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Epithermal Gold 2012
Epithermal Gold Deposits of the Western Pacific
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[Return to Denpasar]
Overnight and Return to Denpasar:   By the time the Tujuh Bukit visit had been completed, there was insufficient daylight for the group to return to Denpasar that afternoon.   Consequently, accommodation had been reserved at a resort in East Java, only 15 minutes flying time north of Palau Merah, allowing just sufficient time for the three ferry flights required before darkness set-in at just after 5:00 pm.   The accommodation was at the luxury (but very reasonably priced) Ijen Resort, a series of well appointed units (e.g., bottom-left) set among 4 ha of gardens, surrounded by rice paddies (centre-left) on the slopes of Gunung Raung, the major volcano that is the core of East Java.   We were able to fly direct to the resort and land in the gardens (top-right), where the helicopter parked overnight.   On alighting from the helicopter, we were greeted by polite staff with refreshing drinks, and led away to check-in.   The resort is at an altitude of 1600 m, sufficient to temper the somewhat oppressive equatorial heat and make dining in the open restaurant (lower-right) pleasant.   The plan for the following day had been to ferry the group by helicopter to Denpasar, with all back by early afternoon in time for early evening flights.   However, next morning, heavy weather over much of East Java and Bali resulted in thick cloud cover and fog, preventing flying, with no certainly of being able to take-off until later in the day.   As a consequence the alternate plan was implemented, involving engaging surface transport to take the group to Denpasar.   The group travelled in two hired vans from the resort, to Banyuwangi on the coast, then by charter bus, via inter-island ferry across the Bali Straight (top-left) and down the west coast of Bali to Denpasar, arriving by 5:40 pm.   The weather cleared sufficiently at Ijen for the helicopter to depart in the early afternoon, too late to have ferried all of the group back to Denpasar before sunset.   Seven members of the group completed their tour in Denpasar, and started their homeward flights that evening and next morning.   The on-going group departed on a late-evening flight out of Denpasar, via Australia, to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, arriving early afternoon next day, where six new participants joined the tour.   Photographs by Mike Porter.

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