Sunrise With No Surprise

After checking the tides and realising that low tide was 5am-ish we decided on an early morning jaunt to Browns Bay. So arising at 4am and after a flash cup of coffee we headed out to the North Shore. Stopping only to get fresh AA batteries for my Beach Magnet and Garfy a rock hard pie.
The beach was already occupied by a couple of dog walkers and around 6am there were two well attended keep fit classes in action. A huge passenger liner all lights blazing slipped slowly across the near horizon. We donned our headlights and headed beachwards. I went straight to the water line and within seconds I dug a fishing lure all sparkly with hooks attached. The sun arose and pierced the raggity clouds with several laser like sunbeams, it was all quite spectacular. More so than the detecting. In the next three hours I rescued a key, a tent peg and a solitary 10 cent coin from
the clutches of the sand. Garfy did a little better managing to finance his late breakfast on the way home. Not many targets out by the low tide mark but I figure it was better than being asleep.
We also had a quick 30 minutes swinging on Waiake beach, the next beach along with the Tor sitting in the bay. Again very little luck. A lady said she had lost a gold chain with an opal pendant at the southern end of the beach. This ignited both our interest and our chivalery but alas we were unable to reunite the lady with her necklace.
Before nine we were heading home.
I'm staying in the city tonight so I might hit a park on the way home tomorrow.

500 Won in the Park

I felt I would give the beaches a miss for a day choosing instead to give the playground in Sunkist Bay Road an hour of my time. So on Sunday evening I grabbed my detector and my brothers dog, Nellie, and set off to uncover what lay beneath the bark. A big 'Dog's not allowed' sign thwarted my plans but only for a short time. I returned with Garfy on Monday morning leaving poor Nellie at home.



Copper nickle and only 90 million minted
Picture from net, mine very worn.

 We spent an hour and a half covering the park which luckily was empty and though the return was small we had some interesting finds between us. My first find of note was a 1991 500 Won, Korean coin. My first foreign coin of the year. It was a few inches below the surface and as brown as the bark it lay in.

We both then found $2 coins within seconds of each other. Then there was a long wait for anything worthwhile before Garfy found a Auckland Zoo pendant with an elephant and the zoo's logo impressed on the surface. Garfy said that there was a machine in the zoo that printed your animal of choice on the oval pendant for the cost of a few penny's. I can't recall seeing it but Garfy knows his zoo machines. There followed a flurry of nails and bottle tops before another couple of low denomination NZ coins surfaced and lastly an old five cent piece that was rather battered saw light. 



Garfy trying to reel me in

Gareth had spent time on this outing trying to learn more 

about his discrimination modes and is now able to have a fair idea of what his targets were.

I, of course, just dig everything ! :) 

The heat was starting to get very oppressive so we headed back home to the pool and a well deserved cold beer or two.

See you out there.





By the light of a Silvery Moon

I find myself back at Beachlands once more looking after my brothers house and his pets. I'm not too unhappy being here as it is a nice community and plenty of detecting options and my bro has a great swimming pool and a nice drinks cabinet :)
Garfy, my detecting buddy has come up to stay as a surprise and we have now planned a few adventures. I'm a beach man but Garfy likes the smell of gold!!!  

It was full tide in the early evening and the afternoon low tide saw the beaches packed solid with holiday makers which is not that conducive with swinging a stick. So in preference we spent the day searching for old mines and following local streams looking for possible places for gold nuggets to be deposited. I know we are probably wasting our time but it is all an adventure and trudging through bush and wading through small streams is not a bad way to spend a day.  We did find one nice item. A five shot magazine from a rifle. No apparent markings on it though it still needs a clean up.  

5 shot? Magazine



Magazine Cover















Anyone who has an idea of what gun it serviced would be nice of you to let me know just to satisfy my curiosity.



So although we failed to find gold :),  we did think we located a few of the workings I have notated on a separate page in this blog. I'll update that another day.

