Gold Rush: Parker's Trail (2017–2019): Season 5, Episode 7 - Breaking Through - full transcript
You're gonna
come on to here.
Just stand up and
then bring your left foot.
I've learned so much on
these trips,
like, about mining, about people, about myself.
This one more so than
any other country
that we've been to.
Shouldn't get released,
should it?
No.
I have a lot riding on this ground in Fairbanks.
We have to do it
right the first time.
All right, get your toes
all the way to the edge.
Hands off.
Arms out to the side.
This is the time when your mind likes to play tricks on you.
Is it the right decision?
Is it the wrong decision?
Try looking up
instead of looking down,
that's going to
happen anyway.
The problem is you paralyze yourself with that.
Huh.
Stop overthinking things.
Just get it done then.
No decision is always the worst decision.
I'm not sure
I want to do this.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
Feels like
we've been on the West Coast
for ages, doesn't it?
I know.
Look,
he's already asleep.
He's got his fingers
in his ears now.
For five weeks,
27-year-old Parker Schnabel and his team
have traveled nearly 900 miles
searching for the perfect wash plant
for his new ground in Alaska.
Now we're chewing
through these gearings now.
Yeah.
To realize the ground's $11 million potential,
Parker needs to risk at least $5 million.
It's not about money, not about power,
not about control.
It's what I was bred to do.
At just five years old,
Parker was panning in the creeks of Haines, Alaska, with his grandpa, John.
He has a vision that
he's going to make
thousands of dollars every day
and I hope he's right.
18-year-old Parker, struck out on his own
to chase his dream of mining in the Yukon.
Pick this spot, my man.
And over nine years,
he's pulled $70 million of gold from the ground.
8,309.75 ounces.
But on the brink of his biggest bet ever, he's wavering.
I don't experiment.
I don't like doing
things that don't work.
As far as owning a business goes, that's a flaw.
You have to
be willing to fail.
I don't like doing that.
Don't you think sometimes
you might have bitten off
a little bit
more than you can chew?
I haven't pulled any triggers
on any big-ticket items
for Fairbanks yet,
because I'm like,
do I really want
to spend the $5 million?
Now with just two weeks left in New Zealand,
Parker needs to pull the trigger on his biggest purchase...
a wash plant, or he risks derailing his Alaska operation.
Feels like we've been to
every bloody mine settlement
everywhere possible.
Yeah.
To be honest,
all the miners that'll have
wash plant to sell
have pretty much dried up.
Right.
The team leaves the gold-rich West Coast behind
and head 300 miles south
to the historic gold-producing region of Otago.
It's a bit nerve-racking for me to leave
the gold mining hub of New Zealand.
I am worried from
here on out
that there won't be any
wash plants for sale.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Contacts wise,
I have nothing in Otago.
Blimey, this is serious.
So what's the plan?
Yeah,
I'm winging it day-to-day.
So basically my sole process
is head to Arrowtown,
which is a historic
gold-mining town.
The best place to start
in a new town
when looking for gold mining
is just the gold shop,
I think.
Right.
To be honest, if he
doesn't have anything for us,
I'm, um...
You're done.
Yeah. I'm at my end.
Wow.
You know,
let's hope he does.
It could be
the last throw of the dice.
Definitely could be.
It looks like a true old little mining town.
Tyler, it's got
some history, you know?
Yeah, totally.
Established in 1862,
Arrowtown was at the center of the Otago Gold Rush.
Over 292 tons of gold
have been pulled from the region
worth over $15 billion in today's money.
But its gold reserves have largely been mined out
and the town now welcomes more tourists than miners.
There's a gold shop.
Hello.
- Good day.
- I'm Parker.
- Parker, Justin.
- Justin. Nice to meet you.
- Tyler. Nice to meet you.
- Tyler.
- Hello, mate. I'm Danny.
- Danny.
- Hey.
- Nice to meet you.
- We're in the right spot.
- There's some gold.
Holy, look at that.
Your guys' gold
is just so much nicer looking.
It's beautiful.
This is all locally
found, these pieces here.
You see how smooth they are.
That one had just
come out of the ground.
See, it's still dirty.
Whoa.
That's
a really nice piece.
If you want
to come out the back,
I'll show you some real gold.
Yeah. Great.
Come
on through here.
This is where
all the gold miners come
to sell their gold.
Ah.
This is the largest
one we know of
in existence in New Zealand.
- Really?
- Really?
Yeah.
Wow!
Big guy.
That was West Coast.
- No way.
- Is it?
Yeah.
It was found by a kiwi.
He found 66 ounces
with a detector,
just in this one spot.
And that was, I mean,
25 years ago.
Wow!
And this is what
sort of comes in
- to this back room.
- Oh, yeah.
Some of these guys are getting
some seriously fine gold
with-- with a dredge,
all right.
- Now that's some fine gold.
- Yeah.
We're actually in
New Zealand
looking at wash plants.
We have come from
the West Coast and, um,
now we've made our way
down here and we're trying
to do the same thing.
So, we thought we'd come
and see you, see if you
had any contacts at all.
There's not many
big wash plants left here.
I've got one.
I'll give the details.
-
- Thank you.
- That'd be awesome.
- Sounds great.
Yeah.
This guy's plant,
it's just down the river.
So I would head over
and have a look at that.
Amazing.
Thank you.
We better get
back on the road.
Thanks for the contact.
- Justin, really appreciate.
- Hey. Nice to meet you guys.
Thank you very much.
That was awesome, wasn't it?
Thank
Really good.
I'm excited.
So I've made a call.
The guy's name is Andrew.
He's got a wash plant
for sale.
He's extremely busy.
So this is why we're in
a little bit of a rush
at the moment.
Basically just said to me,
"You've got to get here ASAP,
I've got places to be."
Stressing me out
a little bit.
Wash plant owner Andrew
is based 50 miles southeast of Arrowtown.
Anything special
about this wash plant
we're gonna see?
It's on tracks.
We haven't seen that yet,
have we?
- No.
- No.
Do you like
wash plants on tracks?
Is that something
that we'd consider?
Yeah.
They're super mobile.
You guys have built a few,
haven't you?
Yeah.
Could be
the perfect wash plant.
Oh, there it is.
The gate's closed.
He just gonna
meet us here, or...
You go open the gate.
You got it?
Want me to get it?
Oh, thank you.
It's locked.
Oh,
Calling Andrew.
Can you
sneak through there?
I'm skinny,
but not that skinny.
Andrew didn't answer.
- Oh, my
- Did we miss him?
With owner Andrew nowhere to be seen,
the only wash plant on their list sits behind lock and key.
- Is this plant for sale?
- Yes.
And he said
we could come look at it?
But he was in a huge rush,
and I said we'd be
there as quick as we can.
I'm gonna look
at this wash plant.
Me too.
What are you doing?
- Eh?
- Just take a quick look.
Do you think he's
cool with this?
I don't know.
But they already jumped over.
Guys!
What?
That's a pretty good
conveyer on that.
Hey.
Guys, guys.
Uh-oh.
What the hell?
What are you guys doing here?
Oh,
Are you Andrew?
- I'm Simon.
- Oh, sorry.
Nice to meet you.
I'm Tyler.
You're not meant
to be in here.
The gate's locked.
Sorry, that wasn't-- probably
the best way to go about it.
We talked to
the owner of this wash plant.
