Gold Rush: Parker's Trail (2017–2019): Season 5, Episode 1 - The $5 Million Bet - full transcript
Apparently,
this is a highly concentrated
area for gold.
Seems like a really
cool opportunity.
And, um... And if there's...
you know...
...actually some gold
down there, it would be...
...pretty cool.
It's quite weird isn't it?
Normally you're getting out
of the water
when there's sharks.
We're gettin' in.
Well, Parker is.
It would take me
a million dollars to jump
in right now.
It looks like such
a nice place, do you know
what I mean?
No! It looks shark-y.
All right, Parker,
so I've got a little jar
we'll take down there
'cause I'm quite fascinated
by the gold industry
in this area.
So if you can fill
this up down there,
the most likely area,
because all this valley
was mined for gold.
No one's ever looked here,
and, uh, largely that's
because of the ocean,
and perhaps it's
because of the sharks.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
Is that a great
white shark?
There it is, right there!
Right in front of him.
Right bang next to him.
There's a hell of a lot
of snow up here, huh?
It's, um...
The temp, -16.
This is why we mine
in the summer time.
Last season,
Parker Schnabel weighed in
$15 million of gold.
A single season record
for the 27 year old miner.
We had a good season,
we made money.
I'm gonna look back
on this season
as one of the,
like, most productive
and easiest.
But, we're trying
to expand into Alaska.
We've the opportunity to take
10 years of really good
learning experiences...
...and apply that
to an operation
fully from scratch.
Nine years ago...
Parker left his grandpa's mine
in Alaska
to strike it big in the Yukon.
I look upon you
like the eagle,
when they...
...fluffs his wings
and flies outta the nest.
And since then
has mined nearly 50,000
ounces of gold,
worth almost $70 million.
3,362.
Good job!
Thank you.
Now,
to grow his empire...
...he's going back home.
Alaska has a ton
of really rich mining history.
Really good ground.
That's 100 ounces.
Like, advanced payment.
If you don't show up
next year,
and you're not mining,
that's mine.
Located
just outside Fairbanks...
...this historic gold
rich land
could make Parker $11 million
in a single season.
Alaska really excites
me, you know?
But we don't have
that much time
to get this all setup.
Parker has
just four months to boot up
an entire operation,
and be mining in the spring.
We need pumps, generators,
light towers, backup pumps,
backup generators,
and we need to find
a wash plant.
To help him...
Yeah, cool.
...Parker has asked
along Danny Etheridge.
"Meet him by the gold pan,"
he said.
Nice touch.
Pretty sure...
...that the point
of putting me next
to a massive gold pan...
...is to accentuate my size.
For three
off-seasons,
Danny has been
by Parker's side
documenting every adventure.
Watch out!
Oh *bleep*
- *bleep*
- Hey!
Danny's been trying
to kill me for years.
These are the two largest
nuggets I have ever found.
Shut up!
Danny, he's one
of my best friends.
It's important to have people
around you that you like
to work with.
And it'll be good
to have Danny along.
And, you know...
...figure out, um...
...figure out how
we're gonna...
...solve some big
mining problems.
I'm pumped.
And, um, the best thing
about it--
Oh my *bleep*
You make this normal
size gold pan look huge!
Scared the *bleep*
out of me, man.
Oh, my *bleep*
Dude, look at you!
I know, mate, I'm freezing.
About 27 layers on.
Better get used to it.
We're going to the middle
of nowhere.
- You ready to rock?
- Ready to rock.
What is going on?
I'm starting another operation
up in Alaska next summer.
Amazing.
So we need to get
a bunch of equipment,
and a wash plant,
and all that stuff.
And, like, the big
key pieces...
...um, I wanna get
a big jump on.
How much will it cost
to set up an operation
there in Alaska?
5 million.
What?
You serious?
Mmm-hmm.
*bleep* me.
Doesn't actually buy you
very much in the steel world.
You know,
prices have gone crazy.
Within Parker's
$5 million Alaska
startup budget...
He set aside $1 million
for the most important
piece of equipment.
In terms of, like, building
a new operation,
and what our goal
is this winter...
...is like...
We need to find
a wash plant...
...first and foremost.
And that's... you know,
that's the basis that
everything is built around.
What's the plan?
Do you know where we're goin'?
- There's a trommel for sale up here.
- Oh, wicked.
Both our wash plants
in the Yukon are screen decks.
But trommels can run
any type of material.
And we run into,
even on the Indian river sometimes,
not too often but sometimes,
we'll run into like clay
and whatnot.
That's why Tony Beets
runs trommels
on Paradise hill.
The stuff in Fairbanks
is pretty clean,
but there's, like,
tons of clay in it.
And... And you have to run
that in a trommel
and beat it up
and really, you know,
massage it.
This is the place.
There.
- All right, let's go look at this thing.
- Let's have a look.
This 15-year-old
turnkey trommel,
has a list price of $66,000.
Well within Parker's
$1 million wash plant budget.
It doesn't look
in that bad nick.
From a...
...design standpoint,
they're, like, you know,
very portable.
Easy to move around.
It's on wheels,
that's a good idea.
The problem with this
is that it's just too small.
Like, this is a, you know,
50 or 60 yard
an hour wash plant.
But...
...if you had, like,
a supersized version
of this,
I could see something
like that working.
All right, I'm calling
the guy that owns this thing,
and, um...
...I'm gonna talk to him.
Hey, Pete!
Hey buddy,
how's it goin'?
I'm standing next
to your trommel.
What do ya think?
Little small for our, uh...
for our setups.
It is a small trommel.
Yeah, yeah. You know,
it's definitely, um...
I mean it fits the bill
in terms of being
super portable,
and, um, compact.
But... you know,
what is it?
60, 70 yards an hour?
Yeah.
Yeah, a little small for us.
I do have one at, uh,
a property I have out
in a place called Barkerville,
which is in the Caribou
mountains.
Can we get to it?
You better have your, uh,
winter woollies,
because it's quite a journey
to go see this thing.
He says dress warm
for the next place
we're goin'.
The guy that's with me
is definitely dressed warm.
He's got about eight
puffy coats on.
Think the weather forecast
is -25, so it's not too bad.
But definitely
frostbite material.
All right.
All right, we'll, um...
we'll head that way.
Come on up.
Yeah.
Talk soon.
Yeah, see ya soon.
All right.
- What're you smiling at?
- He's got another bigger trommel.
- Right.
- And, um...
And he said, "We can get
to it but it's out
in the middle of nowhere,
so, like, dress warm."
So, we'll see.
Hopefully the next one's in,
like, good shape,
and, um, is something
that we want.
All right, let's get
the *bleep* out of here.
Parker and Danny
head 50 miles to the remote
mining outpost of Barkerville.
Ah, there we go.
That him?
- Yeah, that's Pete.
- Sweet.
- Hey, man.
- Hey, kid!
- How's it goin'?
- Good, how are you?
Mining gold,
since the age of 12...
Pete Wright has 40
years' experience
in the industry.
I've heard lots about ya.
I'm excited to find out.
- I feel like it's a bit shrouded in mystery this trip.
- Yeah.
What's goin' on?
Yeah, well...
We're talking
about trommels, man.
Yeah, and you used
to mine around here, right?
Well, yeah, I was here
for almost 15 years mining,
I came down from the Yukon...
- Gotcha.
- ...and, uh, started an operation down here.
So where is this trommel at?
The one that we're
goin' to look at
is the big monster barrel.
Yeah, you know,
the biggest ones
you can build.
Right, sweet.
I'm lookin' forward
to checking it out.
Can we drive there?
Yeah, we could drive there,
but... it's the middle
of winter, man.
- On a snow machine?
- Yeah.
So they're all tiny
little mining roads,
and the only way
to get on 'em is these.
- Gotcha.
- So...
When's the last time
you were on a snow
machine, Dan?
