Gold fossicking

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

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