Do you know Andrew?
Do I know Andrew?
Yeah.
Obviously, he's not about.
No.
Do you
want us to leave?
You're not meant
to be in here.
The gate's locked.
I realize that.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
In Otago, New Zealand,
Parker and the team were trespassing.
Sorry, that wasn't-- probably
the best way to go about it.
Um...
It was a very rushed phone
call this morning with Andrew.
So we legged it down
to get here in time.
You just missed him.
He left an hour ago.
Okay.
Well, mate,
but perhaps you could
have a wee look around.
Thank you.
Sorry
for breaking in.
We'll
forgive you this time.
Foreman Simon Johnstone
oversees all mining equipment on site.
The plant for sale is a 6-foot trommel on tracks.
We've only just mounted
this literally yesterday.
- Oh, wow.
- Really?
Yeah.
- It's pretty long.
- It is pretty long.
So it came off one
of the other plants.
Oh, got ya.
This customized plant can run 130 yards of dirt an hour.
Its extra-long conveyor creates bigger tailings,
allowing for longer run times between clearing it.
And the tracks make it super mobile around a mine site.
Track thing's pretty cool.
You got to hook
a bulldozer on this end
or a digger or whatever...
- Right. Just like a drag.
- ...to push it around.
Yeah.
- Mmm-hmm.
- Okay.
Want to see
this moving about?
Yeah,
I'd like to test the track.
We haven't
actually moved this one yet.
We're yet to find out whether
it falls on its nose or not.
No, no.
If they haven't-- if they just
put that conveyor on
and haven't moved it yet,
I'm not touching this thing.
-
- Come on, now.
Then
I will have to buy it.
To tow the custom plant for the first time,
Parker hops behind the controls.
Uh-oh, this--
what controls is this thing?
Does not feel
like a comfortable
thing to be towing.
The 22-yard-long conveyor
adds three tons to the far end of the plant,
making it unstable.
Any sudden jerks risk rocking it backwards onto its nose.
Take the machine
back that way a wee bit.
I think
the tracks are cool.
Yeah.
That there?
Pretty good.
- Seems to work.
- Yeah.
Yeah,
that seemed simple.
Yeah, I was getting
a wee bit worried.
As soon as it's-- it got
a little bit of momentum
and just off it went.
With the tracks,
it's much easier to move it
this way, hey?
Because without the tracks,
you'd have had to drag it
all the way around.
And I suppose you can
spin it on the spot
a bit easier as well, right?
Yeah. Definitely
moves around super easy.
See, on like big plants
where it would make
a huge difference.
Yeah. It's good, eh?
Yeah,
it's a nice machine.
I really like it.
But do you mind if we
have a little crawl around it?
- Sure.
- All right.
- Sweet.
- Awesome.
So, to me,
this wash plant looks like
it would tick all
the right boxes.
Honestly, though, we're in tight right now
and I don't have anything else lined up.
So, hopefully, this is the one he's going to buy.
- What's that?
- Come with me.
Come with you.
I'm coming.
When you're moving
this around on the highway,
- what do you take the hopper and the conveyor off?
- Yeah.
Because this problem
for us is getting Fairbanks
working on different creeks
that are all connected
by like public highways.
So it's this weird thing where
we need to be both
portable around one site,
but then also portable
from site to site.
You're going
to be moving it down
the road,
then, I mean,
size and height.
- That's always a thing.
- Right.
Height wise with tracks,
there's no way
you'd get it road legal
for sure.
Parker's new claims in Fairbanks, Alaska,
are spread over 3,000 acres.
Over time, he plans to mine multiple creeks.
Any wash plant he buys
will need to travel on public roads between the cuts,
and so it must fit within road legal limits.
So you're going to be
like tearing it down massively
to move it from site to site.
And then perhaps without
any sluice runs or anything.
So that's a big
pain in the ass.
So what
did you think?
We're
gonna keep looking.
- No problem.
- Really appreciate it.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
Yet again, we move
further into this trip
where we're seeing more and
more wash plants
and yet we're not
buying any of them.
I think there's a bigger picture thing going on here,
and that is the actual commitment to Alaska,
which is a $5 million venture
before you've even
pulled a single bit of gold
out of the ground.
Good night, guys.
Good night, Tyler.
Good night, man.
Good night.
I feel like...
I'm at like--
at the end of my--
Well, I am at the end of
my contacts,
to be quite honest.
If I don't deliver
on this trip
and we leave New Zealand
without a wash plant,
that's not a good look on me.
At end right now, I do not have a plan B.
In hindsight, it looks
like
are the places to, um,
get a deal done.
So I don't know what's
gonna happen now.
Timing wise, we're starting
to get in a pretty bad spot.
Not a good way
to start a season.
That's a vegan substitute.
Really good.
- Nice?
- You want some.
No, I'm all right.
I like something
with nutrition in it.
So what are we doing today?
Still keep our eyes open for
something here,
if you can find something?
We're gonna
go prospecting.
See what they're
doing around here.
I'm scraping the
bottom of the barrel.
But we could learn something.
All right.
Well, once you've had those,
I suppose
let's get on the road.
With no wash plants left to see,
the team head north to go prospecting.
Oh, my gosh.
Wow, so blue!
I know, I know.
Passing Lake Wakatipu, at 52 miles,
it's New Zealand's longest lake.
And the water is so
clear because
it's glacial and it's so fresh
and clean and beautiful.
And cold.
Seriously cold.
Pull over here.
I got an idea.
Come on now.
You're so slow.
Water feels nice.
Does it?
Yeah.
That's freezing.
Are you actually going in?
Yeah, we all are.
- No, man.
- What?
It's freezing.
First one out owes
the group four rounds of beer,
and the winner that stays
in the longest
gets to drink all the beer.
Yeah.
Glacial waters average
an icy 48 degrees Fahrenheit year round.
Just 5 minutes in water this cold
and hypothermia can begin to set in.
Oh, my [bleep]!
Oh, yeah?
Oh, my [bleep]!
Oh.
Hang away.
Oh, my [bleep]!
Breathe.
Breathe, breathe, breathe.
Long slow breath.
Come on, stay.
No.
Are you done, Tyler?
- Are you done?
- I'm tapping out.
You're tapping out?
four beers.
I'll never do it in my life.
Oh, here comes the pain.
Do you feel it
in your armpits?
Let your arms down.
My armpits are cold.
Aah!
Tyler.
Have you seen him?
- She's on the phone.
- Get off the phone.
Get off the phone.
Amazing. Thank you.
Ping me the location.
That's awesome.
Thank you.
Guys, we've gotta go.
Justin just gave us
a really great contact.
We've actually gotta go.
Last-minute lead from the gold shop owner
and their search for a wash plant is back on.
- Thank you!
- You need to get out.
You're
going to lose.
Okay.
I'm going to go now.
I can't feel my feet.
I can't.
I can't feel my body.
Well done, Jeff.
That was wicked!
All right, guys.
Gotta get back on the road.
No, it's great.
I'm-- I'm fine.
Look,
we've got an aggregate yard.
- There could be something down there, right?
- Yeah.
I'm still really keen
to do some prospecting.
So why don't you guys
go check that out,
and Dan and I will go
check out the aggregate yard.
- Perfect.
- Cool.
Find us some gold,
Ty. Have fun.
Just go buy
yourself a massive wash plant.
