C.M.T. Underground Mine Tour

Copper Mines of Tasmania

Useful Information

Location:	Meet at 2 Orr Street, Queenstown 7467.
Open:	All year daily 10, 13, 19, 19:30 (on demand). Booking essential. [2007]
Fee:	Adults NZD 58, Children (0-12) not allowed. [2007]
Classification:	Copper Mine
Light:	miners lamps provided
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=2.5 h.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Douggies Underground Mine Tours, PO Box 90, Queenstown 7467, Tel: +61-3-6471-1472, Cell: +61-407-049-612, Fax: +61-3-6471-1472. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Geology

Description

This tour visits the working underground copper mine of Copper Mines of Tasmania (CMT). This is really a tour of superlatives, going down 250 m below sea level and seven kilometers down the slope called the Main Decline. The tour shows modern mining at work, huge electro-hydraulic drill rigs, Elphingstone boggers, and Toro dump trucks with a capacity of 50 tons. Elphingstone boggers are built in Tasmania, This machinery mines 8,000 tons of ore daily.

Visitor are equipped with the same gear as miners, helmets with miners lamps, self rescuers, rubber boots, and safety glasses. The visitors are carried to the underground work face by a 4WD station wagon.