With the tides against us Garfy and I decided to hit the Maraetai beach where the low tide fell at 1.40am. After catching a few hours kip we set off, a bit late, at exactly 1.30am. It was a beautiful night, there was a bit of breeze but it was a warm wind and the full moon gave us a little extra light. We both wore head lights which made it very easy to spot our targets. I started right down on the waterline and in my first sweep I found several lumps of iron, a 20 cent piece, a hair grip and a huge double ender bolt with a square washer. I then moved two yards up from the now returning tide and lo and behold I found my first ring. At the time I thought it was copper band but after returning home I realised it was Sterling silver with a lovely design of various fauna engraved all the way around. Inside it is stamped .925 8 K. Very happy with that. I wonder how many detectors have found their first ring at 2.30 in the morning. Chuffed.



A nice ring piece

.925  8 K


We continued on till 4am and in this time I had another nice find. My first florin dated 1934. Found midway up the beach at about 6 inches down. It is very encrusted and I have it soaking in lemon juice and salt to see if I can clean it up a bit. This coin is 50% silver so I really have had a silvery moon night. 

The mottled 1934 Florin after cleaning.

 These finds were all on the shop side of the wharf, so for the last 30 minutes I decided to go to the west side of the Wharf. After a few bits of trash I then found half a bracelet which shone gold in the glare of my headlight and I do admit my heart skipped a beat. On closer inspection it looked more like copper but lacked the green verdigris usually found on oxidised copper. I'll have a closer look in the morning or as the suns already up maybe tomorrow afternoon. I continued on and found a few more coins, in total two 20 cent, three 10 cent and one 50 cent coins. Other finds were a pair of four inch side cutters and the obligatory couple of tent pegs.

It's gone 6am and I'm still up as my favourite team Arsenal are playing Brighton (my home town and 2nd team :) in the FA Cup and they have just run out winners 3-2 which crowns off a great night.

So my Cobra Beach Magnet came through with flying colours and although it lacks any bells and whistles it seems to do the basics well. I'm digging every target, which, on sand is no great hardship but becomes laborious on firm ground when most targets are trash. Once I organise a decent scoop on a pole I'll venture out into the water as the Cobra is waterproof to over 100 feet. So a couple of feet should be no problem and it gives access to parts of the beach others might not be able to detect. I'll leave the grassy areas to Garfy and his AT Pro. I didn't get to see what he found as he was straight to his bed, he mentioned a few coins and some keys. I'll catch up tomorrow.



 See you out there.

New Detectors....Less finds

After a long wait my new detector has arrived. Being one of limited means I gratefully  grabbed the offer of the bogo (buy one, get one at a reduced price) on my mate Garfy's order. He invested in a Garrett AT Pro and on the back of this I obtained a Cobra Beach Magnet at a reasonable price. The AT Pro is a nice looking machine and it has a lot of bells and whistles. I imagine it will take Garfy quite a while to learn to use it to it's full potential. The Cobra is a sturdy looking appliance with built in headphones and for this first short trip out I decided to dig every target at least until I can get used to what the signal is trying to tell me.


 It was 6.30pm before we started out and with the evening ready to close in we decided that a revisit to the NorWest cricket park would be a good idea. It was close by and in the short time I was there a few weeks ago I dug two targets under the trees where the spectators would sit and both spots uncovered old decimal coins. Not exciting finds but encouraging none the less.

On this visit, all brimming with enthusiasm, we spent 90 minutes digging many targets which produced a lot of rubbish some of it mildly interesting but on the whole disappointing.

West Auckland Peace Pipe

The best find I had was a pipe. Obviously a dope pipe which was a good five inches down. When it was cleaned up at home it showed that it was made, I think, from phosphor bronze and was quite weighty and indeed quite well made. The bowl had been brazed on and the tube was machined at one end. How old it is is any ones guess but it was a nice find. Where else would you detect a dope pipe other than West Auckland!!

Other finds included a microphone housing from an old dial phone, a spanner head, two large bolts and a iron peg that we think would be associated with the nearby railway track. Of course we had a few nails, pull tabs and bottle tops. But no coins at all. The first adventure I've had without a coin being found. And we were so confident when we arrived that we would rip it up. We now think that the place was landfilled with uncleaned fill due to the amount of rubbish we found. As I dug everything, Garthy tried to be a bit more fussy and he said he ignored a lot of his targets.  

