Around 200 of the world’s finest gold-panners will descend on Central Otago this month as Cromwell hosts the World Gold Panning Championships.

It is the first time the event has been held in New Zealand. 

The 49th World Gold Panning Championships will run over a week, from Friday 25 September to Saturday 3 October, hosted by Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust, which has organised the New Zealand National Gold Panning Championships for more than 33 years.

The event opens with a parade and speeches at the Alexandra Blossom Festival on Saturday 26 September, before moving to Cromwell Racecourse, the main competition venue, with events kicking off at 10am each day.

Organising committee members Amanda and David Gatward-Ferguson have been involved with the national competition  for more than 20 years — both compete and have placed internationally.

Mrs Gatward-Ferguson said this was her first time helping to organise a world championship event. 

"It’s really exciting for the region, especially given our history and involvement with gold-panning.

"It’s a great opportunity for people to come watch, learn something and see the best of gold-panning.”

 Panners will be given a bucket containing a set number of gold flakes and must pan them out as fast and accurately as possible, with any flake left behind incurring a three-minute penalty.

Event manager Terry Davis said the championships put a welcome spotlight on the region’s history.

"It’s a cultural heritage sport.”  

Much of the infrastructure built during the region’s gold mining era remained in use today, including for irrigation across many  vineyards, he said.

The committee also aims to encourage the next generation of gold-panners and increase  awareness of the sport. 

Committee member and assistant principal at Remarkables Primary School, Megan Ide, frequently arranges excursions and gold panning activities for her students, helping educate and engage the younger generation.

Mrs Ide and her husband Stu, are veteran organisers of the national competition and both wons gold medals at the world championships in Scotland as part of in the three-person national teams category. 

For the competition, clean gravel is required, supplied from the Clutha River for the competition, then mixed with gold flakes for panners to sift through.

There will be around $20,000 worth of gold used for the competitions, sourced locally from Hawksworth Mining at Millers Flat, with competitors keeping the small amounts they pan. 

Alongside the competition, the event will feature many attractions for visitors including a “Locals Fun Day”, live performances, practice gold-panning tubs, kapa haka, an outdoor movie night and market stalls.

The event is open to all ages, including panners under 5, with entries closing on Friday.