Husband and wife team John and Margaret May, of Ettrick, have not missed a competition since its inception. Mr May was the first winner.
Speaking to the Queenstown Times, Mrs May said her husband got her into the sport after he and his sister used a "rocker" to look for gold when "they cut off water for the Roxburgh Dam".
"It's just fun ... It's something you can do with your little children or your big children; you can take them into any creek, just about, in New Zealand and find some gold.
"It's just a lovely day out for everybody."
Mr May, who has travelled to Australia to learn more about gold panning, said advances in the pans, used by some of yesterday's competitors, which created an almost flat surface, was "essential" for those wanting to become serious competitors.
"You see 16-year-old kids get all of their gold in a minute.
"It's almost a copy of what the natives of South America and the Aborigines in Australia used.
"They used a piece of shallow bark, but they used to minnow it (use wind instead of water).
"It's not a new thing at all; it's just been manufactured to mimic the bark."
Mr May became "fascinated by the mystique" of gold panning, but had witnessed what addiction to the sport was like.
He and a friend in Australia would go panning for up to 12 days at a time, before heading to the nearest town for water and food.
"He would say we didn't have time to be there; it was taking too much time out of the day.
"He had no time to cook a proper meal, wash or get water.
"He was trying to ... better himself.
"Gold panning was part of his year's income.
"I saw that side of it, which was kind of sad.
"It's like anything: it's as addictive as you let it be."
When asked about the largest piece of gold he had uncovered , Mr May proudly responded "about 3.5 ounces ... the size of my palm".
However, the nugget was safely stored with a bank, much to his wife's disgust.
"She wanted it made into jewellery.
"I said 'No. It's in the bank and that's that.' "
