This field trip provides an overview of the geological setting of orogenic and placer gold deposits in the South Island. Visits will be made to historic sites, and active mines and prospects including Macraes that is mined by open-pit and underground methods producing approximately 180,000 oz of gold annually, with more than 5 Moz gold produced since 1990. The itinerary transects the South Island from Christchurch to Greymouth on the West Coast, then heads south to Haast and crosses the Southern Alps to Hawea and after three days in Otago, finishes in Dunedin. The trip will feature fantastic alpine and coastal scenery and some of New Zealand’s most famous tourist locations making it highly suitable for accompanying persons.

Timing: Pre-conference
Start: Christchurch, Saturday 6 November
Finish: Dunedin, Friday 12 November
Duration: 7 days and 6 nights

This field trip provides an overview of the volcanic-tectonic setting, hydrology, fluid chemistry, alteration and mineralisation of sub-aerial hydrothermal systems and their energy and mineral resources. The itinerary includes visits to active volcanoes (Tongariro Volcanic Centre), active geothermal systems (Waiotapu, Orakeikorako, Waimangu, Wairakei, Rotorua) and epithermal gold-silver deposits in the Coromandel Peninsula (Waihi and Karangahake).

Timing: Post-conference
Start: Rotorua, Saturday 20 November
Finish: Auckland, Wednesday 24 November
Duration: 5 days and 4 nights

Volcanic features of the Taupo Volcanic Zone

This trip will explore Cambrian-aged porphyry-style mineralisation that developed along the eastern margin of Gondwana in the Grampians-Stavely Zone and world-class gold mineralisation in the Bendigo and Stawell Zones. Emphasis will be placed on new developments in understanding the larger-scale geodynamic context of these mineral systems through visiting key outcrop, underground mine visits (likely at Fosterville, Stawell, and Costerfield), and drill core viewing.

Timing: Pre-conference
Start: Melbourne, Monday 8 November
Finish: Melbourne, Friday 12 November
Duration: 5 days and 4 nights

Western Tasmania has undergone three major metallogenic episodes that have resulted in the formation of many significant base metal and tin deposits within a small (~100-km-long) region. The major geologic feature that hosts the copper, gold, and base metal deposits is the Cambrian submarine Mt Read Volcanic belt, whereas the tin deposits mainly formed where Devonian to Carboniferous granites intruded basement carbonate sequences, producing proximal and distal skarns. The field trip will provide the opportunity to visit several of the well studied Cambrian VHMS and Devonian granite-related deposits (e.g. Hellyer, Mt Lyell , Henty and Rosebery-Hercules VHMS, Renison Sn and Kara Fe-W skarn – to be confirmed by host companies). The field trip will also focus on the environmental legacy of mining and remediation strategies that have been adopted in the past, present and future.