a few more finds

From the Foxton racecourse,found a few pennys the oldest is 1906 and $7 in goldies plus the usual collection of 2c pieces.Someone has been over this area as it was very hard going I think I read on a Trademe blog about a guy who did this area a few years ago he certainly did a good job,really old buildings etc,just a shortage of coins,no sweat i will just have to try harder

Another half a tank of diesel

We are now in Wanganui,and tried our luck at a few older parks with pretty good succsss,a nice 1922 english sixpence and a 1934 shilling.along with lots of pennys and a few halfpennys mostly they are around the 1918-1924 era.The racecourses around here are very bare I suspect there is a local detectorist around,fair enough as there is plenty of parks etc for all......nearly forgot I found three aussie pennys ....darn they are not 1930 dated.

Our first finds on the road

Finds from two racecourses,the first was Newplymouth,the second was Stratford,a little disappointed with the lack of old coins but made up for it in goldies,(a tank of gas heha),tried the pin pointer for the first time WOW what a great thing saves a lot of guess work and digging etc.Looks like I have lost my Xterra as Noeline has taken it over with improving success,the elephant emblem is not silver (bugger) but the ring is.The beaches here are way to ironized for detecting but should improve as we move south.

Big changes ahead

Well we have done it now,something my wife and I have talked about for a long time.Sold the house and moving into our motorhome with the intention of travelling around NZ until march-april 2012 and hopefully then jump over to Aussie buy a car and caravan and continue travelling over there in search of that elusive gold nugget that will bring us early retirement (haha).
  No we have not won Lotto,the intention is to work fruit picking etc,and hopefully my MD findings will keep us in fuel,sold all the furniture and big appliances,put into storage all those knick knacks and a ton of the kids stuff,even sold my complete old bottle collection,and yes even the fishing gear (this is serious).
  I will keep the blog going and would like to catch up to some of you MDers on the way and maybe put a face to your names,also have a change of email....james.noeline@gmail.com......all we will be on the road in around 2 weeks and are slowly meandering south.The very best for xmas to you all....jim

close up of silver coins

 Managed a hopefully better shot or two of coins after many battles with new camera.

The first sixpence is very tarnished,but the others make up for it.A bit of hot water and soap and they clean up great,certainly is something appealing about a nice shiny silver coin.

Three nations silvers

Spent a day at Hamilton on the banks of the Waikato,in the most unlikely spot I suspect there must have been an old shop or similiar on this spot.Found altogether $23 in goldies along with the deeper pennies and the nice old silver coins,shame about the silver heart I found the two halves about 3 metres apart it has been hit by a mower at some stage.I cleaned the silver coins up but will leave the rest for a rainy day (to busy detecting),also found an old fob watch very rusty though and forgot to take a pic.Can anyone throw some light on the old bullet it is the 3rd one I have found now....HH jim

Trip to the park

Well went back to our most popular park after work tonight and spent from 6pm till dark (8.20),managed $22 in goldies a few penny's and a halfpenny along with the mandatory handfull of 2c bits,also a nice wee silver ring rand up on the etrac 12-46....12-47,nice sweet numbers these are....hh jim

Four rings this morning

Went to one of our central parks this early this morning before the sunday crowds arrived,managed $19 in goldies plus the ever present 2c bits and a few pennies dating back to 1910,plus a 1926 aussie halfpenny,and would you believe 4 rings in total the black one is a junker,the other three are all silver there is no mistaking the signal from a silver target on the Etrac sings out loud and clear.

 Low tide tomorrow at around 4pm just on knockoff time if the sea is still flat I will give the salt water a go,as the crowds are starting to build up again....HH jim

Back to the old park

Well I couldn't resist it,snuck back to the park again,and spent 2 hours (only 2 hours you say, some dummy didnt charge his batterys).Old pennys keep popping up along with a cool old brass suitcase lock,and a real nice 1922 shilling along with .925 silver ring which was at the depth of the pennys,so I assume it had been lost for a number of years.

