DIVING FOR GOLD

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 54, 1 September 1926, Page 7

DIVING FOR GOLD

TRY-OUT IN LAKE WAKATIPU.

Diving for gold is soon to be tried in Lake Wakatipu. This will create anotherstage inmodern mining, and the lake divers will have the honour of being the first to'wear diving suits in search of gold in New Zealand, and probably,'in -the world. Five-mile Creek, on the way to Glenorchy, on the Queenstpwu. side of "Wakatipu, has been claim - 'cd in' the Warden's- Court by W. E. Year, an Auckland diver, who worked on the wrecks of. the Wairarapa and Wiltshire (both on the Great Barrier Islarid), and was one of the divers to go into the Kawarau at Frankton Falls during the construction of the dam. About forty or fifty ypars ago the creek was worked for alluvial gold, and good returns: were reported. Later the lake along the. bank near the creek was scratched by. seekers, who used a cowhide scoop with a lip; and, although gold 'was obtained, the method of work, ing proved,unprofitable. About a month ago Year dived from a launch at the mouth of the creek, which appeared the most favourable, part of the lake to starfon.' After digging through 3ft of old tailings he got to the actual wash, from which he obtained a few colours. He was then under water to a depth of 15ft to 20ft. For four days his party worked at Five-mile Creek.

"I am confident that gold is there," he told a Dunedin reporter. "I am sanguine, and all my own money is going into it. It is not.going to be a company. That there is no gold in Lake Wakatipu is a fallacy. All along the terraces workings have been made, and if goid is on the terraces it must be in the lake, too."

At the creek the lake edge falls away rapidly, but Year states. that he will go down to 80ft,'and probably 100 ft if it is profitable. At a depth up to 150 ft he had worked under water for six hours, and for greater depths the shifts would be of three and v half to four hours.

Gear is being obtained, a sand pump being among the equipment. Mr. Year and his partner, Mr. H. Tomkies, will probably start within a week on their claim, or at latest within five weeks.