The upshot is we have a lot to learn yet with the new detectors and this we will only do by getting out and doing some swinging.

The Pro Pin Pointer (PPP)

A pin pointer was another accessory that was in the package we bought though we did not really get to test it properly tonight as most of the items we found were big enough for easy visual recognition. But after our tests at home I know it will a great help and save a lot of time in future hunts.

So where will we go tomorrow evening. A nice beach I think. Easier digging is something to look forward to.
See you out there. 

Detectorless. It is a time for research.

After one more fast and fruitless search in a small public grass area in Kumeu, which turned up mostly nails, my good friend has reclaimed his ACE 150 so until my new detector arrives I will be doing some research on local history rather than detecting and will try to find out more about potential search areas in and around Auckland. I will share what I uncover on my 'Places to Look' page.  Recently I heard of early gold mining activities in the area of Maraetai and on investigation uncovered information on the history of many mines in that area. So many that I put it on a separate page. See 'Gold Mines in Auckland!' for some of the info on those sites.

Be back out soon.

Long Bay a Flying Visit.

With half an hour spare yesterday I found myself at Long Bay with the Garrett ACE 150 along with Garthy a good friend of mine and a big empty beach. We decided to forego the wind on the beach to focus on the grassy area around the BBQ's and under a couple of big shady trees. I found a lot of rubbish in the first ten or so targets but then was rewarded with a $1 coin closely followed by a 20 cent both under a big tree. I carried on around the BBQ's and the tables but nothing but silver paper and bottle tops. Garth then had a wee discovery that though not spectacular was interesting none the less. Under the sign that shows the location of the various Islands in the gulf and after a lot of scratching around his target there was a American Roosevelt dime. A very small coin and hard to see amongst the dirt and bark. We are both really looking forward to the magic wand locator that will arrive with the new detectors. I realise this is such a handy tool to have and would help cut down search times by a great deal.



American Roosevelt dime



The dime was dated 1970. It was a one in 345 million find as the total produced was a mere 345,570,000. Garfie's first foreign coin of the year. 








The Badge

Later in the day we stopped for a coffee at Milford and couldn't resist having a quick ten minute poke around. After two or three false alarms I dug up a gold coloured metal badge? It was about four inches down and it was cool to see the gold glinting in the sun as I pulled it out of it's hiding place. It has the same pattern exactly on both sides and has a Greek letter Phi capped with a crown sitting on a small diamond, with wings either side. It looks like there might have been a pin attached to it where an edge of the plating was bare at the tip of the middle of the crown but I'm not sure.



 Any ideas on where it comes from would be appreciated. It is conundrums like this that add to the enjoyment for me.



So nothing really amazing but two very interesting finds that made the rushed detecting worthwile.

See you out there.

Playground in Kumeu

While waiting for my fish supper from Blue Chip takeaways (highly recommended) I spent 15 minutes detecting in and around the playground where the NorWest AFC have their clubroom's. A very small park with one slide, a climby thingy, a seesaw and two swings. It is a barked surface so it was easy to scrape down a few inches. I used the Garrett Ace 150 and did not dig any target that showed over 4" deep due to lack of time. I retrieved three nails, three bottle tops, a square headed screw, a $1 coin, a 10 cent coin. There were lots of other target signals so I will return with my updated detector when I have a bit more time. The park backs onto a cricket ground surrounded partly by large crescent of old trees I couldn't resist a quick swing. I only dug two holes which produced a 2 and a 5 cent coin in the old decimal money, then the chippie called. Another place which I will reinvestigate in the future.

I'm off to listen to the start of the 2nd test South Africa. Let's hope we fare better than in the first. We didn't :(

Last day on the Pohutukawa coast.



