In 1861 an Australian prospector named Gabriel Read found gold in a creek bed at Gabriel's Gully near Lawrence. This was the start of the Otago Gold Rush, which at it's peak in 1864 had 18,000 miners spread out over Otago. Even to this day the largest Gold mine in New Zealand is still here. The Macraes Mine. It wasn't long before the gold ran out with all those miners around. So what happened next? Well Ghost towns and abandoned mines came about in a fast fashion. I have done my best to track down the more interesting of the diggings. But I implore you to be careful if you follow in my footsteps to some of these places. Underground mines are incredibly dangerous and not recommended at all. Enjoy what Otago has to offer and live a life of the past as you explore these old places.
Dig here.