How hard can it be?
In Otago, New Zealand, the team have split,
while Parker and Danny head to an aggregate yard.
Right.
Keep your eyeballs peeled.
45 miles north,
Tyler and Jeff head into the mountains
to meet Rusty, a local gold miner to go prospecting.
Oh, my
- Is this the-- Are you sure?
- That's a helicopter.
That must be Rusty.
Let's go meet him, hey.
I'm Tyler.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, Rusty.
You know,
we're going in this to
and, um...
Oh, my
Amazing!
Thank you.
This is going
to be awesome.
I feel like we got
the long end of the straw
as well with this.
Parker and Danny are
going to be spewing.
Rusty's claim lies in Skippers Canyon,
a gorge carved out over millions of years by the Shotover River.
In 1863, it became known as the richest river in the world,
when 300 ounces of gold
was found on its banks in a single afternoon.
Now a protected site, only a few miners are granted access.
Rusty,
this is amazing.
Sounds like a plan.
Okay, so we better
get changed then.
- Let's do it.
- All right.
I've never dredged before,
but I'm excited to get in
and give it a go.
I'm really hoping we do see some gold.
If we go back
to Parker with nothing,
it might not go down too well.
This is probably
the last place
we're gonna look at
as far as assessing equipment.
45 miles south...
I think
when we're trying
to find wash plants
and we end up at, uh,
sand and gravel pit.
Yeah,
it was a little bit like
we're coming
to the end of the road.
The Urns Clue aggregate yard produces gravel
and sand for road construction.
To screen out rocks used to build roads,
they use similar processes and equipment to placer mining.
It could be the perfect place to pick up a wash plant.
- Hi, I'm Parker. This is Dan.
- Hey, Jack.
We got told you guys
might have some stuff
for sale,
particularly wash plants.
Sweet.
There's a lot going on here.
What the bloody
is that?
Something
out of Mad Max.
How's it going?
I'm Parker. This is Dan.
Hello, mate.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
What is this thing?
An all-in-one
dry screening plant.
Thanks a lot, Jack.
Jack's plant is worth $250,000.
But no washing
takes place in here--
- No, it's all dry.
- It's all dry.
Super slick.
So they make these
that have 'em wet.
I guess you can retrofit
one of these
into a wet screen plant
that was washing gold?
All right, cool.
- I mean, this is what... this is Gucci kit, right?
- Right.
- Like something out of Star Wars.
- Yeah, I love it.
I mean, that's cool.
The dry screening plant has a feed belt
running over the reverse shaker deck, making it small and compact.
To run it as a wash plant in Alaska,
Parker would need to add spray bars,
creating a wet screen and replace the back conveyor with sluice runs.
Oh, sweet!
Being here definitely kind of
reminds me of my childhood.
My dad had a gravel pit.
I grew up around crusher foremen and floaters.
It's always kind of cool.
Do you throw
a whole bucket at once
or do you kind of have to...
Currently running at 155 yards an hour,
once converted, it could hit 200.
Placer mining is such a specialized industry that nothing's made for it.
You know, like pretty much everything's custom.
On the Shotover River...
Guys,
I've got a good feeling.
- Let's do it.
- All right.
...Tyler and Jeff are suction dredging.
Rusty mostly catches fine gold with his dredge,
but 3-ounce nuggets have been found
in this section of the river in recent years.
Oh,
Oh, my [bleep]!
I've had a lot of anxiety this trip
that I'm not going
to be delivering
the right kind of wash plants
and people.
So today's been really good for that.
We've been able to break away from the boys
for a couple of hours
and managed to find some gold.
To be honest,
I had so much fun today.
I kinda forgot the fact that,
you know, we're under the gun
and we need
to get this stuff done.
We really should be just hunkering down
and figuring out the wash plants.
Is it okay if we catch
a ride back into town?
- Awesome. Thank you, Rusty.
- Awesome.
Back at Urns Clue aggregate yard...
- Pretty cool, isn't it?
- Yeah.
...Parker must decide if the plant is worth buying.
Would you utilize
something like this?
It would be hard
to retrofit this to be wet,
but you don't have
much tolerance
for where the spray bars
would be, you know?
Complex plant conversions can take months
and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Probably be better off
starting from scratch.
You don't need us
holding you up anymore.
Appreciate it.
Thanks, Craig.
Take it easy, mate.
We're here to buy wash plant, and that's not happening.
I feel like we might need to start thinking about
the new plant
because every second
that we're wasting now
is a second wasted in Alaska.
Feels like we've hit a, uh,
we've hit a dead end.
Yep.
And we have to decide
to either bite the bullet
and buy one of the plants
that we didn't buy
that we've already seen
or accept that
we're never gonna find
what we're looking for
that's already
built and out there.
Yeah.
I think that the four of us
need to get together
and put a bullet in this.
Okay, we got one wine
with a fly in it
and one without.
Which one you want?
- I'll have the fly.
- Okay.
In Otago, New Zealand,
with no wash plants left to see, it's decision time.
Okay. I'm gonna be
brutally honest.
I've got nothing left
in store.
I mean, there's only so many
wash plants in a country.
Yep.
We've seen a lot.
Parker's viewed 13 wash plants across New Zealand.
- Plants everywhere really.
- Yeah, mate.
It really is so impressive.
Ten trommels, two of them floating.
It's just not
what we're looking for.
A dredge, a shaker deck and a dry screen...
Really appreciate it.
...but he still hasn't found the one.
By having, like,
seen so many plants
and we're like trying
to find something
that doesn't probably exist.
Different things
that you want on it,
it's quite a detailed spec
you've got going on.
Finding something
that's perfect,
really, really hard to do.
Well, that brings me
to, you know, we...
we could go down the road
to designing a wash plant.
To find the perfect plant,
the only way to do it
is just to build it.
I think we have enough ideas
from all the plants
we've seen.
Something mobile
with a good pre-wash.
I'll make sure
it's bang on 100%.
If we build a plant,
even just the design
is gonna take some time.
Yep. Yeah, it's definitely
gonna take a bit of time.
It depends on what road
we go down in.
Critical factors for me
were trommel or shaker.
If it's a shaker, what size?
'Cause we can make
all the design in the time
that we order that.
What kind of timeline
are we at right now?
Three to four months.
Well, that's already puts
into the season by a bit.
Right.
The quicker you wanna
get this sort of thing
going down the road,
the better.
We're at a stage now,
it's the case of you literally
pressing go on something.
So what are we doing?
Building, buying?
I... I don't know
what I wanna do.
Okay.
Yeah, I know, I know.
I think it is time
for you to start making
some decisions.
It is time.
This some sort of...
- Intervention?
- ...intervention.
We've checked you
into a center.
- A decision-making center?
- Yeah.
Shut the up!
I'm not being indecisive.
Not knowing what you want
is different
than being indecisive.
Yeah, it's not...
it's not indecision.
It's just not pulling
the trigger.
Your fingers like hovering
over the button,
but you're just
not quite pushing it.
I would love to build a plant for sure.
We've thrown a few ideas
back and forth at each other
and I think he trusts me
and I'm pretty sure I know
what he wants.
But I'm not sure how we push him over the edge to get an answer.
Right now, I don't know that
there's a way of telling
what is the right decision.
Probably the most
dangerous things to do
is kind of dance in between
those two things.
