Cowal Briefing:   The tour commenced at Sydney Airport, Domestic Terminal 2, where the group from around the world rendezvoused, before taking the 16:00 pm Regional Express (Rex) commuter flight to Parkes in central western New South Wales. There they were joined by local tour members that had arrived by road, and had an introductory dinner and meeting.   Next morning, an early departure and two hour ride by charter bus took them to the Barrick Cowal Gold Mine, north of West Wyalong, to arrive before 09:00 am for the first visit of the tour.   This involved a geological overview of the open pit, followed by a detailed and comprehensive briefing on the deposit and its geology led by Paul McInnes of Cowal Gold Mines (reflective orange shirt on upper-right hand image) who has devoted much of his career to the discovery, proving and development of the deposit.   The 19 members of the group were a tight fit into the conference room in the exploration office.   The presentation was punctuated by rock specimens that were handed around, and by discussion (lower-right image).
Photographs by Mike Porter.