Maraetai Wharf

I was up early and off to the Maraetai wharf. I kind of feel a bond now with that section of the beach. It is a very pretty place to be and especially rewarding in the early hours. I left 6.45am. A kayak went sweeping past, a couple of dog walkers come joggers and a father passing on his fishing skills to a young fella on the wharf were the only signs of life. I arrived before 7am collecting a hot coffee and a bun from the bakery on my way.  It was right on full tide which cut down my options and search area. The trash from yesterdays huge crowd was not too bad but it would be nicer if all the people could take home their rubbish instead of walking away and leaving it on, under and around the sand.
Well, I spent 45 minutes swinging and for once even though I got good vibes when I arrived the pickings were slim. I dug every target as usual with bottle tops heading the list of finds by a long way with tent pegs in second place. I struggled to uncover only 30 cents with two battered coins. I know the tide was all wrong and I did wish to wade out a bit but my friend would not have appreciated me handing back a water logged Garrett ACE 150. The thing that gave me most joy was the young fella on the end of the wharf excitedly shouting out "I got one" and you could hear the pride in the father voice as he talked the fish in as his wee lad bought a medium size snapper on to the wharf. The first of many I expect.
I had to leave and pack my car to be in the city (I hate that word) by midday for an appointment. So I leave Beachlands after a nice break and of course my detecting fever has returned.

I have ordered a machine from the States but I'm sure they consider 'customer service' a foreign phrase.

Ignorant and unhelpful. I just hope I got the one bad salesman who really did seem like a lump of iron compared to a gold nugget. After blocking my money for two weeks they then informed me of no MasterCard facility and made me use Paypal. At the end of the day the extra fees charged and the exchange rate change fluctuation cost me an extra 70 odd dollars. I ordered in early December and still no word of the goods being packed and on their way. They seem to offer a good deal but the company must search long and hard to be able to employ such a drongo as the guy I initially dealt with. It's almost like he wanted to push you to beyond the edge of frustration before he acted. I'm actually dreading the possibility of having to deal with after sales service. Still I've made my bed now.



The Garrett Ace 150
my friend for the last week or so.

 So I think my stay here has produced about $25 cash and a few other interesting but not valuable items, I leave a happy man. The Garrett Ace 150 did what the manual said and I would recommend it as an entry level detector. I think with this machine you have to dig every signal as I found most coin finds were indicated as Iron or pull tabs. That's maybe why I still had success after the ATPro guys had done a half days sweep in the area. I'm looking forward to getting a machine with better discrimination modes though, I think headphones might help too.

I'm going to ask if I can keep a lend of the ACE150 till my new detector arrives

Till next time.

Beachlands / Maraetai. My metal detector outings of 2013..

Sunkist Bay - Beachlands

My first trip out with a loaned detector. It is a Garrett 150 and although at the lower end of detectors I must say I have  had some fun and found a few things which added interest to my outings. I've been up in Beachlands for a few days house sitting for my brother and managed to make six or seven trips to various beaches on this part of the coast. My first day on Sunkist Beach was fun but with little reward. One 20 cents coin,  hair grips, nails and loads of lengths of black plastic wire amongst the trash which I later saw was from the mesh used to bind in the rocks to the bank. I had my 9 year old niece, Ella, with me this first time (she actually found the coin) and it was a fun time. But I felt in me this beach was not going to be a goldmine. I returned the next evening and spent a fruitless but relaxing hour or so with no reward.

The next trip was a family outing to a small bay just before Magazine Bay. I had instant success finding a very large crucifix with a long chain. Not a hard find as it was not even completely buried, no digging required. Not valuable but exciting just the same. In the hour or so I spent I pulled up a single $2 coin and a very corroded 20 cent. Again lot's of trash. I was/am leaving the detector on all metal mode and digging every target. If anything it helps keep the beaches clean of rubbish.

