Over the last week or so I've been learning about the gold mining exploration in Sam's Creek, above the Cobb Valley in Golden Bay, and part of the Kahurangi National Park;
If you've been to any of the music festivals held in the Cobb since The Gathering moved there for their 2000-01 event, you'll know this is a beautiful, wild area. Rich in biodiversity, and far too beautiful to ruin by mining it for short term mineral profits.