I was... I was on one
about six years ago.
Dan, you cool with this?
Yeah.
I mean, what's the worst
that can happen?
- Is that--
- There you go, I'm rubbing off on ya.
Sounds like Parker's
got a bit more experience.
All right.
I'm good.
- Danny, what is this?
- Huh?
It's my... No, it's my...
It's just my snood.
I... I haven't got
my snood, so...
It's my pants.
- It's... It's... It's a pair of underwear.
- It's fine.
I haven't...
I haven't worn 'em.
It's just my...
It's one leg of my pants,
it's made of the same material
as a neckerchief anyways.
It's fine.
All right.
What? It's fine.
It's all just, like...
It's all made
of the same stuff!
Which one of these
am I runnin'?
Well... I'm thinking
of putting you
on something else.
- Oh, yeah?
- How do you feel about riding a bike?
A snow bike?
Oh, yeah. That's my jam, dude.
Well, come on over here then,
and see if you...
what you think about this one.
A snow bike?
Oh, yeah.
Pete, you're my hero.
- Yeah, this thing is--
- I love this thing.
Oh, my.
Made
from a converted
motor cross bike,
the 55 horsepower engine
has a top speed
of 87 miles per hour.
It's state
of the art, man.
Oh, yeah.
Sweet!
All right, we're gonna have
some fun today.
Here we go!
Come on!
From the historic
mining town of Barkerville...
...Parker and Danny
travel 64 miles on a back
country adventure...
...to check out
a trommel for sale
in the Caribou mountains.
Where gold
was first discovered,
in the late 1850s...
...and since then, the region
has produced
nearly $50 million
worth of the metal.
Whoo!
After four hours
in freezing temperatures,
they reach the trommel.
- Oh, yeah.
- Oh, it's a monster.
Oh, my *bleep*.
Holy cow.
It's huge!
That's it.
It is 40 feet long...
...by 6.5 foot diameter,
I think.
It's a monster.
Parker is checking
out a huge trommel
to give him a jump
on his mining season.
And I put an extra spray bar
in it.
The six inch, you see...
...had one and then I lined it
with excavator pads,
if you look up
at the very front.
She's a big yardage machine.
Right.
With a price tag
of $225,000...
Pete's custom built trommel
can chew through 150 yards
of clay pay dirt an hour.
Recycled excavator pads
in the trommel
break apart the gold
laden clay.
And high pressure spray bars
wash the rocks clean...
...releasing
the gold concentrate
where it is caught
in the sluices below.
Chain drive?
Yeah. So those are
the sluice boxes
that I built there.
Boiler boxes.
You can live
in this thing.
Everything is oversized,
isn't it?
It's like...
I feel like I'm in...
- Remember that... that show Land of the Giants?
- Oh, yeah?
It was originally
a propane drum.
Yeah.
Like three-quarters
to an inch thick.
We can go up the ladder
and walk along the top
if you wanna look
at the barrel.
Where you goin'?
I'm crawling right up
in here to...
- Oh, you're goin' up there?
- ...to look at the...
Hang on,
where's Parker goin'?
Just be careful walking
on the top here.
I'll break a little trail up.
'Cause there's a space
right here, right between
the spray bar.
Like, footprint
is huge, right?
It's a monster.
These holes
are just cut with, like,
a torch, huh?
Yeah, so the guy
put these in pretty
coarse ground here.
so you just change it
with whatever size
of ground you're in.
So if your holes are too big,
you just put another
little tab overtop of them.
So... And then it's got
this hole, like--
Oh!
Oh, man!
Woah! What the *bleep*
Parker, are you okay?
*bleep* hell, mate.
What the...
Are you okay, buddy?
Ah, it's so freakin' slick.
"I know
how to *bleep* walk
on circular things."
Mate.
Oh, it's gonna be
a cold ride home.
You all right?
I'm just cold.
Oh, mate.
I'm glad
there wasn't a big rock there.
That's not the thing
you wanna be falling off...
You could of smashed
his head off on that.
Yeah, glad
I missed that.
- You all right?
- I'm fine.
- You sure?
- Yeah, I just like...
- ...like mega brain freeze.
- Oh, mate.
It's not... I'm totally fine,
but it's just, like,
my head...
...just froze.
My brain stopped I think.
Well, I can see that.
Anyways, this is the size
we need
- but this is not the trommel we're looking for.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Why?
For us, the amount of hours
we run,
- you need something that's really easy to work on.
- Yeah.
And, like, the inside
the barrel of this
is all custom.
And...
...I think you'd have a hard
time, like...
It'd be a full time job
for somebody maintaining it.
A welder would spend
half a season on this
wash plant probably,
if you were running it 24/7.
Reduce maintenance,
reduce downtime
to plant moves,
two big things for us.
So...
...not our wash plant.
Barkerville a bust,
Parker and Danny head
450 miles south
to Vancouver island.
Where're we goin'?
Visiting Jeff at Macon,
who built wash plants.
He's an awesome dude,
they have a ton
of ideas.
They've seen everything,
they've just, like,
been living
in the wash plant trenches.
I think he moved there
right after...
...um, they built
Sluicifer for us.
Six years ago,
Macon built Parker's
bespoke shaker deck,
Sluicifer.
Holy cow!
Capturing
over $30 million,
Sluicifer is the jewel
in Parker's Yukon operation.
Hey, Jeff!
- How's it goin, man?
- Good.
- How are you?
- Good! Good to see ya.
- This is Dan.
- Jeff.
- Hey, Dan.
- Nice to meet you, mate.
Thanks
for meeting us.
- Yeah, no worries.
- Um, I was just hoping to have a chat with you
about plants.
- Yeah.
- And we're lookin' at buying another plant.
And we've been looking
at a few of 'em,
but you know how it is
- trying to find something used that will work for us--
- Yeah.
...that will work
for what we need.
- Something that will work for your ground?
- Right.
- Good stuff, let's have a look!
- Cool!
Oho, look at this!
We got a 400 over here.
Right.
- It's a baby Sluicifer.
- Baby Sluicifer.
It's just like
Sluicifer's had...
...beautiful children with another wash plant.
If only it had chosen
a trommel to procreate with,
then we might
have our, uh, machine.
I see the hoses,
there's gonna be hydraulics
going somewhere.
Nope, those are for coming off
the self-cleaning filter.
So there's a filter
inside of there?
It's a... It's a screen
that the water passes over
cleaning the... Yeah.
- It keeps itself clean and gives you water.
- Yes.
Yeah, it would be nice
to see... see more plants.
It's probably...
This is the wrong time of year
to be looking at wash plants,
isn't it?
It's the wrong time
of year, yeah.
We got a couple plants
but they're not for sale.
We don't have a lot here,
but obviously the right time
of year you should be mining,
not here.
Right, exactly,
and that's always been
the problem.
Danny and I are always, like,
trying to figure out
is it's... you know,
it's the middle of...
middle of winter
and... and it's a tough
thing to be looking at ground,
or looking at wash plants,
seeing mining operations,
when it's, you know...
...right now it's -40
in Dawson.
It's just tough for me
because this is my way
of looking at things,
- like, on the ground crawling around wash plants.
- Yeah.
It has been since I was
a little kid.
A lot of these actual designs,
they're... they're
from New Zealand, aren't they?
Yeah, a lot of 'em
stem from New Zealand
for sure.
I mean if we're serious
about looking at a bunch
of different wash plants...
Um, then we should
just go to New Zealand.
To New Zealand?
It might be the only place
in the world that has a bunch
of them running.
It's the right time
to be down there.
New Zealand...
...world leaders
in wash plant design,
where over 1,200 tons
of gold has been unearthed.
The most efficient
operators, making money
on the leanest ground,
has always been
New Zealanders.
It's always been Kiwis.
And they mine...
12 months of the year.
