Trust secretary-project manager Terry Davis and treasurer Odette Hopgood are in Zlatè Hory for the 47th World Goldpanning Championships.
The weather had been warm, the competition hot and the hospitality outstanding, Mr Davis said.
One of the conditions of hosting the world gold panning championships was to have attended the event.
The pair will also go to next year’s event in Spain where they will promote their competition and Central Otago.
Mr Davis said the full week of competitions and hospitality events had been the perfect opportunity to network, observe, participate and learn all about what was involved in hosting a World Gold Panning Championship.
World Gold Panning Association president Saanjay Singh said everyone there was excited about coming to New Zealand in 2026.
His sentiments were reiterated all around the competition, Mr Davis said.
"There are 28 goldpanning countries and we can expect good sized teams of 10 to 25 people from each country representing.
"The gold panning champs is full of wonderful characters — very similar to a Cavalcade actually.
"It is a fantastic festive atmosphere of friends coming together after a year apart. There are people from all over the world competing and socialising in perfect harmony. It is a great example of a wide variety of people from very different backgrounds getting together and genuinely enjoying each other's company."
The trust is dedicated to preserving and promoting historical sites, trials and events across Otago.
Probably best known for the annual Cavalcade and Postie Rally, the trust also hosted the national gold panning championships at last year’s Alexandra Blossom Festival and would be holding them again this year, along with other gold related activities.
Santana Minerals were the world championship sponsors and would have a team on hand at the gold panning at the Blossom Festival.
Modern gold panning competitions were first held in Finland in 1974 and three years later the country hosted the first world championships, attracting 10 nations competing for golden glory.
