking Spots in New Zealand

Browse 27 mapped fossicking locations across 8 New Zealand regions. Every region page lists named spots, rocks and minerals, coordinates, and what to check before you dig.

The headline: public gold fossicking areas on the West Coast and in Otago and Marlborough allow recreational gold panning with hand tools, no permit needed. See the official list of public gold fossicking areas.

Mapped spots
27

Mapped spots

Regions
8

Regions

Minerals to search
10

Minerals to search

Browse by region

Each card shows how many spots we have mapped and the minerals most often listed there.

Fossicking near a city

All city guides →

Day-trip guides listing every mapped spot within 150 km of the cities and towns fossickers actually start from.

Where fossicking is allowed in New Zealand

Official fossicking areas →

New Zealand has designated public gold fossicking areas under the Crown Minerals Act, mainly on the West Coast and in Otago and Marlborough, where recreational gold panning with hand tools is allowed without a permit. Outside those areas, access depends on the land: private land needs the owner's permission, and most conservation land is closed to collecting. Beaches generally allow casual collecting of loose stones, DOC conservation land and reserves mostly do not, and national parks are off-limits. Pounamu (greenstone) in the South Island is owned by Ngai Tahu and is not open to collecting.

Interactive map

Open map →

See every New Zealand spot on one map, filtered by mineral and access.

Australia

Australia spots →

Fossicking spots across the Tasman, grouped by state and territory with licence notes.

United States

U.S. spots →

Thousands more collecting spots across the U.S., grouped by region and state.

New Zealand fossicking FAQ

Is fossicking legal in New Zealand?+
Yes, in the right places. Designated public gold fossicking areas under the Crown Minerals Act (mainly on the West Coast and in Otago and Marlborough) allow recreational gold panning with hand tools, no permit needed. Beaches generally allow casual collecting of loose stones. Conservation land and reserves managed by DOC mostly do not allow collecting, and national parks are off-limits.
Do I need a permit to fossick in New Zealand?+
Not inside the designated public gold fossicking areas, where hand-tool gold panning is free and open to everyone. Outside those areas you need the landowner's permission on private land, and most DOC-managed conservation land is closed to collecting. Always check the land status before a trip.
Can I collect pounamu (greenstone) in New Zealand?+
No. Pounamu in the South Island is owned by Ngai Tahu, and collecting it is prohibited. The only exception is a limited beach find you can carry out by hand in one trip. Never plan a trip around collecting pounamu.
Where is the best fossicking in New Zealand?+
The West Coast fossicking areas at Goldsborough, Kumara, and Charleston, the Otago goldfields around Naseby, Gemstone Beach at Orepuki, Birdlings Flat agates in Canterbury, and the Coromandel quartz country are the classic areas. Browse each region page for mapped spots and minerals.
How many New Zealand fossicking spots does RockHoundR map?+
RockHoundR currently maps 27 fossicking spots across 8 New Zealand regions, with coordinates, mineral lists, and access notes.

Plan fossicking trips in the app

The RockHoundR app turns this list into a map you can filter, save, and use offline. Geology, weather, and field notes are built in.

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