There's a huge
history of mining.
And for me, this may be
the college class
on efficient placer mining,
making this trip.
You know,
mining seasons are short,
but... off-seasons
are short as well.
And... we don't have much time
to get this all set up,
and start an entire new
mining operation.
I have a lot riding on this
ground in Fairbanks.
Like, we need to start
mining and getting gold
out of the ground,
and that means
having a wash plant
and it all working.
There's just not much time
to get things wrong,
and so, I gotta
go to New Zealand.
We're one plane trip away
from having the adventure
of our lives.
Go and get
the gang back together.
I honestly can't believe
that we're sat here
right now, man.
This is ridiculous.
In any business,
the most efficient survive,
and the ones that are looking
at the most opportunities
survive, right?
And that means learning
from the best of the best,
which are Kiwis.
From Vancouver,
Parker has traveled
over 7,000 miles
to New Zealand...
...home to some
of the most innovative
gold miners in the world.
Coming to New Zealand
and being able to, you know,
see new technology is
gonna be really cool.
I think the big risk here is
that we just don't have
a lot of time, like...
I'm in the middle of planning
all of our Yukon mining
operation, you know,
the start-up
of an Alaskan operation,
and I'm hoping
that it's worth it.
Right? Like...
This could just snowball
into giving us
a late start for the season
and not being prepared,
so we definitely just
need to stay focused
on what the mission is.
Fairbanks is gonna be full
of a whole lot of surprises,
lots of clay, lots of very
difficult-to-recover gold,
and we need a wash plant
that can deal
with all of that,
be high production
and be portable.
You know,
it's a huge challenge.
Get this party started.
And there is our man
in Amsterdam.
Come on, man.
Let's go see him. Let's do it.
Mate, look at him.
Doesn't he look lonely?
Jeff!
Wash plant guru
Jeff Turnell
joins the team
on their mission
to find the best turnkey plant
in the country.
- How's it going?
- Good.
Hello, bud.
I've always kinda been
in the mining industry
since I was 17,
um, dealing with wash plants.
When he called me
to go on this trip,
it was definitely
out of the blue,
and I was pretty excited.
- How's it going, man?
- Good, man. How are you?
*bleep* awesome.
The most exciting thing
for me right now
is, uh, I haven't had
a lot of time to do traveling
and so, to be on a work trip
and work with Parker,
I mean, it's pretty cool.
This is definitely
the furthest I've
ever traveled
and the biggest trip
I've ever been on.
Where's Tyler?
I'm very excited
to finally pick up the boys
and meet Jeff.
A bit nervous about
a new team member coming on.
I'm sure it'll be fine.
The fourth
and final member of the team
is Aussie gold miner
Tyler Mahoney.
Two years ago,
she proved her worth
when she guided Parker
on a prospecting trip
down under.
Uh, so this is where
the Welcome Stranger
nugget was found.
Um, so that was
the biggest nugget
in the world.
- That's *bleep* nuts.
- It's cool, hey?
I'm shaky.
That's a nice nugget.
- For real?
- Yeah.
- *bleep*
- Not bad, hey?
Tyler and I have actually
a really solid relationship,
super good friends.
Um, I trust her totally.
My role has
changed a lot.
I'm going to be
helping Park with contacts,
getting him onto mine sites,
finding wash plants
that are for sale,
but I'm definitely a lot more
out of my comfort zone
this time.
For
the 7-week journey,
Tyler's sourced
a 400 horsepower
Toyota M2 Overland.
With a 4.2-liter engine
and 37-inch mud tires,
it will be perfect
for New Zealand's
rough terrain.
Yes, Tyler.
- Um, where did you get this from?
- Hi.
- Nice rig.
- Hello, nice to meet you, Jeff.
Yeah, nice to meet you.
- Hello.
- How are you?
- Good. Good to see you.
- Good to see ya.
Hello, give me a hug.
I like you even more
now you brought that.
- Beautiful.
- How was that to drive down here?
Uh, yeah,
it's a beast.
You can definitely feel
the power of the vehicle.
Oh, my.
Look at this.
- You got any beer in here?
- Is that a fridge?
- Yeah.
- It's not.
- Have you filled that with beer?
- I should've.
- Oh...
- There's nothing in it!
That was
a rookie error.
It was nearly at a perfect 10.
This is sick.
Pretty cool.
I think that thing's
gonna go anywhere.
Who's driving?
- Parker?
- Hmm.
You know I don't drive.
Mmm, don't know
why I bothered asking that.
Steering wheel's
on the wrong side for me.
Jeff, you'd be fine.
Oh, yeah, I'm obviously...
Yeah, you've got
an easy out.
Oh, yeah.
Should we have a drive-off?
We could do that.
Let's have a drive-off.
And the winner drives.
- A drive-off?
- Yeah
Is that what's happening here?
You and I are the judges,
and we make
the decision, right?
Have you ever driven
on the other side
of the road before?
Never. This is
gonna be super confusing.
Here you go.
- I got shotgun.
- Jeff's up first then.
*bleep* me.
All right.
- Come on.
- Let's go.
- Is it still, like, first is here?
- Yep.
- It's in 4Hi?
- Oh!
- It's in 4Hi.
- It's quite small in the back.
If I'm saying
it's small in the back,
it's *bleep* tiny.
- I'm just excited about starting the trip.
- I'm so excited.
Oh, yes!
It's like butter.
Come on.
I mean, being able
to drive on the beach
is one thing.
You know, are you gonna
be able to drive
on the wrong side of the road
is the other thing.
I'm not being funny, guys.
I don't know if I can do
two months of this.
Two months of what?
This is bumpy.
Are all the roads like this
in New Zealand?
Oh, you should see
where we're going.
There's a reason
we bought this car.
To kickstart their
trail around New Zealand,
they must take
a coastal, off-road track...
...and tackle
the Devil's Gate.
Oh, my*bleep*.
There it is.
That actually looks a bit...
Danny,
the closer I get to that,
that's steep.
- That's what we're going over?
- Yeah.
That looks fricking insane.
Seriously?
- Are you gonna be right?
- I don't know.
- You guys ready?
- Go on, Jeff.
Into the deep end, mate.
Oh, we are in low.
Meaty.
Extreme driving hazards.
Help! Oh, my *bleep*!
Help! Oh, my *bleep*!
I *bleep* snapped the lens off my camera.
That's not good at all.
That is not good.
Danny...
Oh, my *bleep*.
- That's really not good.
- That's really not good.
- Have you ever done that before?
- No!
Of course I haven't done that.
In my entire career,
I've never done that before.
I mean, it's...
The thing is, it's not like...
- It's not popped off, it's snapped off.
- It's snapped.
Your reaction, as well, coming down...
- "I've snapped it! I've snapped it!"
- What happened?
And that's awesome.
That made my week.
In 20 years of operating
the camera, I've never...
I've never actually
snapped one off.
So, uh, that happened.
I can't believe
that's happened.
But, um, no,
I've got another one.
My last one
for the next couple of months.
Tyler, you're on.
Now, it's Tyler's
turn to take the wheel.
- You guys ready?
- Let's do this.
All right, come on in, Tyler.
- All right.
- What you got?
- I'm actually excited.
- Oh, yeah. You started it...
You started it well.
At least I can do that.
- And hand brake off?
- I've done that, Danny, thank you.
- And your fuel?
- Check, check, check.
- Tyler...
- It's such a beast.
- What...
- Sorry.
- Do you guys feel safe?
- Oh, yeah.
- No.
- Parker, why are you looking so scared?
Why are you
driving like a psycho?
- I'm just *bleep* driving.
- No, you aren't.
You're headed straight for a *bleep* tree!
Is this guy
gonna slow down?
Oh, *bleep*. Oh!
*bleep*
*bleep*
- I'm sorry, guys. That was...
- Holy *bleep*.
