Eastern Bushveld and Nkomati

Taking place on: 27 - 31 August 2014

Tour Leader

Chris Gauert

The excursion will lead passing Transvaal Sequence floor rocks into the Bushveld Complex granites around Vergenoeg Fluorite Mine. Passing the town of Chuniespoort and the Mohlopitse Fold Belt, we enter the northeastern limb of the Bushveld Complex looking at Lower and Lower Critical Zone rocks in the Olifants River Trough and along the ’Cameron Section’. The famous Pt-orebody of the ‘Merensky Reef’ will be inspected at the Maandagshoek type locality close to Burgersfort. Furthermore, exposures of the middle and upper group chromitite layers will be visited at Tweefontein Mine and the national geological monument of the Dwars River gorge, south of Steelpoort, as well as discordant ultramafic pipes. The Main Magnetite Layer and related Fe-V-Ti mineralizations of Upper Zone of the Bushveld Complex will be attended in Sekuhuneland.

It is planned to visit the Two Rivers Platinum Mine nearby, looking at underground exposure of the UG-2 chromitite workings; the excursion continues via the Mpumalanga Drakensberg Range, looking at Black Reef conglomerate in the eastern escarpment at ‘Gods Window’ and the stromatolitic ‘Mega domes’ of the Malmani Subgroup dolomites near Sudwala Caves. Passing by marginal sills in the foot wall of the eastern Bushveld Complex, a open-pit visit of the Nkomati Nickel-Copper-Platinum (-Cr-Co) Mine is planned, which constitutes a satellite intrusion of the Bushveld. Drive back to Johannesburg via Middleburg and Emalahleni.

 

 

Day 1 – 27 August
Early departure (07:00) from Johannesburg eastwards on the N4 via Emalahleni (former Witbank) and Middleburg to Machadodorp, from there to the farms Little Mamre and Slaaihoek along the Mpumalanga escarpment.
Stop 1: Marginal sills of the Eastern part of the Bushveld Complex. Lower part of the Transvaal Sequence: Timeball Hill shale, Malmani Dolomite, Black Reef conglomerate.
Stop2: Visit to the Nkomati Nickel-Copper-Platinum(-Cr-Co) Mine, a mineralised satellite intrusion of the Bushveld; open-pit, core yard and exploration drill rig.
Overnight: Badplaas Forever Resorts.
19:30 Enjoy an evening "braai" and bath in Badplaas thermal pool

Day 2 – 28 August
07:00 Depart from Forever Badplaas Resort
Drive from Badplaas via Graskop, LongTom pass, Lydenburg to Steelpoort.
Stop 1: Malmani Subgroup dolomites: stromatolitic 'Megadomes' between Sabie and Sudwala Caves.
Stop 2: Mpumalanga Drakensberg Range, country rocks to the Bushveld Complex
Possible Stop 2b: 'Tennis ball marker'
Stop 3: Wolkberg Formation, Transvaal Sequence: Black Reef conglomerate
Overnight: Khumula Lodge, between Burgersfort and Steelpoort.

Day 3 – 29 August
08:00 Depart from Khumula Lodge
Stop 1: Mine Visit at Two Rivers Platinum Mine (African Rainbow Minerals- Impala Platinum JV) in the morning; underground visit to the UG2 workings; visit of the commencing UG2 open pit operation.
Stop 2: Visit the Dwars River gorge, exposure of UG1 (Upper Group Chromitite 1, CUZ), south of Steelpoort, National Monument: Chromitite layers of the anorthosites of the upper critical zone of the Bushveld
Stop 3: Discordant ultramafic pipes (CUZ).
Stop 4: MG-chromitite exposure at Tweefontein recreation club
Overnight: Khumula Lodge, between Burgersfort and Steelpoort.

Day 4 – 30 August
08:00 Depart from Khumula Lodge
Stop 1: Upper Critical and Main Zones of the Bushveld Complex: Main Magnetite Layer, related mineralizations at 'magnets hoogte/heights'
Stop 2: Bushveld granite close to Jane Furse Hospital in Sekuhuneland
Stop 3: Merensky Reef (MR) Maandagshoek type locality close to Burgersfort, afternoon drive past UG-3 river exposure, Driekop and Mooihoek pipes.
Stop 4: Calcsilicate felses on the way back to Steelpoort.
Overnight: Gethlane Lodge, Burgersfort.

Day 5 – 31 August
08:00 Depart from Gethlane Lodge
Early departure from Burgersfort to Chuniespoort, Stop along the 'Cameron section' and in the Olifants' River valley.
Stop 1: Overview of Lower and Lower Critical Zone (LZ and CLZ) rocks of the Bushveld Complex on farms Jagdlust, Clapham and Winterveld.
Stop 2: Lower Upper critical zone section on the farm 'Jagdlust'.
Stop 3: Ultramafic rocks of the 'Cameron Section – Olifants River.
Stop 4: Transvaal Sequence floor rocks of the Bushveld Complex around Chuniespoort and in the Mohlopitse Fold Belt, north of the road, sign 'Burgersford 90 km'
Drive back over Mokopane, possibly disgress to Vergenoeg Fluorite Mine near Rust de Winter via Pretoria-Zambezi Drive and Moloto, hopefully collection of samples from dumps, return to Johannesburg in the afternoon. Approximate return time 18:00.

Items booked:
Coach
Packed lunches

Lunch, dinner & beverages are included for each day

Accommodation bookings:
On bed & breakfast basis
27 August: Badplaas Forever Resorts
28 & 29 August:Khumula Lodge
30 August: Gethlane Lodge

Min Number of participants:              7
Max number of participants:             35

 

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Terms and Conditions:

1. Participation will be confirmed on receipt of payment.

2. Preference will be given to registered IMA delegates.

3. Cancellations must be received in writing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

4. Any refunds issued will be subject to approval by the organising committee.

5. Cancellations received before 30 May 2014 will receive a full refund less a 10% administration fee.

6. Cancellations received between 31 May and 31 July 2014 will receive a 50% refund.

7. No refunds will be issued after 31 July 2014.