If Parker doesn't come up with some answers,
he's gonna be well
into his season
before he gets the plant.
To push Parker to make a decision,
Jeff and Tyler hatch a plan and head out to the countryside.
We don't have any time
left on this trip for Parker
to be indecisive.
So Jeff and I have a super exciting surprise.
I'm really hoping that today
is gonna reset the team,
reset Parker.
He's gonna come out of it
with a clear mind.
And we're gonna be
able to sit down
and make the decision
and move forward.
10 miles south...
Man!
This is like
real picture postcard stuff.
Parker and Danny drive to meet them,
unaware that Tyler's sent them the scenic route.
Mate, look at the drop.
Yeah.
The treacherous 14-mile-long Skippers Road
is perched 600 feet above the Shotover river.
Built in 1883 to bring mining equipment into the valley,
it took 17 years to complete.
It's known as one of the most dangerous roads in the world.
I look at what you're doing,
your dive into Alaska.
And I just think, "Geez.
So daunting."
If this were our
mining operation in the Yukon
and just another
old decision to make,
it would have been made
long ago.
To make decisions
without fear,
that's definitely
a useful thing.
- Yeah.
- You know?
And then as you get older,
the fear starts to creep in
a little bit.
And my reputation
is all built on...
built on success
and what if I don't
maintain that?
And I can maintain that
as long as I don't take risks,
right?
But you have to
take risks to be successful.
If 20-year-old Parker knew
that 27-year-old Parker
was sitting here
talking about fear,
he'd be like,
"You weak [bleep]."
He would. He so would.
I'll pocket the 2 grand
and take the $1,500
worth of fuel.
So that was easy.
Since a teenager, Parker has been fearless.
At the end of the day,
something needs to change.
Now's the time to be pushing
for everything we can.
Charging forward on instinct.
Give me one good reason
not to tell you to go
yourself.
And never shying away from bold decisions.
I'm a real underachieving
21-year-old,
that's for sure.
An attitude that has earned him over 48,000 ounces in gold.
You guys,
you just broke another record.
Free beer on Parker!
Now, on the brink of his biggest endeavor ever,
Parker is struggling.
What on earth
are you scared about?
Our pin appears to be
taking us nearer to that.
Yeah.
- What is that?
- Isn't that a bungee jump?
Oh, my
Oh, my
If that's what we're doing,
I'm out of here.
What's up losers?
Are we gonna
do a bungee jump?
We saw one on the way in
on that old rickety bridge.
Are you gonna
tell him or am I?
Really?
We're going bungee jumping.
No!
- Yeah.
- Oh, come on.
I just thought this would be
like a nice little
distraction for us.
So then afterwards,
we can reset
and kind of get
a plan together.
Nice little
near-death experience?
Yeah.
People don't die
bungee jumping, do they?
- Yeah.
- Yes.
- Really?
- Definitely.
I'm... I'm not making
a decision on this one
until we get down there.
Well, let's go
look at it then.
My [bleep]!
I don't wanna look.
I haven't looked.
- You have to look.
- Look, Dan, look.
- I don't wanna look.
- Look.
Oh, my [bleep]!
You're gonna
scream for Mommy again?
Yeah, maybe.
It's actually
an old miner's pipeline.
They used to use it back
in the old Gold Rush days,
and then they
built the bridge over
the top of the pipeline.
I love getting
a bit of history off you, Ty,
but to be quite honest
with you,
that's the last thing
I'm thinking about right now.
The 340-foot-pipeline bungee
is the second highest jump in New Zealand.
This one feels a lot different
than skydiving.
Right? You were just
strapped to somebody
and they jumped out the plane.
In this you actually
have to jump.
There we go,
Is there anything
that I could do that
would up everything?
Don't go feet first,
go head first.
With your arm tied up,
it will whip you out.
I'm sure that when we get to the edge
and you have to make that
conscious decision to jump,
there might be some
shimmer of fear
in his face.
You're gonna
stand there for 30 minutes
trying to decide to jump.
I bet I do it
quicker than you.
That's what I thought.
You guys are ready?
Ah, no.
I need... I should wee.
Go wee.
She can't.
Are we going...
are you going for wee
or are we doing it?
No, I'm all good.
Thank you.
Parker's gotta think on a lot of decisions.
Thrown into the mix is
whether or not
he wants to jump off a bridge.
With time in New Zealand running out,
Parker needs to pull the trigger
and buy a wash plant he's already seen
or take a leap and design his own.
In this business, the risk is always the thing that you're fighting.
- Feel like we're walking to our death.
- To our death, yeah.
It's a long way down.
We'll get you
on the edge.
We'll give you the all clear,
and then it's up to you
to get yourself off.
Fairbanks is gonna be a huge challenge.
You're gonna come under here,
holding on nice and tight.
I've got you good, mate.
That's it.
We don't have time to get it wrong.
All right.
Get your toes all the way
to the edge.
Almost there.
He's on the edge.
Yeah. He's good.
Arms out to the side.
This is the time when your mind likes to play tricks on you,
"Is it the right decision or is it the wrong decision?"
He's making it
way worse.
Feel like
it's a bit of a theme
this whole trip, hesitation.
The problem is you paralyze yourself with that.
I'm not sure I wanna do this.
I think sometimes you just
gotta take the leap, mate.
No decision is always the worst decision.
Stop overthinking things.
Take the leap, buddy.
Oh, my
That was horrific.
Oh,
I've never,
ever seen him scared.
Ever, no.
He doesn't do scared.
He did it, though.
Good times.
That's wild.
Oh, my
All right. Let's do it.
Yeah.
Oh, my.
Yeah, Danny boy!
Oh.
I thought my eyes were gonna
pop out of my head.
This means I'm next.
Oh, my, man.
Oh, mate.
I've never seen
you struggle so much,
ever, on anything we've done.
And nothing we've...
nothing we've ever done
has made me feel that way.
No, that did it.
Go on, Jeff!
Oh, my Lord.
Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
And five, four, three,
two, one.
Go on, girl.
Oh, [bleep]!
Holy [bleep]! Oh, my [bleep]!
Holy [bleep]!
Coming in hot!
Oh, my
How cool was that?
Good job, team.
Let's go.
Yeah.
I think that I'd like to have
a little bit more fun
in the country
before we get out of here.
Tyler, you're up.
Find us some more
cool stuff to do.
Yeah, I'm doing it.
We came here
to find some gold,
so let's go see
what we can come up
with on that front.
Sounds like
a challenge.
We can do that.
But, yeah, I think it's time
to make a decision, right?
- Yep.
- Yeah.
We're on the...
on the back foot.
I think we should design
and build a wash plant.
Let's do it.
- Oh, that's great.
- We did it!
It's go time.
It's time
to start spending money.
Actually, that's it.
With less than two months
until they start mining in Alaska,
Parker commits to building a custom wash plant.
It's obvious
that we aren't gonna find
something in the country
and that we're actually
now like really burning time.
And if Fairbanks is gonna work,
then we need to start moving quite quickly.
And that starts
with getting this wash plant
build on the rolls.
I've been taking note of the places we've been
and some of the factors that he wants.
We're really gonna
have to sit down
and hash it out.
There's still a lot of work to do on this trip.
We're not done yet.
It's taken us so much
to get to this point.
Now that we've finally
got this decision,
we can just enjoy
this last week together
and have some fun.