Did he not see us,
or did we not see him?
He just waved
and said, "Thanks."
- Aw, man.
- Let's take a look.
- That feels really stuck.
- Stuck.
Yeah, we're...
- Oh, yeah, we're in here.
- Are we in deep?
You're not happy
with my driving, are you?
I don't know,
I felt like, you know,
even though Jeff was
quite kinda rough,
there was, you know,
he was kinda cool with it.
My job definitely is making
phone calls, doing research,
connecting people.
So if I'm driving,
I don't feel like I'll be able
to do both jobs properly.
I'm happy in the backseat
with Danny.
- Cool. We need to get on the move.
- Let's do it, then.
We got places to go, right?
Yeah, like South Island
bound, right?
Yeah,
we're going south.
- Let's do it.
- Let's go.
The first leg
of their journey is a 60-mile
voyage across the Cook Strait.
All right, Tyler.
What do you have planned for us?
Let's do it, hey?
I'll show you.
I've got a map planned
and ready to go.
Parker called me literally,
like, three weeks ago,
and I thought he was insane.
I thought there was no way
we were gonna be able
to pull this off.
But we're here.
I'm glad we chose the, uh,
non-windiest part of the boat.
- Tyler, you're so organized.
- Thank you, I try.
- Mag mounts, how did you know?
- I know, I know.
All right. There's
a lot going on here.
The majority
of the gold mining
in New Zealand
is going on on the West Coast
of the South Island,
um, some really
impressive wet plants
and a lot of fine gold.
That's what
New Zealand's known for,
and that's what
Parker wanted to see.
From Wellington,
Parker and the team
are heading to New Zealand's
South Island,
where they'll focus
their search on the West Coast
and the Otago mining region,
that together have produced
$34 billion in gold.
Through here is
a place called Ross,
which is where...
- ...this was found.
- Holy *bleep*.
It's a replica
of Honourable Roddy,
which was the biggest nugget
ever found in New Zealand.
- Seriously?
- Oh, wow.
Holy *bleep*.
Pretty cool, hey?
It's one piece?
It was, um, 100 ounces,
99.6 or something like that.
- That's unreal.
- No, it's definitely cool.
We've got a lot
of stuff to do, um...
You know,
it's not gonna be easy.
Gold miners are
very secretive and elusive.
But ultimately, New Zealand's
home to some of the, you know,
best gold miners in the world.
Come on, man. This is good.
Jeff, what are you
looking forward to, man?
Checking out some
of the wash plants
that I've never seen before.
There's some really
impressive mining going on.
There's a lot of gold
coming out.
A lot of Kiwis left here
and went to the Yukon
because the ground there
was way better,
and they took
their technology,
went to the Yukon,
and made a pile of money.
There's no degree
for placer mining.
It's the only way
to learn this,
is to do it and to learn
from the best.
- We are in the land of plenty.
- Yeah.
Adventure's always been
a big part of these trips,
and, um, you know,
New Zealand's got a lot
of infrastructure for that.
And it's fun
to bring people in
and put them
in this pressure cooker
where you're living together
and traveling together,
and being thrown
into difficult situations
and things
outside your comfort zone
and seeing how people
deal with those scenarios.
There's a whole bunch
of awesome things to do
in the country,
and I wanna do them all.
Aw, yes!*bleep*
Man, I've always
wanted to do this!
Before visiting
their first gold mine,
Parker is putting his new crew
to the ultimate
team-building test...
...a 13,000-foot trust fall.
So, I need the guys
jumping to fill these forms.
- I'll just sign it.
- Is there an app on here to do a quick will, too?
I don't have a will.
Should probably leave
everything to Dozer.
Doze man.
I'm secretly *bleep* myself.
Coming up...
Parker goes off the grid...
I'm just waiting
for the dinosaurs.
I feel like
I'm in Jurassic Park.
...to find gold.
They're all
getting*bleep* rich.
Oh, man. Look at that.
Before beginning
their 7-week mission,
the team receive
a traditional welcome
to the South Island
by the local Maori.
- Parker.
- Renee.
So, that was the hongi.
That's how Maori greets,
and when you press noses,
you become as one.
A rite of passage,
once received,
the team are seen
as more than just guests
to the island.
I wasn't
expecting this at all.
It was very, very emotional.
It's really hard to explain.
It's just, like, overwhelming.
There's not a lot
of intact cultures that have
kept these kind of traditions,
and it's really,
really cool to be here
and to be invited in this way,
in the traditional way.
My balls feel like
they're in the danger zone.
You know what I mean?
Parker is testing
the strength of his team
with a 13,000-foot
tandem skydive.
I definitely like warriors
around me.
I like people
who are battle-hardened.
I'm ready. Let's just do it.
You all right, Jeff?
*bleep* awesome.
It's real now.
Yeehaw!
First
to take the plunge is
the team's greenhorn.
Whoa!
One of my keys to success
is definitely keeping
people around me
that will keep me in check,
and on this trip,
Jeff's that person.
He's gonna keep me in check.
There's too much pressure
on having a plant
that's operational this summer
for Fairbanks.
*bleep*
Oh, my *bleep*!
Tyler,
she's really good
at getting access to things.
Just, like, talking her way
onto properties.
She has a way with people
that I have sometimes,
but not most
of the time.
Oh, yeah.
Fricking awesome.
Super excited to start getting
to some of these mine sites,
getting our feet on the ground
and really start tuning in
to what we want
for a wash plant for Parker,
because the mining season's
coming pretty soon.
Oh, my *bleep*!
That was so much fun!
Time is definitely
of the essence.
Look, I wanna squeeze in
as much gold and wash plants
and contacts as I can.
I've got a couple things
up my sleeves.
We're gonna see
some great wash plants.
That's so crazy.
It's really *bleep* cool.
Beautiful.
I bet this doesn't get old.
*bleep* the bed.
Now, like,
we're all good buddies,
we can really
sort of just knuckle down
and concentrate
on the job at hand.
I feel like we could be on one
of the hottest trips yet.
I always
find comfort in knowing
if *bleep* hits the fan,
I'm around people
that would have my back.
And, um,
*bleep* might hit the fan.
So that's always good.
It's always good
to have that feeling
and that level of trust.
How'd it go?
It was fricking awesome.
Little bit.
Oh, oh.
- Oh, what just happened?
- Dan!
Oh, man.
I screamed, "Mummy!" for, like, one-third of it.
Dude.
It's like pure ecstasy
and wanting to puke
at the same time.
Oh, my...
We need to get lean
and we need to get mean.
But in terms of the team here,
the four of us...
Yeah, I think it's a very
good recipe for success.
This season
on Parker's Trail...
I've set $1 million
aside to do this.
I can't think
of a better place
to buy a big,
badass wash plant.
Their mining's
super-efficient.
They're all getting
*bleep* rich.
Oh, man.
Look at that.
We have to find the people
that have pioneered
the technology
and developed these ideas.
We have to go and learn
from the best.
Cheating a wee bit,
I would call it.
Are you
the only one in this area
with this exact wash plant?
It's the only one
in the world.
*bleep* sick.
Everyone likes to keep
their cards close to them.
He just laughed in my face.
...is locked.
I don't know
if that's a good idea, guys.
Hey! You're not meant
to be in here.
This is gonna be tough.
You still haven't
actually chose if you want
a shaker deck or a trommel.
Don't tell me
what the *bleep* to do.
I'm sure it won't be
all business, you know?
You've always gotta have
a little bit of fun mixed in.
Oh,
my *bleep*, I wet myself.
Come with me.
This is epic.
That is so blue.
- Oh, my *bleep*!
- Ah!
Oh, my...
Just hold on.
I'm just waiting
for the dinosaurs.
I feel like
I'm in Jurassic Park.
Now?
Wow.
Oh, my *bleep*.
I think we should
get out of here.