I was anything but cross

 After a few days away I managed to spend about two hours in the early evening on Maraetai Beach by the wharf where I had seen lots of visitors over the day. I found a lot of trash but was rewarded with about $8.80, mostly 20 cents but with a couple of cold coins. I decided to come back in the morning to do the other side of the wharf so I got up up early and hit the road. It is only 5 minutes away and I set off at about 6.30 am to beat the expected weekend crowds. As I arrived at the wharf there were already two lads with detectors in exactly the place I wanted to finish off. I moved further up the beach and had a few 20 cents and then decided to go over the same ground I did the day before. Before I knew it I had $4.90 in the pocket and all in the same area I detected previously. I met the other two guys and they both had Garretts too. One an ATPro and his father a Garrett Euro I think. Both had had quite a bit of success with coins and the Pro had picked up a diamond/glass encrusted gold/plated crucifix. It was a nice thing. We chatted for a while and I was regaled with stories of finds that wet my lips. We parted and after another 30 minutes I headed home for breakfast. 

The next morning I did the same. I hit Maraetai at about 6.30 and was surprised that tents and volley ball nets were already being erected. There is a huge grass area there that gets absolutely packed. I did do a quick run over it with the ACE150 but every swing gave me a signal. Digging through Kykuya grass is not easy and it is hard to cover your tracks. I gave one target a go but it was hard going and after 10 mins I got a tear tab and I'm ashamed to say left a small mess that no doubt the grass will cover soon but I do like to leave things in a better condition than when I find them if possible. I decided that I would stick to the beach but I'm sure there is a lot to find on the grass there. If you have a sharp spade and a good detector I expect you'll pull up loads.



1958 Threepence

 

So back to the beach by the Wharf. Another $7.40 and a full set of tent pegs found in an hour or so. All in the same spot as previous finds. It seems like it replenishes itself everyday. I wandered under the wharf expecting nothing as the ATPro guys were there that day and I assumed they would have cleaned it up. But after three lumps of iron I pulled out a 1958 silver threepence piece down about 6-8 inches. I was a happy man. Not only because of the find but I was born in that same year 1958 which I found rather cool.

Next day, early evening I resisted the draw of Maraetai and instead did an exploration of Omana Bay. A lovely spot but I did feel it lacked a little energy when I arrived. I was there two hours and although I made friends with a few kids and their Mums I found three coins but $2.20 is better than nought.

Magazine Bay

 Next morning I visited Magazine bay which also has a wharf. Arrived at 5.45am, the sun just nudging the horizon and the regular soft lapping of the waves breaking a relaxing silence . The sea looked still like a mill pond and it was a wonderful place to be. They used to ship ammunition from the wharf on to barges to transport them to I'm not sure where. There are no signs of any factory which apparently was was once near where the toilet block stands. I found only 40c and the delicate remains of a shotgun shell, a few nails and three fish hooks but I enjoyed the whole experience. Again not much energy there but lots of rubbish as in plastic bags and discarded beer can/bottles which I think distorted that. I cleaned up what I could and looking back on a rubbish free bay seemed to rekindle a little spark in me. I will revisit this place when my new detector arrives from the States.

Before I had stopped at the wharf I had carried on along the coast road till I reached North road. There was a lovely little church there, attached I think, to a Marae and some of the headstones were lit up by coloured lights, it was all very surreal. There also was a bark playground in the vicinity which I felt a lot of energy from. But with no headphones and a few tents and houses nearby I thought the beeping might awaken someone who might not appreciate the early morning such as I. 

Back to Maraetai tonight after a few days off though it is a high tide early evening. We will see what we get.

Well I went there at 6.30 ish, it was still very warm and Maraetai was packed. I get a little self conscious detecting in crowds so I went for a refreshing swim, bought a parcel of hot chips and waited for the beach to clear. By nearly 7.45 it was obvious that the beach goers were hardcore and were not going anywhere in a hurry and I slipped away home via the bottle shop. I didn't mind, it was cool to see so much laughter and happiness in a world usually full of drama and worry. There was no fiscal cliff for the swimmers to ponder just the height of the splashes of the bombers jumping off the wharf. I used to lay a mean bomb at Point Erin pools off the top board 40 years ago and I did contemplate reliving my youth but the wonky knees and the tender back made me see sense. Still I'll be back in the morning at sparrows fart to check out Maraetai for the last time before heading back west.




One Day to go before heading westward to home and this is the coin haul with a small sample of the loads of other finds apart from coinage including four of 11 tent pegs.

See you out there.