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✅ Legal FossickingSouth Otago Camping October to April
Gabriels Gully
Where the New Zealand gold rush began in 1861. Gabriel Read discovered gold here, triggering a massive migration that changed the country forever.
Hand Tools Only
No Permit Required
Public Access
History
On 20 May 1861, Gabriel Read found gold here and famously wrote: 'At a place where a kind of road crossed... I shovelled away about two and a half feet of gravel, reached the bottom, and found the gold.' Within months, 11,000 miners arrived. The goldfield produced over 2 million ounces.
Best Spots to Try
- 1Near the discovery site marker
- 2Bedrock exposures upstream
Local Tips
The original discovery site is marked — worth a visit for the history alone. The creek still produces fine gold. Work the bedrock cracks carefully. The historic interpretation panels are excellent and give context to what you're seeing.