They're talking price here.
You wanna sell me the plant?
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
this is a highly concentrated
area for gold.
Seems like a really
cool opportunity.
And, um... And if there's...
you know...
...actually some gold
down there, it would be...
...pretty cool.
It's quite weird isn't it?
Normally you're getting out
of the water
when there's sharks.
We're gettin' in.
Well, Parker is.
It would take me
a million dollars to jump
in right now.
It looks like such
a nice place, do you know
what I mean?
No! It looks shark-y.
All right, Parker,
so I've got a little jar
we'll take down there
'cause I'm quite fascinated
by the gold industry
in this area.
So if you can fill
this up down there,
the most likely area,
because all this valley
was mined for gold.
No one's ever looked here,
and, uh, largely that's
because of the ocean,
and perhaps it's
because of the sharks.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
Is that a great
white shark?
There it is, right there!
Right in front of him.
Right bang next to him.
There's a hell of a lot
of snow up here, huh?
It's, um...
The temp, -16.
This is why we mine
in the summer time.
Last season,
Parker Schnabel weighed in
$15 million of gold.
A single season record
for the 27 year old miner.
We had a good season,
we made money.
I'm gonna look back
on this season
as one of the,
like, most productive
and easiest.
But, we're trying
to expand into Alaska.
We've the opportunity to take
10 years of really good
learning experiences...
...and apply that
to an operation
fully from scratch.
Nine years ago...
Parker left his grandpa's mine
in Alaska
to strike it big in the Yukon.
I look upon you
like the eagle,
when they...
...fluffs his wings
and flies outta the nest.
And since then
has mined nearly 50,000
ounces of gold,
worth almost $70 million.
3,362.
Good job!
Thank you.
Now,
to grow his empire...
...he's going back home.
Alaska has a ton
of really rich mining history.
Really good ground.
That's 100 ounces.
Like, advanced payment.
If you don't show up
next year,
and you're not mining,
that's mine.
Located
just outside Fairbanks...
...this historic gold
rich land
could make Parker $11 million
in a single season.
Alaska really excites
me, you know?
But we don't have
that much time
to get this all setup.
Parker has
just four months to boot up
an entire operation,
and be mining in the spring.
We need pumps, generators,
light towers, backup pumps,
backup generators,
and we need to find
a wash plant.
To help him...
Yeah, cool.
...Parker has asked
along Danny Etheridge.
"Meet him by the gold pan,"
he said.
Nice touch.
Pretty sure...
...that the point
of putting me next
to a massive gold pan...
...is to accentuate my size.
For three
off-seasons,
Danny has been
by Parker's side
documenting every adventure.
Watch out!
Oh *bleep*
- *bleep*
- Hey!
Danny's been trying
to kill me for years.
These are the two largest
nuggets I have ever found.
Shut up!
Danny, he's one
of my best friends.
It's important to have people
around you that you like
to work with.
And it'll be good
to have Danny along.
And, you know...
...figure out, um...
...figure out how
we're gonna...
...solve some big
mining problems.
I'm pumped.
And, um, the best thing
about it--
Oh my *bleep*
You make this normal
size gold pan look huge!
Scared the *bleep*
out of me, man.
Oh, my *bleep*
Dude, look at you!
I know, mate, I'm freezing.
About 27 layers on.
Better get used to it.
We're going to the middle
of nowhere.
- You ready to rock?
- Ready to rock.
What is going on?
I'm starting another operation
up in Alaska next summer.
Amazing.
So we need to get
a bunch of equipment,
and a wash plant,
and all that stuff.
And, like, the big
key pieces...
...um, I wanna get
a big jump on.
How much will it cost
to set up an operation
there in Alaska?
5 million.
What?
You serious?
Mmm-hmm.
*bleep* me.
Doesn't actually buy you
very much in the steel world.
You know,
prices have gone crazy.
Within Parker's
$5 million Alaska
startup budget...
He set aside $1 million
for the most important
piece of equipment.
In terms of, like, building
a new operation,
and what our goal
is this winter...
...is like...
We need to find
a wash plant...
...first and foremost.
And that's... you know,
that's the basis that
everything is built around.
What's the plan?
Do you know where we're goin'?
- There's a trommel for sale up here.
- Oh, wicked.
Both our wash plants
in the Yukon are screen decks.
But trommels can run
any type of material.
And we run into,
even on the Indian river sometimes,
not too often but sometimes,
we'll run into like clay
and whatnot.
That's why Tony Beets
runs trommels
on Paradise hill.
The stuff in Fairbanks
is pretty clean,
but there's, like,
tons of clay in it.
And... And you have to run
that in a trommel
and beat it up
and really, you know,
massage it.
This is the place.
There.
- All right, let's go look at this thing.
- Let's have a look.
This 15-year-old
turnkey trommel,
has a list price of $66,000.
Well within Parker's
$1 million wash plant budget.
It doesn't look
in that bad nick.
From a...
...design standpoint,
they're, like, you know,
very portable.
Easy to move around.
It's on wheels,
that's a good idea.
The problem with this
is that it's just too small.
Like, this is a, you know,
50 or 60 yard
an hour wash plant.
But...
...if you had, like,
a supersized version
of this,
I could see something
like that working.
All right, I'm calling
the guy that owns this thing,
and, um...
...I'm gonna talk to him.
Hey, Pete!
Hey buddy,
how's it goin'?
I'm standing next
to your trommel.
What do ya think?
Little small for our, uh...
for our setups.
It is a small trommel.
Yeah, yeah. You know,
it's definitely, um...
I mean it fits the bill
in terms of being
super portable,
and, um, compact.
But... you know,
what is it?
60, 70 yards an hour?
Yeah.
Yeah, a little small for us.
I do have one at, uh,
a property I have out
in a place called Barkerville,
which is in the Caribou
mountains.
Can we get to it?
You better have your, uh,
winter woollies,
because it's quite a journey
to go see this thing.
He says dress warm
for the next place
we're goin'.
The guy that's with me
is definitely dressed warm.
He's got about eight
puffy coats on.
Think the weather forecast
is -25, so it's not too bad.
But definitely
frostbite material.
All right.
All right, we'll, um...
we'll head that way.
Come on up.
Yeah.
Talk soon.
Yeah, see ya soon.
All right.
- What're you smiling at?
- He's got another bigger trommel.
- Right.
- And, um...
And he said, "We can get
to it but it's out
in the middle of nowhere,
so, like, dress warm."
So, we'll see.
Hopefully the next one's in,
like, good shape,
and, um, is something
that we want.
All right, let's get
the *bleep* out of here.
Parker and Danny
head 50 miles to the remote
mining outpost of Barkerville.
Ah, there we go.
That him?
- Yeah, that's Pete.
- Sweet.
- Hey, man.
- Hey, kid!
- How's it goin'?
- Good, how are you?
Mining gold,
since the age of 12...
Pete Wright has 40
years' experience
in the industry.
I've heard lots about ya.
I'm excited to find out.
- I feel like it's a bit shrouded in mystery this trip.
- Yeah.
What's goin' on?
Yeah, well...
We're talking
about trommels, man.
Yeah, and you used
to mine around here, right?
Well, yeah, I was here
for almost 15 years mining,
I came down from the Yukon...
- Gotcha.
- ...and, uh, started an operation down here.
So where is this trommel at?
The one that we're
goin' to look at
is the big monster barrel.
Yeah, you know,
the biggest ones
you can build.
Right, sweet.
I'm lookin' forward
to checking it out.
Can we drive there?
Yeah, we could drive there,
but... it's the middle
of winter, man.
- On a snow machine?
- Yeah.
So they're all tiny
little mining roads,
and the only way
to get on 'em is these.
- Gotcha.
- So...
When's the last time
you were on a snow
machine, Dan?
I was... I was on one
about six years ago.