I've still got one last thing up my sleeve.
I have something bloody cool planned.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
come on to here.
Just stand up and
then bring your left foot.
I've learned so much on
these trips,
like, about mining, about people, about myself.
This one more so than
any other country
that we've been to.
Shouldn't get released,
should it?
No.
I have a lot riding on this ground in Fairbanks.
We have to do it
right the first time.
All right, get your toes
all the way to the edge.
Hands off.
Arms out to the side.
This is the time when your mind likes to play tricks on you.
Is it the right decision?
Is it the wrong decision?
Try looking up
instead of looking down,
that's going to
happen anyway.
The problem is you paralyze yourself with that.
Huh.
Stop overthinking things.
Just get it done then.
No decision is always the worst decision.
I'm not sure
I want to do this.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
Feels like
we've been on the West Coast
for ages, doesn't it?
I know.
Look,
he's already asleep.
He's got his fingers
in his ears now.
For five weeks,
27-year-old Parker Schnabel and his team
have traveled nearly 900 miles
searching for the perfect wash plant
for his new ground in Alaska.
Now we're chewing
through these gearings now.
Yeah.
To realize the ground's $11 million potential,
Parker needs to risk at least $5 million.
It's not about money, not about power,
not about control.
It's what I was bred to do.
At just five years old,
Parker was panning in the creeks of Haines, Alaska, with his grandpa, John.
He has a vision that
he's going to make
thousands of dollars every day
and I hope he's right.
18-year-old Parker, struck out on his own
to chase his dream of mining in the Yukon.
Pick this spot, my man.
And over nine years,
he's pulled $70 million of gold from the ground.
8,309.75 ounces.
But on the brink of his biggest bet ever, he's wavering.
I don't experiment.
I don't like doing
things that don't work.
As far as owning a business goes, that's a flaw.
You have to
be willing to fail.
I don't like doing that.
Don't you think sometimes
you might have bitten off
a little bit
more than you can chew?
I haven't pulled any triggers
on any big-ticket items
for Fairbanks yet,
because I'm like,
do I really want
to spend the $5 million?
Now with just two weeks left in New Zealand,
Parker needs to pull the trigger on his biggest purchase...
a wash plant, or he risks derailing his Alaska operation.
Feels like we've been to
every bloody mine settlement
everywhere possible.
Yeah.
To be honest,
all the miners that'll have
wash plant to sell
have pretty much dried up.
Right.
The team leaves the gold-rich West Coast behind
and head 300 miles south
to the historic gold-producing region of Otago.
It's a bit nerve-racking for me to leave
the gold mining hub of New Zealand.
I am worried from
here on out
that there won't be any
wash plants for sale.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Contacts wise,
I have nothing in Otago.
Blimey, this is serious.
So what's the plan?
Yeah,
I'm winging it day-to-day.
So basically my sole process
is head to Arrowtown,
which is a historic
gold-mining town.
The best place to start
in a new town
when looking for gold mining
is just the gold shop,
I think.
Right.
To be honest, if he
doesn't have anything for us,
I'm, um...
You're done.
Yeah. I'm at my end.
Wow.
You know,
let's hope he does.
It could be
the last throw of the dice.
Definitely could be.
It looks like a true old little mining town.
Tyler, it's got
some history, you know?
Yeah, totally.
Established in 1862,
Arrowtown was at the center of the Otago Gold Rush.
Over 292 tons of gold
have been pulled from the region
worth over $15 billion in today's money.
But its gold reserves have largely been mined out
and the town now welcomes more tourists than miners.
There's a gold shop.
Hello.
- Good day.
- I'm Parker.
- Parker, Justin.
- Justin. Nice to meet you.
- Tyler. Nice to meet you.
- Tyler.
- Hello, mate. I'm Danny.
- Danny.
- Hey.
- Nice to meet you.
- We're in the right spot.
- There's some gold.
Holy, look at that.
Your guys' gold
is just so much nicer looking.
It's beautiful.
This is all locally
found, these pieces here.
You see how smooth they are.
That one had just
come out of the ground.
See, it's still dirty.
Whoa.
That's
a really nice piece.
If you want
to come out the back,
I'll show you some real gold.
Yeah. Great.
Come
on through here.
This is where
all the gold miners come
to sell their gold.
Ah.
This is the largest
one we know of
in existence in New Zealand.
- Really?
- Really?
Yeah.
Wow!
Big guy.
That was West Coast.
- No way.
- Is it?
Yeah.
It was found by a kiwi.
He found 66 ounces
with a detector,
just in this one spot.
And that was, I mean,
25 years ago.
Wow!
And this is what
sort of comes in
- to this back room.
- Oh, yeah.
Some of these guys are getting
some seriously fine gold
with-- with a dredge,
all right.
- Now that's some fine gold.
- Yeah.
We're actually in
New Zealand
looking at wash plants.
We have come from
the West Coast and, um,
now we've made our way
down here and we're trying
to do the same thing.
So, we thought we'd come
and see you, see if you
had any contacts at all.
There's not many
big wash plants left here.
I've got one.
I'll give the details.
-
- Thank you.
- That'd be awesome.
- Sounds great.
Yeah.
This guy's plant,
it's just down the river.
So I would head over
and have a look at that.
Amazing.
Thank you.
We better get
back on the road.
Thanks for the contact.
- Justin, really appreciate.
- Hey. Nice to meet you guys.
Thank you very much.
That was awesome, wasn't it?
Thank
Really good.
I'm excited.
So I've made a call.
The guy's name is Andrew.
He's got a wash plant
for sale.
He's extremely busy.
So this is why we're in
a little bit of a rush
at the moment.
Basically just said to me,
"You've got to get here ASAP,
I've got places to be."
Stressing me out
a little bit.
Wash plant owner Andrew
is based 50 miles southeast of Arrowtown.
Anything special
about this wash plant
we're gonna see?
It's on tracks.
We haven't seen that yet,
have we?
- No.
- No.
Do you like
wash plants on tracks?
Is that something
that we'd consider?
Yeah.
They're super mobile.
You guys have built a few,
haven't you?
Yeah.
Could be
the perfect wash plant.
Oh, there it is.
The gate's closed.
He just gonna
meet us here, or...
You go open the gate.
You got it?
Want me to get it?
Oh, thank you.
It's locked.
Oh,
Calling Andrew.
Can you
sneak through there?
I'm skinny,
but not that skinny.
Andrew didn't answer.
- Oh, my
- Did we miss him?
With owner Andrew nowhere to be seen,
the only wash plant on their list sits behind lock and key.
- Is this plant for sale?
- Yes.
And he said
we could come look at it?
But he was in a huge rush,
and I said we'd be
there as quick as we can.
I'm gonna look
at this wash plant.
Me too.
What are you doing?
- Eh?
- Just take a quick look.
Do you think he's
cool with this?
I don't know.
But they already jumped over.
Guys!
What?
That's a pretty good
conveyer on that.
Hey.
Guys, guys.
Uh-oh.
What the hell?
What are you guys doing here?
Oh,
Are you Andrew?
- I'm Simon.
- Oh, sorry.
Nice to meet you.
I'm Tyler.
You're not meant
to be in here.
The gate's locked.
Sorry, that wasn't-- probably
the best way to go about it.
We talked to
the owner of this wash plant.
Do you know Andrew?
Do I know Andrew?
Yeah.
