Shinkansen:   After having travelled the length of Kyushu on freeways and secondary roads for 4 days in a roomy, comfortable bus (top left inset), following the Hishikari visit, the Kyushu Field Workshop and associated mine visits program was at an end.   The next step was to return to Fukuoka in readiness to depart on the following morning for the Philippines.   To do so the group took the Kyushu Shinkansen from Kagoshima to Hakata station in Fukuoka, which was only 200 m from our hotel.   The Shinkansen smoothly and quietly consumed the 257 km in 1 hour 20 minutes (including one stop) at speeds of up to 260 km/hour.   Kylie Braund of Newcrest Mining and Daniel Santamaría of Almaden Minerals pose in front of the Bullet Train immediately before its departure from Kagoshima station.   Photographs by Mike Porter.