 Of to work at midnight tonight (bugga) hate that night shift,will charge batterys and try again tomorrow....cheers jim

A first for me

Went to a local park and contentrated on an area I missed last time,managed a few dollars and some nice pennys and a half penny,but the big buzz was the two lead toys, and both complete.Ended up rained off,but I WILL RETURN................

Poke around Auckland

Had a weekend family pre xmas catch up,and took the MD up,tried some of the old parks and areas we used to bottle dig around in the '70s and '80s,managed to get a few bits and pieces,Man I sure would have liked a detector back then when i think of all the stuff we used to dig up,must have passed up lots of old coins and goodies.Might have to go back again when time permits sure is no shortage of parks and promising areas....jim

short beach hunt

Managed to get to the beach tonight for a short hunt,One silver ring although worse for wear with long term salt corrosion,two real small girls rings at first I thought they were gold,but not to be.one sinker and an addition to my toolbox 5/8 tube socket .plus two ear rings.Sounds like all the beach will be opened again this weekend ....HH   jim  (thanks for the hunt on wednesday Albay hope you got some goodies catch up again)

last two trips

Went to a rugby ground within walking distance from home,this is an area I have been over on a regular basis with the Xterra,Spent around 4 hours all up today and yesterday this time with the Etrac....oh boy is it a 2c magnet I gave up digging 12-44 signals,but also picked up $27 in goldies along with all the other bits,a nice silver brooch/earring,chinnese coin,and a cool wee pewter gun off a charm bracelet.Also two rather flat $1 coins (train I guess).The main Mount beach has been reopened but I think I will stay away for a bit yet as there is tv camera's and heaps of curious onlookers around...will stick to the parks and learn this machine....HH jim

Nice silver ring

Well the beaches are out of my reach at the moment,so its back to the parks etc,went through to Te Puke and had a M/D at the local rugby grounds,looks like I have opposition judging by the amount of holes that had been dug (and refilled again good to see),found a few dollars and the smallest 9kt gold ring i have ever seen,and one of the largest silver rings I have seen,Very big area I will be going back again at some stage when time permits.Took the xterra out today,as it is so easy to use turn it on and go,still finding the etrac a bit daunting,must have "old fellows disease"HH jim

Not much to report

I have been a bit slack lately,and a bit crook with 3 days off work so have been laying low for a bit.
 Hopefully back with a vengence latter this week when the weather fines up might go to the beach and find a couple of containers full of goodies washed up from Astrolabe reef (lol)....cheers jim

Etrac strikes paydirt

Went to a well used beach further north,and left the Xtera at home,the photo shows the results of wading in me gumbies at the low water mark.The ring is 18kt and verified the diamond as soon as I got home,she's a goodie!Also around $11 in coins....The spoon?well what can I say.....

Learning to drive the Etrac

Oh boy,slowly getting the knack of the new machine,old age is no help either.So easy just to pick up the Xterra instead,but I have to remember it took me 6 months to master it.
   The beach is a bit harder at the moment but the tide is getting more favourable as the week goes on

the photo shows a few bits found at either the beach and a  local park,nothing to startling 3 rings they all look nice and sparkling but alas cheap and nasty,funny about the gas welding tip found at the park around 6" deep.Thanks for your comments regards the Etrac.

Finally got an Etrac

Well I saved up all those coins that I have found and splashed out and bought an Etrac.We were in Aussie last week on holiday and checked out a MD shop in Gympie,they just happened to have one in stock,I gave it a whirl along Surfers coastline and found a few coins and a nice .925 silver ring.

 I am just running it in all metal mode until I learn to drive it (more complex than the xterra),had a few anxious moments coming through customs but with the rugby on and big crowds they just waved us through.Very happy with it in the wet sand which is the main reason I brought it, but it sure is going to be a long learning curve.....