Dan, you cool with this?
Yeah.
I mean, what's the worst
that can happen?
- Is that--
- There you go, I'm rubbing off on ya.
Sounds like Parker's
got a bit more experience.
All right.
I'm good.
- Danny, what is this?
- Huh?
It's my... No, it's my...
It's just my snood.
I... I haven't got
my snood, so...
It's my pants.
- It's... It's... It's a pair of underwear.
- It's fine.
I haven't...
I haven't worn 'em.
It's just my...
It's one leg of my pants,
it's made of the same material
as a neckerchief anyways.
It's fine.
All right.
What? It's fine.
It's all just, like...
It's all made
of the same stuff!
Which one of these
am I runnin'?
Well... I'm thinking
of putting you
on something else.
- Oh, yeah?
- How do you feel about riding a bike?
A snow bike?
Oh, yeah. That's my jam, dude.
Well, come on over here then,
and see if you...
what you think about this one.
A snow bike?
Oh, yeah.
Pete, you're my hero.
- Yeah, this thing is--
- I love this thing.
Oh, my.
Made
from a converted
motor cross bike,
the 55 horsepower engine
has a top speed
of 87 miles per hour.
It's state
of the art, man.
Oh, yeah.
Sweet!
All right, we're gonna have
some fun today.
Here we go!
Come on!
From the historic
mining town of Barkerville...
...Parker and Danny
travel 64 miles on a back
country adventure...
...to check out
a trommel for sale
in the Caribou mountains.
Where gold
was first discovered,
in the late 1850s...
...and since then, the region
has produced
nearly $50 million
worth of the metal.
Whoo!
After four hours
in freezing temperatures,
they reach the trommel.
- Oh, yeah.
- Oh, it's a monster.
Oh, my *bleep*.
Holy cow.
It's huge!
That's it.
It is 40 feet long...
...by 6.5 foot diameter,
I think.
It's a monster.
Parker is checking
out a huge trommel
to give him a jump
on his mining season.
And I put an extra spray bar
in it.
The six inch, you see...
...had one and then I lined it
with excavator pads,
if you look up
at the very front.
She's a big yardage machine.
Right.
With a price tag
of $225,000...
Pete's custom built trommel
can chew through 150 yards
of clay pay dirt an hour.
Recycled excavator pads
in the trommel
break apart the gold
laden clay.
And high pressure spray bars
wash the rocks clean...
...releasing
the gold concentrate
where it is caught
in the sluices below.
Chain drive?
Yeah. So those are
the sluice boxes
that I built there.
Boiler boxes.
You can live
in this thing.
Everything is oversized,
isn't it?
It's like...
I feel like I'm in...
- Remember that... that show Land of the Giants?
- Oh, yeah?
It was originally
a propane drum.
Yeah.
Like three-quarters
to an inch thick.
We can go up the ladder
and walk along the top
if you wanna look
at the barrel.
Where you goin'?
I'm crawling right up
in here to...
- Oh, you're goin' up there?
- ...to look at the...
Hang on,
where's Parker goin'?
Just be careful walking
on the top here.
I'll break a little trail up.
'Cause there's a space
right here, right between
the spray bar.
Like, footprint
is huge, right?
It's a monster.
These holes
are just cut with, like,
a torch, huh?
Yeah, so the guy
put these in pretty
coarse ground here.
so you just change it
with whatever size
of ground you're in.
So if your holes are too big,
you just put another
little tab overtop of them.
So... And then it's got
this hole, like--
Oh!
Oh, man!
Woah! What the *bleep*
Parker, are you okay?
*bleep* hell, mate.
What the...
Are you okay, buddy?
Ah, it's so freakin' slick.
"I know
how to *bleep* walk
on circular things."
Mate.
Oh, it's gonna be
a cold ride home.
You all right?
I'm just cold.
Oh, mate.
I'm glad
there wasn't a big rock there.
That's not the thing
you wanna be falling off...
You could of smashed
his head off on that.
Yeah, glad
I missed that.
- You all right?
- I'm fine.
- You sure?
- Yeah, I just like...
- ...like mega brain freeze.
- Oh, mate.
It's not... I'm totally fine,
but it's just, like,
my head...
...just froze.
My brain stopped I think.
Well, I can see that.
Anyways, this is the size
we need
- but this is not the trommel we're looking for.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Why?
For us, the amount of hours
we run,
- you need something that's really easy to work on.
- Yeah.
And, like, the inside
the barrel of this
is all custom.
And...
...I think you'd have a hard
time, like...
It'd be a full time job
for somebody maintaining it.
A welder would spend
half a season on this
wash plant probably,
if you were running it 24/7.
Reduce maintenance,
reduce downtime
to plant moves,
two big things for us.
So...
...not our wash plant.
Barkerville a bust,
Parker and Danny head
450 miles south
to Vancouver island.
Where're we goin'?
Visiting Jeff at Macon,
who built wash plants.
He's an awesome dude,
they have a ton
of ideas.
They've seen everything,
they've just, like,
been living
in the wash plant trenches.
I think he moved there
right after...
...um, they built
Sluicifer for us.
Six years ago,
Macon built Parker's
bespoke shaker deck,
Sluicifer.
Holy cow!
Capturing
over $30 million,
Sluicifer is the jewel
in Parker's Yukon operation.
Hey, Jeff!
- How's it goin, man?
- Good.
- How are you?
- Good! Good to see ya.
- This is Dan.
- Jeff.
- Hey, Dan.
- Nice to meet you, mate.
Thanks
for meeting us.
- Yeah, no worries.
- Um, I was just hoping to have a chat with you
about plants.
- Yeah.
- And we're lookin' at buying another plant.
And we've been looking
at a few of 'em,
but you know how it is
- trying to find something used that will work for us--
- Yeah.
...that will work
for what we need.
- Something that will work for your ground?
- Right.
- Good stuff, let's have a look!
- Cool!
Oho, look at this!
We got a 400 over here.
Right.
- It's a baby Sluicifer.
- Baby Sluicifer.
It's just like
Sluicifer's had...
...beautiful children with another wash plant.
If only it had chosen
a trommel to procreate with,
then we might
have our, uh, machine.
I see the hoses,
there's gonna be hydraulics
going somewhere.
Nope, those are for coming off
the self-cleaning filter.
So there's a filter
inside of there?
It's a... It's a screen
that the water passes over
cleaning the... Yeah.
- It keeps itself clean and gives you water.
- Yes.
Yeah, it would be nice
to see... see more plants.
It's probably...
This is the wrong time of year
to be looking at wash plants,
isn't it?
It's the wrong time
of year, yeah.
We got a couple plants
but they're not for sale.
We don't have a lot here,
but obviously the right time
of year you should be mining,
not here.
Right, exactly,
and that's always been
the problem.
Danny and I are always, like,
trying to figure out
is it's... you know,
it's the middle of...
middle of winter
and... and it's a tough
thing to be looking at ground,
or looking at wash plants,
seeing mining operations,
when it's, you know...
...right now it's -40
in Dawson.
It's just tough for me
because this is my way
of looking at things,
- like, on the ground crawling around wash plants.
- Yeah.
It has been since I was
a little kid.
A lot of these actual designs,
they're... they're
from New Zealand, aren't they?
Yeah, a lot of 'em
stem from New Zealand
for sure.
I mean if we're serious
about looking at a bunch
of different wash plants...
Um, then we should
just go to New Zealand.
To New Zealand?
It might be the only place
in the world that has a bunch
of them running.
It's the right time
to be down there.
New Zealand...
...world leaders
in wash plant design,
where over 1,200 tons
of gold has been unearthed.
The most efficient
operators, making money
on the leanest ground,
has always been
New Zealanders.
It's always been Kiwis.
And they mine...
12 months of the year.
There's a huge
history of mining.
