Freshford Mine, Waikaia Valley, Southland District, Southland Region, New Zealandi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Freshford Mine | Mine |
| Waikaia Valley | Valley |
| Southland District | District |
| Southland Region | Region |
| New Zealand | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
45° 46' 14'' South , 168° 47' 37'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Riversdale | 371 (2011) | 14.8km |
| Lumsden | 463 (2011) | 27.0km |
| Gore | 12,108 (2011) | 38.7km |
| Kingston | 2,460 (2018) | 49.1km |
| Winton | 2,193 (2011) | 55.2km |
Mindat Locality ID:
30987
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:30987:0
GUID (UUID V4):
e1ab0374-cd9c-4115-985f-f747611cdf61
Alluvial gold deposit 45 km NW of Gore.
The largest alluvial gold mine in New Zealand (at the time of writing 2018).
The area saw a gold rush of alluvial miners from 1862 on auriferous gravels. Then from the 1890's to the 1920's, thirty dredges operated in the district, however they were only able to reach a depth of 7 metres.
The area was explored by L and M Mining and Eureka Mining in the 1990's.
In 2013, financing for a new mine was gained from Warren Batt, and brothers Sam and Buzz March. The mine opened in November 2013 as a dredging operation. Various locations bordering the Waikaia River, neighbouring creeks, and flats surrounding Freshford will be mined. Freshford is 5 kilometres south south-west of Waikaia.
240,000 square metres of overburden per month is removed by West Coast company, Rosco Contracting. There is an estimated gold resource of 140,000 ounces, with 110,000 ounces recoverable. In 2015 it was reported the mine was achieving 16,000 to 20,000 ounces per annum, with a life expectancy till 2021.
Mid 2015, the mine organised a public open day. Despite the relatively remote location, several hundred turned up for tours of the operating mine, and could pan for gold in troughs set up for the purpose.
Mining operations were temporarily suspended in November 2015, following the death of Rosco Contracting employee, Mario Lelina, in the workshop, although the company did not release information as to the cause. Then in August 2016 an electrical fault caused a fire, destroying the gold room, office and workshop.
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References
