How I Live... What A Treasure! Sue's A Human Magpie

New Plymouth’s Sue Billing (58) Is a Grandmother of Nine and a Metal Detectorist

- Julie Jacobson

“I was watching a video about magnet fishing on YouTube when another video – on metal detecting – came up. I thought, ‘Okay, let’s have a look.’

I got my first metal detector just after Christmas two years ago. It was a cheap one. I was just testing the waters to see whether I’d like it, but I was soon hooked.

Since then, I’ve upgraded to a mid-range detector and joined a couple of groups – Metal Detecting Aotearoa and Pay Dirt NZ – where you can post or show off your finds, ask for advice, arrange meet-ups with other detectors, that sort of thing.

I’ve got five children – Mel (36), Leigh (32), Tracey (28), Dani (25) and Shaun (20) – and I’m blessed with nine grandchildren.

Tracey has my original detector. We try to go out most days and at the weekends, usually in the mornings before she goes to work, but we’ve done some night hunts as well, using head lamps or our cellphone lights to see. It can be quite difficult detecting during the day, especially in summer if there’s a lot of people around; you’re answering questions about what you’re doing instead of actually doing any detecting.