And for me, this may be
the college class
on efficient placer mining,
making this trip.
You know,
mining seasons are short,
but... off-seasons
are short as well.
And... we don't have much time
to get this all set up,
and start an entire new
mining operation.
I have a lot riding on this
ground in Fairbanks.
Like, we need to start
mining and getting gold
out of the ground,
and that means
having a wash plant
and it all working.
There's just not much time
to get things wrong,
and so, I gotta
go to New Zealand.
We're one plane trip away
from having the adventure
of our lives.
Go and get
the gang back together.
I honestly can't believe
that we're sat here
right now, man.
This is ridiculous.
In any business,
the most efficient survive,
and the ones that are looking
at the most opportunities
survive, right?
And that means learning
from the best of the best,
which are Kiwis.
From Vancouver,
Parker has traveled
over 7,000 miles
to New Zealand...
...home to some
of the most innovative
gold miners in the world.
Coming to New Zealand
and being able to, you know,
see new technology is
gonna be really cool.
I think the big risk here is
that we just don't have
a lot of time, like...
I'm in the middle of planning
all of our Yukon mining
operation, you know,
the start-up
of an Alaskan operation,
and I'm hoping
that it's worth it.
Right? Like...
This could just snowball
into giving us
a late start for the season
and not being prepared,
so we definitely just
need to stay focused
on what the mission is.
Fairbanks is gonna be full
of a whole lot of surprises,
lots of clay, lots of very
difficult-to-recover gold,
and we need a wash plant
that can deal
with all of that,
be high production
and be portable.
You know,
it's a huge challenge.
Get this party started.
And there is our man
in Amsterdam.
Come on, man.
Let's go see him. Let's do it.
Mate, look at him.
Doesn't he look lonely?
Jeff!
Wash plant guru
Jeff Turnell
joins the team
on their mission
to find the best turnkey plant
in the country.
- How's it going?
- Good.
Hello, bud.
I've always kinda been
in the mining industry
since I was 17,
um, dealing with wash plants.
When he called me
to go on this trip,
it was definitely
out of the blue,
and I was pretty excited.
- How's it going, man?
- Good, man. How are you?
*bleep* awesome.
The most exciting thing
for me right now
is, uh, I haven't had
a lot of time to do traveling
and so, to be on a work trip
and work with Parker,
I mean, it's pretty cool.
This is definitely
the furthest I've
ever traveled
and the biggest trip
I've ever been on.
Where's Tyler?
I'm very excited
to finally pick up the boys
and meet Jeff.
A bit nervous about
a new team member coming on.
I'm sure it'll be fine.
The fourth
and final member of the team
is Aussie gold miner
Tyler Mahoney.
Two years ago,
she proved her worth
when she guided Parker
on a prospecting trip
down under.
Uh, so this is where
the Welcome Stranger
nugget was found.
Um, so that was
the biggest nugget
in the world.
- That's *bleep* nuts.
- It's cool, hey?
I'm shaky.
That's a nice nugget.
- For real?
- Yeah.
- *bleep*
- Not bad, hey?
Tyler and I have actually
a really solid relationship,
super good friends.
Um, I trust her totally.
My role has
changed a lot.
I'm going to be
helping Park with contacts,
getting him onto mine sites,
finding wash plants
that are for sale,
but I'm definitely a lot more
out of my comfort zone
this time.
For
the 7-week journey,
Tyler's sourced
a 400 horsepower
Toyota M2 Overland.
With a 4.2-liter engine
and 37-inch mud tires,
it will be perfect
for New Zealand's
rough terrain.
Yes, Tyler.
- Um, where did you get this from?
- Hi.
- Nice rig.
- Hello, nice to meet you, Jeff.
Yeah, nice to meet you.
- Hello.
- How are you?
- Good. Good to see you.
- Good to see ya.
Hello, give me a hug.
I like you even more
now you brought that.
- Beautiful.
- How was that to drive down here?
Uh, yeah,
it's a beast.
You can definitely feel
the power of the vehicle.
Oh, my.
Look at this.
- You got any beer in here?
- Is that a fridge?
- Yeah.
- It's not.
- Have you filled that with beer?
- I should've.
- Oh...
- There's nothing in it!
That was
a rookie error.
It was nearly at a perfect 10.
This is sick.
Pretty cool.
I think that thing's
gonna go anywhere.
Who's driving?
- Parker?
- Hmm.
You know I don't drive.
Mmm, don't know
why I bothered asking that.
Steering wheel's
on the wrong side for me.
Jeff, you'd be fine.
Oh, yeah, I'm obviously...
Yeah, you've got
an easy out.
Oh, yeah.
Should we have a drive-off?
We could do that.
Let's have a drive-off.
And the winner drives.
- A drive-off?
- Yeah
Is that what's happening here?
You and I are the judges,
and we make
the decision, right?
Have you ever driven
on the other side
of the road before?
Never. This is
gonna be super confusing.
Here you go.
- I got shotgun.
- Jeff's up first then.
*bleep* me.
All right.
- Come on.
- Let's go.
- Is it still, like, first is here?
- Yep.
- It's in 4Hi?
- Oh!
- It's in 4Hi.
- It's quite small in the back.
If I'm saying
it's small in the back,
it's *bleep* tiny.
- I'm just excited about starting the trip.
- I'm so excited.
Oh, yes!
It's like butter.
Come on.
I mean, being able
to drive on the beach
is one thing.
You know, are you gonna
be able to drive
on the wrong side of the road
is the other thing.
I'm not being funny, guys.
I don't know if I can do
two months of this.
Two months of what?
This is bumpy.
Are all the roads like this
in New Zealand?
Oh, you should see
where we're going.
There's a reason
we bought this car.
To kickstart their
trail around New Zealand,
they must take
a coastal, off-road track...
...and tackle
the Devil's Gate.
Oh, my*bleep*.
There it is.
That actually looks a bit...
Danny,
the closer I get to that,
that's steep.
- That's what we're going over?
- Yeah.
That looks fricking insane.
Seriously?
- Are you gonna be right?
- I don't know.
- You guys ready?
- Go on, Jeff.
Into the deep end, mate.
Oh, we are in low.
Meaty.
Extreme driving hazards.
Help! Oh, my *bleep*!
Help! Oh, my *bleep*!
I *bleep* snapped the lens off my camera.
That's not good at all.
That is not good.
Danny...
Oh, my *bleep*.
- That's really not good.
- That's really not good.
- Have you ever done that before?
- No!
Of course I haven't done that.
In my entire career,
I've never done that before.
I mean, it's...
The thing is, it's not like...
- It's not popped off, it's snapped off.
- It's snapped.
Your reaction, as well, coming down...
- "I've snapped it! I've snapped it!"
- What happened?
And that's awesome.
That made my week.
In 20 years of operating
the camera, I've never...
I've never actually
snapped one off.
So, uh, that happened.
I can't believe
that's happened.
But, um, no,
I've got another one.
My last one
for the next couple of months.
Tyler, you're on.
Now, it's Tyler's
turn to take the wheel.
- You guys ready?
- Let's do this.
All right, come on in, Tyler.
- All right.
- What you got?
- I'm actually excited.
- Oh, yeah. You started it...
You started it well.
At least I can do that.
- And hand brake off?
- I've done that, Danny, thank you.
- And your fuel?
- Check, check, check.
- Tyler...
- It's such a beast.
- What...
- Sorry.
- Do you guys feel safe?
- Oh, yeah.
- No.
- Parker, why are you looking so scared?
Why are you
driving like a psycho?
- I'm just *bleep* driving.
- No, you aren't.
You're headed straight for a *bleep* tree!
Is this guy
gonna slow down?
Oh, *bleep*. Oh!
*bleep*
*bleep*
- I'm sorry, guys. That was...
- Holy *bleep*.
Did he not see us,
or did we not see him?
He just waved
and said, "Thanks."
