Local child strikes gold at Shotover Jet's 50th anniversary celebrations

Around $12,000 was raised this weekend for local charity the Bruce Grant Trust at Shotover Jet’s annual Locals Day.

The tourism icon’s 50th anniversary celebrations came to a close with its hugely popular Locals Day with rides costing just $25 for adults and $10 for children.

Fourteen-year-old ‘goldminer’ Josh Swain ‘dug up’ an ounce of gold worth $1890 after dozens of local youngsters entered the hugely popular Gold Dig competition for the chance to win the big prize.


Fourteen-year-old Josh Swain was the lucky Shotover Jet Locals Day ‘goldminer’. Photo courtesy of Southern PR

While budding miners dug for gold at the Shotover River, a Shotover Jet rubber jet boat race was set to kick off at Horne Creek in the centre of Queenstown.

Participants donated money to the Bruce Grant Trust to race their iconic rubber jets down the creek.
Race winner Paulette Marshall, whose boat was first to make it to Lake Wakatipu, took home a prize including a $500 Flight Centre voucher, trips for two on Ngāi Tahu Tourism’s South Island operations Shotover Jet and Dart River Wilderness, and a Franz Josef Heli Hike and Hot Pools package including a nights’ accommodation worth over $2000.


Paulette Marshall, winner of the Shotover Jet rubber jet boat race in Queenstown. Photo courtesy of Southern PR

All funds raised from the weekend’s events went to the Trust which is marking its 20th anniversary year.
History of the gold dig

The Locals Day kids gold dig commemorates the time when shearer Thomas Arthur discovered gold on the beach near Shotover Jet’s Arthur’s Point location.


Jet boat race Horne Creek. Photo courtesy of Southern PR

When Thomas Arthur ‘snuck off’ from shearing at William Rees’ station to prospect for gold on the Shotover River, his historic find saw the Shotover River go on to become known as one of the richest rivers in the world and gave Arthur’s Point its name.

The discovery of gold at Arthur’s Point is incredibly significant to the development and growth that went on to occur in Queenstown.