Obviously, he's not about.
No.
Do you
want us to leave?
You're not meant
to be in here.
The gate's locked.
I realize that.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
In Otago, New Zealand,
Parker and the team were trespassing.
Sorry, that wasn't-- probably
the best way to go about it.
Um...
It was a very rushed phone
call this morning with Andrew.
So we legged it down
to get here in time.
You just missed him.
He left an hour ago.
Okay.
Well, mate,
but perhaps you could
have a wee look around.
Thank you.
Sorry
for breaking in.
We'll
forgive you this time.
Foreman Simon Johnstone
oversees all mining equipment on site.
The plant for sale is a 6-foot trommel on tracks.
We've only just mounted
this literally yesterday.
- Oh, wow.
- Really?
Yeah.
- It's pretty long.
- It is pretty long.
So it came off one
of the other plants.
Oh, got ya.
This customized plant can run 130 yards of dirt an hour.
Its extra-long conveyor creates bigger tailings,
allowing for longer run times between clearing it.
And the tracks make it super mobile around a mine site.
Track thing's pretty cool.
You got to hook
a bulldozer on this end
or a digger or whatever...
- Right. Just like a drag.
- ...to push it around.
Yeah.
- Mmm-hmm.
- Okay.
Want to see
this moving about?
Yeah,
I'd like to test the track.
We haven't
actually moved this one yet.
We're yet to find out whether
it falls on its nose or not.
No, no.
If they haven't-- if they just
put that conveyor on
and haven't moved it yet,
I'm not touching this thing.
-
- Come on, now.
Then
I will have to buy it.
To tow the custom plant for the first time,
Parker hops behind the controls.
Uh-oh, this--
what controls is this thing?
Does not feel
like a comfortable
thing to be towing.
The 22-yard-long conveyor
adds three tons to the far end of the plant,
making it unstable.
Any sudden jerks risk rocking it backwards onto its nose.
Take the machine
back that way a wee bit.
I think
the tracks are cool.
Yeah.
That there?
Pretty good.
- Seems to work.
- Yeah.
Yeah,
that seemed simple.
Yeah, I was getting
a wee bit worried.
As soon as it's-- it got
a little bit of momentum
and just off it went.
With the tracks,
it's much easier to move it
this way, hey?
Because without the tracks,
you'd have had to drag it
all the way around.
And I suppose you can
spin it on the spot
a bit easier as well, right?
Yeah. Definitely
moves around super easy.
See, on like big plants
where it would make
a huge difference.
Yeah. It's good, eh?
Yeah,
it's a nice machine.
I really like it.
But do you mind if we
have a little crawl around it?
- Sure.
- All right.
- Sweet.
- Awesome.
So, to me,
this wash plant looks like
it would tick all
the right boxes.
Honestly, though, we're in tight right now
and I don't have anything else lined up.
So, hopefully, this is the one he's going to buy.
- What's that?
- Come with me.
Come with you.
I'm coming.
When you're moving
this around on the highway,
- what do you take the hopper and the conveyor off?
- Yeah.
Because this problem
for us is getting Fairbanks
working on different creeks
that are all connected
by like public highways.
So it's this weird thing where
we need to be both
portable around one site,
but then also portable
from site to site.
You're going
to be moving it down
the road,
then, I mean,
size and height.
- That's always a thing.
- Right.
Height wise with tracks,
there's no way
you'd get it road legal
for sure.
Parker's new claims in Fairbanks, Alaska,
are spread over 3,000 acres.
Over time, he plans to mine multiple creeks.
Any wash plant he buys
will need to travel on public roads between the cuts,
and so it must fit within road legal limits.
So you're going to be
like tearing it down massively
to move it from site to site.
And then perhaps without
any sluice runs or anything.
So that's a big
pain in the ass.
So what
did you think?
We're
gonna keep looking.
- No problem.
- Really appreciate it.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
Yet again, we move
further into this trip
where we're seeing more and
more wash plants
and yet we're not
buying any of them.
I think there's a bigger picture thing going on here,
and that is the actual commitment to Alaska,
which is a $5 million venture
before you've even
pulled a single bit of gold
out of the ground.
Good night, guys.
Good night, Tyler.
Good night, man.
Good night.
I feel like...
I'm at like--
at the end of my--
Well, I am at the end of
my contacts,
to be quite honest.
If I don't deliver
on this trip
and we leave New Zealand
without a wash plant,
that's not a good look on me.
At end right now, I do not have a plan B.
In hindsight, it looks
like
are the places to, um,
get a deal done.
So I don't know what's
gonna happen now.
Timing wise, we're starting
to get in a pretty bad spot.
Not a good way
to start a season.
That's a vegan substitute.
Really good.
- Nice?
- You want some.
No, I'm all right.
I like something
with nutrition in it.
So what are we doing today?
Still keep our eyes open for
something here,
if you can find something?
We're gonna
go prospecting.
See what they're
doing around here.
I'm scraping the
bottom of the barrel.
But we could learn something.
All right.
Well, once you've had those,
I suppose
let's get on the road.
With no wash plants left to see,
the team head north to go prospecting.
Oh, my gosh.
Wow, so blue!
I know, I know.
Passing Lake Wakatipu, at 52 miles,
it's New Zealand's longest lake.
And the water is so
clear because
it's glacial and it's so fresh
and clean and beautiful.
And cold.
Seriously cold.
Pull over here.
I got an idea.
Come on now.
You're so slow.
Water feels nice.
Does it?
Yeah.
That's freezing.
Are you actually going in?
Yeah, we all are.
- No, man.
- What?
It's freezing.
First one out owes
the group four rounds of beer,
and the winner that stays
in the longest
gets to drink all the beer.
Yeah.
Glacial waters average
an icy 48 degrees Fahrenheit year round.
Just 5 minutes in water this cold
and hypothermia can begin to set in.
Oh, my [bleep]!
Oh, yeah?
Oh, my [bleep]!
Oh.
Hang away.
Oh, my [bleep]!
Breathe.
Breathe, breathe, breathe.
Long slow breath.
Come on, stay.
No.
Are you done, Tyler?
- Are you done?
- I'm tapping out.
You're tapping out?
four beers.
I'll never do it in my life.
Oh, here comes the pain.
Do you feel it
in your armpits?
Let your arms down.
My armpits are cold.
Aah!
Tyler.
Have you seen him?
- She's on the phone.
- Get off the phone.
Get off the phone.
Amazing. Thank you.
Ping me the location.
That's awesome.
Thank you.
Guys, we've gotta go.
Justin just gave us
a really great contact.
We've actually gotta go.
Last-minute lead from the gold shop owner
and their search for a wash plant is back on.
- Thank you!
- You need to get out.
You're
going to lose.
Okay.
I'm going to go now.
I can't feel my feet.
I can't.
I can't feel my body.
Well done, Jeff.
That was wicked!
All right, guys.
Gotta get back on the road.
No, it's great.
I'm-- I'm fine.
Look,
we've got an aggregate yard.
- There could be something down there, right?
- Yeah.
I'm still really keen
to do some prospecting.
So why don't you guys
go check that out,
and Dan and I will go
check out the aggregate yard.
- Perfect.
- Cool.
Find us some gold,
Ty. Have fun.
Just go buy
yourself a massive wash plant.
How hard can it be?
