Hunter's Gold

Colin, in tepid Timaru, also sends along this 1977 New Zealand drama about "A 13 year old boy goes in search of his missing father in New Zealand during the gold rush of 1860."

This is a very Disneyesque family action-adventure with good production value similar to another 70's New Zealand drama "Children of Fire Moutain". 
(Ian Mune appears in this as a magician. He's been in several recent New Zealand shows: Burying Brian, Sunny Skies, Agent Anna......speaking of Agent Anna, I see it will be returning next year for another 10 episodes.)
"Thirteen year old Scott Hunter becomes anxious about his father, a gold prospector, when his personal belongings return home without him. Scott goes off to Tuckers Gully in search and en route has various adventures, not least when he hitches a ride with a travelling showman, Marvello The Magician. On arriving at Tuckers Gully Scott finds that his father's colleague has been found murdered. Scott's father, whom no one has seen for some weeks, is the prime suspect and there is a price on his head. Scott finds that his father struck gold and is being held prisoner by the real murderers, Ryan and Dodd, and manages to convince the folk of Tuckers Gully the truth."