Two men are to make a donation to the Historic Places Trust after admitting trampling on an archaeological site with a TV crew in Central Otago.
Cam Withington and Lex McLean dug up and took away artefacts such as bottles and shovels when they searched for an old goldmining town called North Pole in the Garvie Mountains in 2007.
They pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of breaching the provisions of the Historic Places Act in Queenstown District Court.
Historic Places Trust archaeologist Rick McGovern-Wilson says Central Otago has been stripped of its heritage over the years and he hopes the case will deters others from damaging heritage sites.
Mr Withington was convicted and discharged without any fine and Mr McLean was discharged without conviction.
TV 3 was not prosecuted.
