Post Conference Trip
GAA Conference NSW 2012 – POST CONFERENCE TRIP
A bus Trip to the New England Gemstone Fields of NSW for 21st to 26th May 2012
The post conference field trip to New South Wales’ New England region is being organised to explore a treasure-trove of gemstones such as sapphire, zircon, rhodonite, nephirite, serpentine, prase, jasper plus gold and other metal ores. The tour will include plenty of opportunities to fossick as well as a visit to the largest operating sapphire mine in Australia.
The 200km long Devonian Carboniferous Peel Fault formed when a massive portion of eastern Australia collided with the then existent coastline in the Tamworth area. A huge area of deep sea floor chert and limestone beds were crushed between the colliding continents and pushed into a Himalaya-style mountain range, which has long since eroded away. Today semi-precious and ornamental gemstones abound in the area.
Later, Tertiary Hawaiian-style shield volcanoes punched through the east Australian crust along the entire length of the Great Divide erupting explosive tuffs and breccias as well as basalt lavas. These rocks, rich in sapphires, zircons and spinels, shed their gemstones into ancient rivers draining the volcanoes. The Central Province volcano in the New England was one of the most important of these, giving birth to the Australian sapphire industry.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN COMING?
If so please send an email expressing your interest to nsw@gem.org.au marked “Subject” New England tour and you will be advised of further details when they come to hand.
Tour Organizers
Robert Coenraads & Terry Coldham.
