Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area: Fossicking in Buller District, West Coast

Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area is a mapped fossicking spot in Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand. Reported finds include gold. Below: coordinates, access notes, and nearby spots.

About Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area

Parts of Britannia and Stony streams near Waimangaroa, about 17 km northeast of Westport, are set aside for recreational gold mining without a permit. The area suits gold panning and sluice boxing, restricted to hand-held, non-motorised methods, and alluvial gold is present in low concentrations. Both streams appear on the New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals list of gold fossicking areas designated under the Crown Minerals Act, with mapped boundaries fossickers must stay inside, and picnicking and informal camping are noted at the site.

NZP&M: public gold fossicking areas →

Quick details

Access: Public area
Area: Buller District
Region: West Coast
Coordinates: -41.70590, 171.81060

Land & fossicking status

Generally open to casual fossicking

Public-tagged New Zealand spots are usually designated public gold fossicking areas under the Crown Minerals Act or beaches where casual collecting of loose stones is accepted. Hand tools only, and check local conditions before you dig.

Stay inside public fossicking areas for gold panning, use hand tools only, and treat DOC reserves and national parks as closed to collecting. Pounamu (greenstone) in the South Island is owned by Ngai Tahu, and collecting it is prohibited apart from a limited beach find you can carry out by hand in one trip.

New Zealand public gold fossicking areas (NZP&M) →

Found at Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area

Gold Encyclopedia →

Nearby fossicking spots

Other fossicking spots in New Zealand within driving distance of Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area.

Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area FAQ

Where is Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area?+

Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area is in Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand, at -41.70590, 171.81060.

What rocks and minerals can you find at Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area?+

Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area is reported to produce Gold.

Is fossicking allowed at Stony and Britannia Streams Gold Fossicking Area?+

Generally open to casual fossicking. Public-tagged New Zealand spots are usually designated public gold fossicking areas under the Crown Minerals Act or beaches where casual collecting of loose stones is accepted. Hand tools only, and check local conditions before you dig. Public gold fossicking areas allow hand-tool panning without a permit, but DOC reserves, national parks, and pounamu are off-limits, so always confirm land access before a trip.

More fossicking in West Coast

See all 8 West Coast spots →

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