- Aw, man.
- Let's take a look.
- That feels really stuck.
- Stuck.
Yeah, we're...
- Oh, yeah, we're in here.
- Are we in deep?
You're not happy
with my driving, are you?
I don't know,
I felt like, you know,
even though Jeff was
quite kinda rough,
there was, you know,
he was kinda cool with it.
My job definitely is making
phone calls, doing research,
connecting people.
So if I'm driving,
I don't feel like I'll be able
to do both jobs properly.
I'm happy in the backseat
with Danny.
- Cool. We need to get on the move.
- Let's do it, then.
We got places to go, right?
Yeah, like South Island
bound, right?
Yeah,
we're going south.
- Let's do it.
- Let's go.
The first leg
of their journey is a 60-mile
voyage across the Cook Strait.
All right, Tyler.
What do you have planned for us?
Let's do it, hey?
I'll show you.
I've got a map planned
and ready to go.
Parker called me literally,
like, three weeks ago,
and I thought he was insane.
I thought there was no way
we were gonna be able
to pull this off.
But we're here.
I'm glad we chose the, uh,
non-windiest part of the boat.
- Tyler, you're so organized.
- Thank you, I try.
- Mag mounts, how did you know?
- I know, I know.
All right. There's
a lot going on here.
The majority
of the gold mining
in New Zealand
is going on on the West Coast
of the South Island,
um, some really
impressive wet plants
and a lot of fine gold.
That's what
New Zealand's known for,
and that's what
Parker wanted to see.
From Wellington,
Parker and the team
are heading to New Zealand's
South Island,
where they'll focus
their search on the West Coast
and the Otago mining region,
that together have produced
$34 billion in gold.
Through here is
a place called Ross,
which is where...
- ...this was found.
- Holy *bleep*.
It's a replica
of Honourable Roddy,
which was the biggest nugget
ever found in New Zealand.
- Seriously?
- Oh, wow.
Holy *bleep*.
Pretty cool, hey?
It's one piece?
It was, um, 100 ounces,
99.6 or something like that.
- That's unreal.
- No, it's definitely cool.
We've got a lot
of stuff to do, um...
You know,
it's not gonna be easy.
Gold miners are
very secretive and elusive.
But ultimately, New Zealand's
home to some of the, you know,
best gold miners in the world.
Come on, man. This is good.
Jeff, what are you
looking forward to, man?
Checking out some
of the wash plants
that I've never seen before.
There's some really
impressive mining going on.
There's a lot of gold
coming out.
A lot of Kiwis left here
and went to the Yukon
because the ground there
was way better,
and they took
their technology,
went to the Yukon,
and made a pile of money.
There's no degree
for placer mining.
It's the only way
to learn this,
is to do it and to learn
from the best.
- We are in the land of plenty.
- Yeah.
Adventure's always been
a big part of these trips,
and, um, you know,
New Zealand's got a lot
of infrastructure for that.
And it's fun
to bring people in
and put them
in this pressure cooker
where you're living together
and traveling together,
and being thrown
into difficult situations
and things
outside your comfort zone
and seeing how people
deal with those scenarios.
There's a whole bunch
of awesome things to do
in the country,
and I wanna do them all.
Aw, yes!*bleep*
Man, I've always
wanted to do this!
Before visiting
their first gold mine,
Parker is putting his new crew
to the ultimate
team-building test...
...a 13,000-foot trust fall.
So, I need the guys
jumping to fill these forms.
- I'll just sign it.
- Is there an app on here to do a quick will, too?
I don't have a will.
Should probably leave
everything to Dozer.
Doze man.
I'm secretly *bleep* myself.
Coming up...
Parker goes off the grid...
I'm just waiting
for the dinosaurs.
I feel like
I'm in Jurassic Park.
...to find gold.
They're all
getting*bleep* rich.
Oh, man. Look at that.
Before beginning
their 7-week mission,
the team receive
a traditional welcome
to the South Island
by the local Maori.
- Parker.
- Renee.
So, that was the hongi.
That's how Maori greets,
and when you press noses,
you become as one.
A rite of passage,
once received,
the team are seen
as more than just guests
to the island.
I wasn't
expecting this at all.
It was very, very emotional.
It's really hard to explain.
It's just, like, overwhelming.
There's not a lot
of intact cultures that have
kept these kind of traditions,
and it's really,
really cool to be here
and to be invited in this way,
in the traditional way.
My balls feel like
they're in the danger zone.
You know what I mean?
Parker is testing
the strength of his team
with a 13,000-foot
tandem skydive.
I definitely like warriors
around me.
I like people
who are battle-hardened.
I'm ready. Let's just do it.
You all right, Jeff?
*bleep* awesome.
It's real now.
Yeehaw!
First
to take the plunge is
the team's greenhorn.
Whoa!
One of my keys to success
is definitely keeping
people around me
that will keep me in check,
and on this trip,
Jeff's that person.
He's gonna keep me in check.
There's too much pressure
on having a plant
that's operational this summer
for Fairbanks.
*bleep*
Oh, my *bleep*!
Tyler,
she's really good
at getting access to things.
Just, like, talking her way
onto properties.
She has a way with people
that I have sometimes,
but not most
of the time.
Oh, yeah.
Fricking awesome.
Super excited to start getting
to some of these mine sites,
getting our feet on the ground
and really start tuning in
to what we want
for a wash plant for Parker,
because the mining season's
coming pretty soon.
Oh, my *bleep*!
That was so much fun!
Time is definitely
of the essence.
Look, I wanna squeeze in
as much gold and wash plants
and contacts as I can.
I've got a couple things
up my sleeves.
We're gonna see
some great wash plants.
That's so crazy.
It's really *bleep* cool.
Beautiful.
I bet this doesn't get old.
*bleep* the bed.
Now, like,
we're all good buddies,
we can really
sort of just knuckle down
and concentrate
on the job at hand.
I feel like we could be on one
of the hottest trips yet.
I always
find comfort in knowing
if *bleep* hits the fan,
I'm around people
that would have my back.
And, um,
*bleep* might hit the fan.
So that's always good.
It's always good
to have that feeling
and that level of trust.
How'd it go?
It was fricking awesome.
Little bit.
Oh, oh.
- Oh, what just happened?
- Dan!
Oh, man.
I screamed, "Mummy!" for, like, one-third of it.
Dude.
It's like pure ecstasy
and wanting to puke
at the same time.
Oh, my...
We need to get lean
and we need to get mean.
But in terms of the team here,
the four of us...
Yeah, I think it's a very
good recipe for success.
This season
on Parker's Trail...
I've set $1 million
aside to do this.
I can't think
of a better place
to buy a big,
badass wash plant.
Their mining's
super-efficient.
They're all getting
*bleep* rich.
Oh, man.
Look at that.
We have to find the people
that have pioneered
the technology
and developed these ideas.
We have to go and learn
from the best.
Cheating a wee bit,
I would call it.
Are you
the only one in this area
with this exact wash plant?
It's the only one
in the world.
*bleep* sick.
Everyone likes to keep
their cards close to them.
He just laughed in my face.
...is locked.
I don't know
if that's a good idea, guys.
Hey! You're not meant
to be in here.
This is gonna be tough.
You still haven't
actually chose if you want
a shaker deck or a trommel.
Don't tell me
what the *bleep* to do.
I'm sure it won't be
all business, you know?
You've always gotta have
a little bit of fun mixed in.
Oh,
my *bleep*, I wet myself.
Come with me.
This is epic.
That is so blue.
- Oh, my *bleep*!
- Ah!
Oh, my...
Just hold on.
I'm just waiting
for the dinosaurs.
I feel like
I'm in Jurassic Park.
Now?
Wow.
Oh, my *bleep*.
I think we should
get out of here.
They're talking price here.
You wanna sell me the plant?
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.