In Otago, New Zealand, the team have split,
while Parker and Danny head to an aggregate yard.
Right.
Keep your eyeballs peeled.
45 miles north,
Tyler and Jeff head into the mountains
to meet Rusty, a local gold miner to go prospecting.
Oh, my
- Is this the-- Are you sure?
- That's a helicopter.
That must be Rusty.
Let's go meet him, hey.
I'm Tyler.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, Rusty.
You know,
we're going in this to
and, um...
Oh, my
Amazing!
Thank you.
This is going
to be awesome.
I feel like we got
the long end of the straw
as well with this.
Parker and Danny are
going to be spewing.
Rusty's claim lies in Skippers Canyon,
a gorge carved out over millions of years by the Shotover River.
In 1863, it became known as the richest river in the world,
when 300 ounces of gold
was found on its banks in a single afternoon.
Now a protected site, only a few miners are granted access.
Rusty,
this is amazing.
Sounds like a plan.
Okay, so we better
get changed then.
- Let's do it.
- All right.
I've never dredged before,
but I'm excited to get in
and give it a go.
I'm really hoping we do see some gold.
If we go back
to Parker with nothing,
it might not go down too well.
This is probably
the last place
we're gonna look at
as far as assessing equipment.
45 miles south...
I think
when we're trying
to find wash plants
and we end up at, uh,
sand and gravel pit.
Yeah,
it was a little bit like
we're coming
to the end of the road.
The Urns Clue aggregate yard produces gravel
and sand for road construction.
To screen out rocks used to build roads,
they use similar processes and equipment to placer mining.
It could be the perfect place to pick up a wash plant.
- Hi, I'm Parker. This is Dan.
- Hey, Jack.
We got told you guys
might have some stuff
for sale,
particularly wash plants.
Sweet.
There's a lot going on here.
What the bloody
is that?
Something
out of Mad Max.
How's it going?
I'm Parker. This is Dan.
Hello, mate.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
What is this thing?
An all-in-one
dry screening plant.
Thanks a lot, Jack.
Jack's plant is worth $250,000.
But no washing
takes place in here--
- No, it's all dry.
- It's all dry.
Super slick.
So they make these
that have 'em wet.
I guess you can retrofit
one of these
into a wet screen plant
that was washing gold?
All right, cool.
- I mean, this is what... this is Gucci kit, right?
- Right.
- Like something out of Star Wars.
- Yeah, I love it.
I mean, that's cool.
The dry screening plant has a feed belt
running over the reverse shaker deck, making it small and compact.
To run it as a wash plant in Alaska,
Parker would need to add spray bars,
creating a wet screen and replace the back conveyor with sluice runs.
Oh, sweet!
Being here definitely kind of
reminds me of my childhood.
My dad had a gravel pit.
I grew up around crusher foremen and floaters.
It's always kind of cool.
Do you throw
a whole bucket at once
or do you kind of have to...
Currently running at 155 yards an hour,
once converted, it could hit 200.
Placer mining is such a specialized industry that nothing's made for it.
You know, like pretty much everything's custom.
On the Shotover River...
Guys,
I've got a good feeling.
- Let's do it.
- All right.
...Tyler and Jeff are suction dredging.
Rusty mostly catches fine gold with his dredge,
but 3-ounce nuggets have been found
in this section of the river in recent years.
Oh,
Oh, my [bleep]!
I've had a lot of anxiety this trip
that I'm not going
to be delivering
the right kind of wash plants
and people.
So today's been really good for that.
We've been able to break away from the boys
for a couple of hours
and managed to find some gold.
To be honest,
I had so much fun today.
I kinda forgot the fact that,
you know, we're under the gun
and we need
to get this stuff done.
We really should be just hunkering down
and figuring out the wash plants.
Is it okay if we catch
a ride back into town?
- Awesome. Thank you, Rusty.
- Awesome.
Back at Urns Clue aggregate yard...
- Pretty cool, isn't it?
- Yeah.
...Parker must decide if the plant is worth buying.
Would you utilize
something like this?
It would be hard
to retrofit this to be wet,
but you don't have
much tolerance
for where the spray bars
would be, you know?
Complex plant conversions can take months
and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Probably be better off
starting from scratch.
You don't need us
holding you up anymore.
Appreciate it.
Thanks, Craig.
Take it easy, mate.
We're here to buy wash plant, and that's not happening.
I feel like we might need to start thinking about
the new plant
because every second
that we're wasting now
is a second wasted in Alaska.
Feels like we've hit a, uh,
we've hit a dead end.
Yep.
And we have to decide
to either bite the bullet
and buy one of the plants
that we didn't buy
that we've already seen
or accept that
we're never gonna find
what we're looking for
that's already
built and out there.
Yeah.
I think that the four of us
need to get together
and put a bullet in this.
Okay, we got one wine
with a fly in it
and one without.
Which one you want?
- I'll have the fly.
- Okay.
In Otago, New Zealand,
with no wash plants left to see, it's decision time.
Okay. I'm gonna be
brutally honest.
I've got nothing left
in store.
I mean, there's only so many
wash plants in a country.
Yep.
We've seen a lot.
Parker's viewed 13 wash plants across New Zealand.
- Plants everywhere really.
- Yeah, mate.
It really is so impressive.
Ten trommels, two of them floating.
It's just not
what we're looking for.
A dredge, a shaker deck and a dry screen...
Really appreciate it.
...but he still hasn't found the one.
By having, like,
seen so many plants
and we're like trying
to find something
that doesn't probably exist.
Different things
that you want on it,
it's quite a detailed spec
you've got going on.
Finding something
that's perfect,
really, really hard to do.
Well, that brings me
to, you know, we...
we could go down the road
to designing a wash plant.
To find the perfect plant,
the only way to do it
is just to build it.
I think we have enough ideas
from all the plants
we've seen.
Something mobile
with a good pre-wash.
I'll make sure
it's bang on 100%.
If we build a plant,
even just the design
is gonna take some time.
Yep. Yeah, it's definitely
gonna take a bit of time.
It depends on what road
we go down in.
Critical factors for me
were trommel or shaker.
If it's a shaker, what size?
'Cause we can make
all the design in the time
that we order that.
What kind of timeline
are we at right now?
Three to four months.
Well, that's already puts
into the season by a bit.
Right.
The quicker you wanna
get this sort of thing
going down the road,
the better.
We're at a stage now,
it's the case of you literally
pressing go on something.
So what are we doing?
Building, buying?
I... I don't know
what I wanna do.
Okay.
Yeah, I know, I know.
I think it is time
for you to start making
some decisions.
It is time.
This some sort of...
- Intervention?
- ...intervention.
We've checked you
into a center.
- A decision-making center?
- Yeah.
Shut the up!
I'm not being indecisive.
Not knowing what you want
is different
than being indecisive.
Yeah, it's not...
it's not indecision.
It's just not pulling
the trigger.
Your fingers like hovering
over the button,
but you're just
not quite pushing it.
I would love to build a plant for sure.
We've thrown a few ideas
back and forth at each other
and I think he trusts me
and I'm pretty sure I know
what he wants.
But I'm not sure how we push him over the edge to get an answer.
Right now, I don't know that
there's a way of telling
what is the right decision.
Probably the most
dangerous things to do
is kind of dance in between
those two things.
If Parker doesn't come up with some answers,
he's gonna be well
into his season
before he gets the plant.
