Cowal Gold Mine, Central NSW - The initial members of the group had rendezvoused at Sydney domestic airport on the afternoon of Sunday 3 November for the afternoon Rex flight to Parkes in central western NSW where they spent the night. Because the group was small, and to allow more independence, a Kluger 4WD vehicle was hired for transport over the next 2 days in NSW. The group departed early next morning for the just under 2 hour drive to the Cowal Gold mine north of West Wyalong. On site they were given an excellent and enthusiastic presentation over images, plans and sections by Evolution Mining geological staff. Again, because the group was small, this was more informal than for a larger group and allowed for a ready flow of discussion and questions. This was followed by a drill core study and discussion session with Evolution geologists (bottom right) over a number of selected holes through the deposit, followed by an overview of the >1 km diameter open pit (above). Note the Lake Cowal sediments (red) overlying the pale brown to yellow oxide zone and the underlying darker unweathered bedrock of diorite and 'andesitic' volcanic rocks. A ~30 m high bund above the far wall of the pit protects it from the waters of the ephemeral Lake Cowal to the east. After a very professionally satisfying visit, the group departed Cowal in the mid afternoon to drive back to Parkes.
Cowal is an intermediate sulphidation epithermal, quartz-carbonate-base metal-gold deposit within the Ordovician Macquarie Arc of the Lachlan Fold Belt.
Members of the tour group and Evolution guide at the Cowal Gold Mine - Lower left image, from left, James Cumming (Impact Minerals); George Martin-Johnson (CSA Global); Matt Clifford (Evolution Mining, Cowal); Mark Murphy (Independence Group).       Images by Mike Porter.