Solo in New Zealand’s Backcountry Chasing Gold (Part 1)

This is Part 1 of a three-part backcountry gold mining mission deep in New Zealand. I head alone into remote backcountry country, hiking in late and setting up camp after a long day on the trail. With no one else around, I make camp as night falls, then wake early to start chasing gold in isolated country on private land. This episode focuses on the solo side of the mission — the hike in, making camp, early mornings, and getting straight into the creek. Before long, good gold starts showing up, the ground begins to improve, and the trip quickly proves it has serious potential. Gear used on this trip: • Keene A52 sluice box • Minelab Gold Monster 1000 • Bushbuck Horizon 2 tent Part 2 continues deeper into the mining as conditions improve and the gold starts to stack up. Part 3 sees Shannon return to the backcountry and the mission shift again. If you enjoy real backcountry gold mining, solo camping, and seeing what it actually takes to find gold in remote New Zealand, this series is for you.