Q-11 North Queensland: 1700 million years of Earth History on the Proterozoic-Phanerozoic Margin of Eastern Australia

 

Post Trip Saturday 11th August to Thursday 16th August 2012 (6 days and 5 nights)
Start/Finish Starts in Cairns and finishes in Townsville (Numbers limited to 30)
Cost Land:$2140 per person share twin/double Single Supplement:$485 Air:$290
Description Travel to the scenic Cairns hinterland in Far North Queensland to traverse the Silurian to Devonian rocks of the Mossman Orogen. Cross the Tasman Line, a major north-south structure that separates largely Palaeozoic rocks to the east from the Proterozoic rocks of the North Australian Craton. The Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic Etheridge Province, the Quaternary lavas at Copperfield Gorge, the world famous Undara Lava Tubes, the voluminous Carboniferous to Permian ignimbrite fields. Visit past and current mining at Chillagoe (gold and base metals) and Georgetown and Charters Towers (gold).
Highlights Tropical rainforest to savannah woodland, wildlife, outback scenery and culture, world-famous Undara Lava Tubes, mining history
Leader Mr Ian Withnall, Geological Survey Queensland and Professor Bob Henderson, James Cook University
Notes Specific joining instructions apply to this field trip and will be provided upon receipt and confirmation of trip booking.
 
Booking with Flight included Booking with no Flight

This field trip can be booked with a flight from Brisbane to the start 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 to the start point of the field trip from 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 Brisbane to Cairns Saturday 11th August
  Fly from Brisbane to Cairns where you make your own way to the hotel. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure before meeting for dinner.
  Meals: D Overnight: Motel in Chinchilla
 
Day 2 Cairns to Chillagoe Sunday 12th August
  After breakfast depart Cairns for your visits to Barron River Falls at Kuranda to view cleaved metapelites of the Devonian Hodgkinson Formation followed by a visit to an abandoned townsite at Thornborough to see turbidites of the Devonian Hodgkinson Formation. Continue on to historic Tyrconnell mine where you will have lunch. Afterwards travel on to Chillagoe for the night with stops en route near Kingsborough townsite to view melange in Hodgkinson Formation, the Burke Developmental Road where you will see rhyolitic ignimbrite of Carboniferous Featherbed Volcanic Group, the Burke Developmental Road for granite of the Kennedy Igneous Association and the Chillagoe Smelter site. Arrive at your Chillagoe motel for dinner and overnight.
  Meals: B /L/ D Overnight: Motel in Chillagoe
 
Day 3 Chillagoe to Undara Monday 13th August
  After breakfast depart your motel to visit Balancing Rock in Chillagoe to view Silurian to Early Devonian limestone of the Chillagoe Formation, including some indigenous rock art. Travel on to the Palmerville Fault on the Chillagoe-Bolwarra road followed by a visit to Red Dome or Mungana where you will view pits and examine core. In the afternoon travel to Undara via Mt Garnet with a possible visit to Innot Hot Springs/Hypipamee Crater, if time permits.
Arrive at your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
  Meals: B /L/ D Overnight: Lodge in Undara
 
Day 4 Undara to Georgetown Tuesday 14th August
  After breakfast visit Undara National Park and take the Archway Explorer tour of Quaternary volcanic features, including the lava caves. Continue on to Routh Creek, Newcastle Range on Gulf Developmental Road to view Carboniferous ignimbrite of the Newcastle Range Volcanic Group before stopping for lunch. Spend the afternoon viewing Proterozoic S-type granites around Georgetown and later a possible visit to the Ted Elliott mineral collection after hours, if it can be arranged. Arrive at your motel for dinner and overnight in Georgetown.
  Meals: B /L/ D Overnight: Motel in Georgetown
 
Day 5 Georgetown to Greenvale Wednesday 15th August
  After breakfast depart Georgetown and travel to Einasleigh via Forsayth. Visit Copperfield Gorge at Einasleigh township to view Quaternary basalt followed by a stop at the Einasleigh River at old copper mine to see gneiss and amphibolite of Einasleigh Metamorphics and Carboniferous microgranite ring dyke. Enjoy lunch at Einasleigh with an opportunity to visit Einasleigh Hotel – a genuine outback Australian pub, before travelling out to the Lynd Road near ND Creek to view Neoproterozoic or Cambrian Oasis Metamorphics (east of Tasman Line). Continue on to Lynd Highway, west of Greenvale to see chloritic schist of the Cambro-Ordovician Eland Metavolcanics and then Greenvale Nickel mine to view Neoproterozoic or Cambrian schists of the Halls Reward Metamorphics and serpentinite of the Boiler Gully Complex. Late in the afternoon you will visit the Spring Creek causeway at Lucky Springs homestead, where you will see the Gray creek fault zone between amphibolite of the Cambrian Gray Creek Complex and late Ordovician andesitic volcaniclastic rocks and oolitic limestone. Arrive at your motel for dinner and overnight.
  Meals: B/L/D Overnight: Motel in Greenvale
     
Day6 Greenvale to Townsville Thursday 16th August
  Depart your motel after breakfast and travel to Clarke River off the Lynd Highway to view turbidites in the Early Devonian Kangaroo Hills Formation, followed by a tour of Charters Towers, lunch and presentation by Charters Towers Gold, if it can be arranged. Spend the afternoon driving to Townsville with stops along the way. Arrive Townsville where the tour ends. Own accommodation and onward travel.
  Meals: B/L  
     
Important Note:
  Participants should be prepared for warm weather. Swimsuit recommended and sun hat, sneakers or beach sandals and strong walking shoes are essential.
Equipment Required:
  This field trip is not suitable for children.
 
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