NCAL-1 New Caledonia Subduction/Obduction System,
HP-LT Complex, Ophiolites, Syntectonic Basins.Neogene Tropical Weathering and Nickel Resources Holocene Landforms, Barrier Reef, Neotectonics, Isle of Pines.

 

Pre Trip Sunday 28 July to Saturday 4 August 2012 (8 days and 7 nights)
Start/Finish Starts in Noumea and finishes in Noumea (Numbers limited to 15)
Cost Land:$1935 per person share twin/double Single Supplement: $805 Air: From $985
Description See an integrated view of the subduction/obduction system and subsequent supergene evolution that lead to the formation of the nickel ores of New Caledonia. Visit the blueschist-eclogite belt of northern New Caledonia to see the tectonic relationships between subducted and exhumed mélange with foreland basins and ophiolite. Visit an operating nickel mine with ultramafic protoliths and tropical oxidised soils which host the nickel ore and the famous garnierite crack seals.
Highlights Isle of Pines, World Heritage Lagoon, coral reefs, nickel mine
Leaders Professor Dominique Cluzel, University of New Caledonia, and Mr Pierre Maurizot, B.R.G.M. Nouméa
Notes Delegates are required to book own air travel to arrive in Noumea on evening of 29 July and to fly to Brisbane late afternoon on 4 August, unless you request that Quadrant Australia book it for you.
Optional Amedee lighthouse with glassbottom boat or snorkelling - $200.00
   
You can still book on this tour but you will be placed on a waiting list. If a position becomes vacant you may be selected for the tour. Please select an alternate tour when you book onto the waiting list.
 
Booking with Flight included Booking with no Flight

This field trip can be booked with a flight to Brisbane from the end point of the field trip inclusive.

If booked with the field trip then your flight will be confirmed as part of the IGC seats allocated on flights .

If you book without the flight it will be the responsibility of the delegate to book the flight to return from the end of the field trip to Brisbane.

These seats cannot be booked as part of the IGC allocation and you will only have the publicly available seats on the flight.

(Additional cost see above)  

* Flight bookings DO NOT include
arrangements for you from your home
port to or from the field trips and congress.

These bookings can be done as
a separate arrangement

 

Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Noumea Saturday 28th July
  Delegates fly to Noumea, the cosmopolitan capital of New Caledonia. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
  Meals: D Overnight: Tontoutel Hotel, La Tontoutel
     
Day 2 Noumea to Bourail Sunday 29th July
  After breakfast depart and travel to Bourail with geological visits along the way. Basement (pre-Late Cretaceous) terranes, Late Cretaceous syn-rift sediments; Eocene foreland basin.
On arrival, check into your hotel with time to freshen up before meeting for dinner.
  Meals: B/L/D Overnight: El Kantara, Bourail
 
Day 3 Bourail to Koumac Monday 30th July
  After breakfast depart for Nepoui and Koumac with visits to Mafic and ultramafic allochthons; Miocene post-obduction sediments and regolith erosion products. Lower Eocene amphibolite.
On arrival at Koumac you will have time to check into your hotel and freshen up for dinner.
  Meals: B/L/D Overnight: Monitel, Koumac
 
Day 4 Koumac to Hienghene Tuesday 31st July
  After breakfast depart Koumac for Ouegoa Amos Pass and the East Coast where you will see Early to mid-Eocene intrabasinal tectonics; Late Eocene olistostrome, HP-LT complex, isoclinal folding and ductile thrusting, mafic and ultramafic inlyiers. Pouebo eclogitised mélange, East Coast scenery, Tao waterfall. Arrive Hienghene and check into your hotel with time to freshen up before meeting for dinner.
  Meals: B/L /D Overnight: Koulnoue Village hotel
 
Day 5 Hienghene to La Tontoutel Wednesday 1st August
  After breakfast depart for La Tontouta via Poindimié, Koné with visits along the way to Hienghene karst, Tiwaka waterfall, Central Chain scenery, Boghen schist, Koné Fm. Check into your La Tontouta hotel wiht time to freshen up for dinner.
  Meals: B /L/D Overnight:Tontoutel Hotel, La Tontoutel
 
Day 6 La Tontoutel to Noumea Thursday 2nd August
  After breakfast travel to Thio where you will visit the Thio operating nickel mine, ultramafic regolith and supergene Ni ore, syn-alteration faulting, garnierite crack seals. Early afternoon, enjoy a Kanak welcome at St Paul village near Thio with the opportunity to see traditional handicrafts and have a traditional Melanesian meal or "Bougna", where the ingredients are wrapped in banana leaves and enclosed in an oven made from hot rocks. Back to Noumea, check into your hotel before meeting for dinner.
  Meals: B/L /D Overnight: Noumea Hotel, Noumea
 
Day 7 Noumea Friday 3rd August
  After breakfast travel to Prony, Port Boisé and Yate to see Massif du Sud ultramafics, paleo-Moho, mafic and ultramafic cumulates, Eocene dykes with optional tours for glass bottom boat or snorkelling experience at Amedee lighthouse islet. Return to your Noumea hotel with time to freshen up before dinner.
  Meals: B /L/ D Overnight: Noumea Hotel, Noumea
 
Day 8 Onward travel Saturday 4th August
  Breakfast at leisure with the day to explore Noumea for yourself before meeting early afternoon for the transfer to the airport for the evening flight to Australia – own flight arrangements.
  Meals: B/D  
 
Important Notes:
  1. This field trip is not suitable for children.
  2. Airfares are not included in the tour price.
Equipment Required:
  Usual field gear including day pack, suitable footwear for potentially quarry, gravel tracks and farm exposures. You should also bring a rain jacket, sun hat, sun glasses, sun cream, camera, plus any personal items such as medications etc. Hiking boots or shoes are recommended with the addition of light weight Teva or similar slip-on footwear for beach sections. Field trip leaders will provide hard hats and fluro vests as required for roadside and/or quarry stops.
 
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