On the hunt for illegal miners as a new gold rush hits New Zealand
The ‘wild west’ is proving irresistible to those hoping to strike it rich but the long arm of the law is determined to keep the ‘cowboys’ honest
When travelling up the glacial rivers that thread through parts of New Zealand’s rugged South Island Jackie Adams often uses his 1500cc motorbike to move quickly over the shingle beds. But in his line of business, speedboats and helicopters can come in handy too.
“No one expects someone from the government to cruise up a river on a motorbike,” Adams explained.
A lot of these cowboys, they think that gold just jumps into their hands
The former British Army colonel’s unique job is to hunt for illegal gold miners, an increasingly large number of them who work the ground at night. It is a job Adams never imagined he’d be doing – especially alone in the remote “wild west” of the south island, where the summer season of illegal gold mining is just starting to heat up.
“A lot of these cowboys, they think that gold just jumps into their hands,” said Adams, who also worked as a police detective in New Zealand, heading the CIB unit on the west coast.
With the price of gold fetching nearly NZ$1800 (HK$9,600) an ounce, Adams has been hired by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals (NZPM) to investigate the black market trade; conducted by opportunists sneaking on to private land and national parks without permits to fossick.
The modern-day gold rush is particularly evident on the coast, attracting prospectors from around the country – and the world. Using diggers, metal detectors and even the humble shovel and pan, these hopeful amateurs are willing to wade through frigid west coast creeks in the middle of the night – once awash with gold swept down from the Southern Alps – and still concealing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of precious metal.