Oldest coin yet,and struck gold

Well the old saying hunt your feet first certainly was true today,I went to one of our most used parks were I know the soil has been turned over and modified many times,I was there only 10 minutes and found the gold ring it has a Russian hammer and sickle on the inside with the the letters 585 and 03K,a bit of research tells me it is 14kt.Real happy with the one shilling 1858 with a very young looking queen victoria on the back.Also several pennnys all dating around the 1930's and a aussie half penny 1948.Also a few more goldies to go towards the etrac.HH jim

A bit of a mixed bag

What a great evening, the sea was flat as, and the sunset superb.The temp sure dropped when the sun went down,would you believe I found nothing for the first hour just tear tabs etc.Then came across another eftpos site just a small area about 30  X 20 metres in the dry sand included in the haul were

a halfpenny and two threepences they are all in the 1950's so not old but in good condition.70% of the coins I find at the beach are corroded,half an hour on the wire buff generally cleans them up pretty good.But I wouldn't do that with any older coin or artifact.

And still the beach produces

The items in the pic are the result of two trips to the beach,the first trip I was surrounded by ankle biters (6 of them)."What are you doing mr"....."whats that for"....but it was all good they were well behaved,even if I was relieved when mum turned up.The second trip was out from the surf club,although I have been over this area at least 4 times it keeps producing,just like an eftpos machine (haha).OH by the way I found a use for those rusty coins....parking meters....but you didnt hear that from me

18kt

Hi all,

          Went to Waihi beach for the  night,thought I would take the 'tector along for a ride,well what a coincidence it was low tide and the sea was flat as,found a few coins amongst them was a Fijian $1 coin (sure have to wonder how these foreign coins turn up) .To be honest I didn't get as much as I thought I would,but there is another guy that works this area,as I was walking along a young couple shyly approached me and asked if I could help them find his wedding ring as it had slipped of his finger,well 40 secinds later they had it back again lots of smiles allround,would you believe half an hour later I uncoved the mens 18kt ring....(yes now I do believe in karma)  almost forgot also found a new digging tool.....cheers jim

Finds from the beach for the last three outings

This week I have been starting work at 4pm,so I leave home around 2 hours earlier and have a bit of a detect at different parts of our local beach,as we have such a massive coastline I doubt that I  could cover it all in a lifetime.

  Nothing really special was found other than the watch (still goes ok) about $60 for the 3 trips,it all adds up and will go towards my next detector,around 20% of the small change is badly corroded,but to those of you that aren't aware the reserve bank will accept and pay out on any money including old out of circulation coins,so it is worth saving all those old 10c,20,and 50c coins they soon add up....cheers jim

thanks

Re-posting comments all sorted now thanks for all you suggestions,but dont go away i may need your help again (haha).....

metal detecting (bop): Help needed

still learning . just a test run to see if this works.

Help needed

I have been trying to reply to posts (both my own and others,at the bottom of the comment box there is a box marked  : comment as: with a box that says *select profile*.Can someone tell me what do I put in that box it won't seem to take my ID.....thanks

A quick trip to the beach

I must be loopy,freezing cold and blowing a gale but i couldnt resist it,I found out why I find so many car keys,apparently when the guys go surfing the leave there keys in the sand with there towel on top.By the time they get out of the water there towel has blown away from where the keys were carefully placed leaving no identifying land marks.I now have a box full of unidentified car and house keys,A well I did dig up one set of keys and they had a gold ring attached.

A few more finds at the beach

Went back to the forever changing beach this arvo after work,the pickings are getting a bit slimmer,but still managed a $ or two and a couple of rings.I havn't cleaned the coins up yet they look pretty average,rubbish weather on its way for the weekend looks like the MD might get a rest for a bit.....

A a few more finds at the beach and a bit of bling

I went a bit further along down to Papamoa (about 5km away).The beach frontage now drops off around 500mm and has exposed lots of old lost coins and sinkers etc,probably spent all up about 6 hours in 3 stages there was a distinctive area of beach that was really productive.

 I had a ball and could have stayed all day but a combination of having worked night shift and just getting over the flu forced me home on all three occasions,these items were all found on 21st, 22nd,and 23rd.A total of 134 coins 5 rings the gold one is 9kt,2 silver a few foreign coins including an usa quarter.First pic is of uncleaned coins,note salt effect on coins lots of them are stuffed....