About
Shayne Anthony Hancock, an experienced and dedicated New Zealand fossicker, was born on August 23, 1983, in Golden Bay.
His journey as a fossicker took him from Golden Bay to Auckland at the age of 15, but he eventually returned to his hometown when he turned 18.
It was during his time in Auckland that he had a slightly difficult and eye-opening experience, which made him appreciate the beauty of his home town even more.
Shayne’s deep connection to nature led him to explore the outdoors of his beautiful hometown. He embarked on walks along rivers and creeks, venturing into untouched areas where few others had been before.
As he immersed himself in the wonders of Mother Nature, he began to collect various interesting-looking artifacts that she had created. This passion soon turned into an obsession for rock hounding.
Shayne’s deep connection to nature led him to explore the outdoors of his beautiful hometown. He embarked on walks along rivers and creeks, venturing into untouched areas and collecting fascinating artifacts. This passion grew into an obsession for rock hounding.
For the next 17 years, Shayne expanded his collection of rocks, crystals, fossils, minerals, and bones. He scoured the country, focusing on Golden Bay, where he found fossil shark teeth, nautilus, shellfish, and wood, along with impressive quartz crystals and various minerals like jade, serpentine, and talc. He also unearthed bones from moas, bats, tuataras, and other birds.
In Nelson, Shayne discovered high-quality jade and other minerals. His travels to Canterbury yielded agates, gemstones, and fossils. In Moraki, he found swamp agates, and trips to the Coromandel region brought chalcedony, carnelian, amethyst, and more.
After 17 years, Shayne moved to Hokitika, working with Ngāi Tahu to search for pounamu in the Arahura River. He also found margarite, sodalite, New Zealand ruby rock, and a meteorite. Achieving his goal of finding a meteorite inspired him to search for and name a new rock.
Returning to Nelson, Shayne sought a new stone for carvers. For three years, he lived minimally, giving away his possessions and focusing on his search. Eventually, he returned to Golden Bay and discovered the Obay Stone, a unique carving stone.
Shayne now supplies carvers across New Zealand, earning respect for his dedication and expertise in the mining community.