Also known by its Maori name Pounamu or its gemmological term New Zealand Jade, Greenstone is very similar to jade and is used for making adornments and jewellery
Pounamu is only found in the South Island with the main deposits located around the Taramakau district and Arahura rivers in Westland, coastal south Westland and the Lake Wakatipu (Queenstown) area.
Greenstone can be found in and around rivers and streams and on remote West Coast beaches. Many travellers to these areas regularly find nice examples that can be legally removed. Only Greenstone that can be physically carried by the finder can be legally removed. Please also note that natural or raw Greenstone can not be taken out of NZ if the weight is over 5 kgs.
A recent hunting and tramping trip to Barn Bay at the mouth of the Hope river in Fiordland National Park gave our party time to explore the river mouth for Greenstone.
West Coast beaches are littered with mounds of river rounded rocks and driftwood. Finding Greenstone among these copious piles of stones can be a challenge as the stone is not always obvious.
Greenstone can be rusty white or grey on the outside disguising the green inside. You need to first train your eye by inspecting as many raw examples displayed in souvenirs stores or DOC visitor centres as possible inorder to be able to readily identify the stone when you are fossicking.
The lodge that we were staying at is located on one of many private blocks of land that can be found on the coast of the national park. These freehold titles date back to the late 1800’s when fishermen, gold miners and whalers occupied areas of this remote wilderness in search of their fortunes. These freehold land holdings rarely become available and it was our privilege to be accommodated in a large two story home that once housed a family of five who’s livelihood was from fishing.
The lodge was totally self sufficient, with solar power and water from the nearby stream. Within the lodge were many examples of Greenstone that was found by the previous inhabitants.
One rather unique example was one of the most exquisite pieces of Greenstone that we had ever seen. It was found in the local river (Hope river) and resembled melted dark green glass. The stone was river tumbled and weighed about 6kg’s. That piece of Greenstone may have been worth many many thousands of dollars. This was but one of many stones left by visitors displayed in the lodge.
After many successful deer hunts our minds quickly turned to other pursuits. On our last day while others were beach fishing I decided to walk the length of the bay, approx one kilometre, in search of the elusive stone.
Within 15 minutes I had found my first piece of greenstone. One hour later I had reached the end of the bay and had found over a dozen examples.
On my return I became more discerning and discarded the lesser quality examples until I had two pieces that I regarded as ‘keepers’.
Greenstone fossicking can be a wonderful experience for the visitor that can reward them with both a truly New Zealand souvenir and a chance to experience our unspoilt wilderness.