To push Parker to make a decision,
Jeff and Tyler hatch a plan and head out to the countryside.
We don't have any time
left on this trip for Parker
to be indecisive.
So Jeff and I have a super exciting surprise.
I'm really hoping that today
is gonna reset the team,
reset Parker.
He's gonna come out of it
with a clear mind.
And we're gonna be
able to sit down
and make the decision
and move forward.
10 miles south...
Man!
This is like
real picture postcard stuff.
Parker and Danny drive to meet them,
unaware that Tyler's sent them the scenic route.
Mate, look at the drop.
Yeah.
The treacherous 14-mile-long Skippers Road
is perched 600 feet above the Shotover river.
Built in 1883 to bring mining equipment into the valley,
it took 17 years to complete.
It's known as one of the most dangerous roads in the world.
I look at what you're doing,
your dive into Alaska.
And I just think, "Geez.
So daunting."
If this were our
mining operation in the Yukon
and just another
old decision to make,
it would have been made
long ago.
To make decisions
without fear,
that's definitely
a useful thing.
- Yeah.
- You know?
And then as you get older,
the fear starts to creep in
a little bit.
And my reputation
is all built on...
built on success
and what if I don't
maintain that?
And I can maintain that
as long as I don't take risks,
right?
But you have to
take risks to be successful.
If 20-year-old Parker knew
that 27-year-old Parker
was sitting here
talking about fear,
he'd be like,
"You weak [bleep]."
He would. He so would.
I'll pocket the 2 grand
and take the $1,500
worth of fuel.
So that was easy.
Since a teenager, Parker has been fearless.
At the end of the day,
something needs to change.
Now's the time to be pushing
for everything we can.
Charging forward on instinct.
Give me one good reason
not to tell you to go
yourself.
And never shying away from bold decisions.
I'm a real underachieving
21-year-old,
that's for sure.
An attitude that has earned him over 48,000 ounces in gold.
You guys,
you just broke another record.
Free beer on Parker!
Now, on the brink of his biggest endeavor ever,
Parker is struggling.
What on earth
are you scared about?
Our pin appears to be
taking us nearer to that.
Yeah.
- What is that?
- Isn't that a bungee jump?
Oh, my
Oh, my
If that's what we're doing,
I'm out of here.
What's up losers?
Are we gonna
do a bungee jump?
We saw one on the way in
on that old rickety bridge.
Are you gonna
tell him or am I?
Really?
We're going bungee jumping.
No!
- Yeah.
- Oh, come on.
I just thought this would be
like a nice little
distraction for us.
So then afterwards,
we can reset
and kind of get
a plan together.
Nice little
near-death experience?
Yeah.
People don't die
bungee jumping, do they?
- Yeah.
- Yes.
- Really?
- Definitely.
I'm... I'm not making
a decision on this one
until we get down there.
Well, let's go
look at it then.
My [bleep]!
I don't wanna look.
I haven't looked.
- You have to look.
- Look, Dan, look.
- I don't wanna look.
- Look.
Oh, my [bleep]!
You're gonna
scream for Mommy again?
Yeah, maybe.
It's actually
an old miner's pipeline.
They used to use it back
in the old Gold Rush days,
and then they
built the bridge over
the top of the pipeline.
I love getting
a bit of history off you, Ty,
but to be quite honest
with you,
that's the last thing
I'm thinking about right now.
The 340-foot-pipeline bungee
is the second highest jump in New Zealand.
This one feels a lot different
than skydiving.
Right? You were just
strapped to somebody
and they jumped out the plane.
In this you actually
have to jump.
There we go,
Is there anything
that I could do that
would up everything?
Don't go feet first,
go head first.
With your arm tied up,
it will whip you out.
I'm sure that when we get to the edge
and you have to make that
conscious decision to jump,
there might be some
shimmer of fear
in his face.
You're gonna
stand there for 30 minutes
trying to decide to jump.
I bet I do it
quicker than you.
That's what I thought.
You guys are ready?
Ah, no.
I need... I should wee.
Go wee.
She can't.
Are we going...
are you going for wee
or are we doing it?
No, I'm all good.
Thank you.
Parker's gotta think on a lot of decisions.
Thrown into the mix is
whether or not
he wants to jump off a bridge.
With time in New Zealand running out,
Parker needs to pull the trigger
and buy a wash plant he's already seen
or take a leap and design his own.
In this business, the risk is always the thing that you're fighting.
- Feel like we're walking to our death.
- To our death, yeah.
It's a long way down.
We'll get you
on the edge.
We'll give you the all clear,
and then it's up to you
to get yourself off.
Fairbanks is gonna be a huge challenge.
You're gonna come under here,
holding on nice and tight.
I've got you good, mate.
That's it.
We don't have time to get it wrong.
All right.
Get your toes all the way
to the edge.
Almost there.
He's on the edge.
Yeah. He's good.
Arms out to the side.
This is the time when your mind likes to play tricks on you,
"Is it the right decision or is it the wrong decision?"
He's making it
way worse.
Feel like
it's a bit of a theme
this whole trip, hesitation.
The problem is you paralyze yourself with that.
I'm not sure I wanna do this.
I think sometimes you just
gotta take the leap, mate.
No decision is always the worst decision.
Stop overthinking things.
Take the leap, buddy.
Oh, my
That was horrific.
Oh,
I've never,
ever seen him scared.
Ever, no.
He doesn't do scared.
He did it, though.
Good times.
That's wild.
Oh, my
All right. Let's do it.
Yeah.
Oh, my.
Yeah, Danny boy!
Oh.
I thought my eyes were gonna
pop out of my head.
This means I'm next.
Oh, my, man.
Oh, mate.
I've never seen
you struggle so much,
ever, on anything we've done.
And nothing we've...
nothing we've ever done
has made me feel that way.
No, that did it.
Go on, Jeff!
Oh, my Lord.
Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
And five, four, three,
two, one.
Go on, girl.
Oh, [bleep]!
Holy [bleep]! Oh, my [bleep]!
Holy [bleep]!
Coming in hot!
Oh, my
How cool was that?
Good job, team.
Let's go.
Yeah.
I think that I'd like to have
a little bit more fun
in the country
before we get out of here.
Tyler, you're up.
Find us some more
cool stuff to do.
Yeah, I'm doing it.
We came here
to find some gold,
so let's go see
what we can come up
with on that front.
Sounds like
a challenge.
We can do that.
But, yeah, I think it's time
to make a decision, right?
- Yep.
- Yeah.
We're on the...
on the back foot.
I think we should design
and build a wash plant.
Let's do it.
- Oh, that's great.
- We did it!
It's go time.
It's time
to start spending money.
Actually, that's it.
With less than two months
until they start mining in Alaska,
Parker commits to building a custom wash plant.
It's obvious
that we aren't gonna find
something in the country
and that we're actually
now like really burning time.
And if Fairbanks is gonna work,
then we need to start moving quite quickly.
And that starts
with getting this wash plant
build on the rolls.
I've been taking note of the places we've been
and some of the factors that he wants.
We're really gonna
have to sit down
and hash it out.
There's still a lot of work to do on this trip.
We're not done yet.
It's taken us so much
to get to this point.
Now that we've finally
got this decision,
we can just enjoy
this last week together
and have some fun.
I've still got one last thing up my sleeve.
I have something bloody cool planned.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.