Waiho River Gold Fossicking Area

A formidable river at any time, and even more so in flood. For reasons unknown, the settlers of this area perched their new town on the edge of a raging beast of a glacier-fed torrent which is unpredictable and wild as any on the Coast. Franz Josef township survives and rebuilds between floods which have threatened the town itself and many times taken out the bridge breaking the only road link, though authorities have plans to improve the bridge.

One may fossick for gold here, that is pan or sluice box by hand, the fossicking area in this case is upstream from the bridge, including a small sector of the contributing Callery River, until the footbridge. As with all activities near this wild waterway, extra caution is advised.

Image Credit: SharonAng