Pre and Post Congress Tours

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The tours range geographically from the temperate regions of New Zealand, to Western Australia, and right up to the tropical coastal regions of Queensland that fringe the Great Barrier Reef. Other Congress Tours explore soil and soil-related issues in the varied and interesting landscapes in between these regions. The soil types examined will range in age from very recent volcanic soil to some of the most ancient and highly weathered soil on the planet.

The issues covered by these tours include: the pedology of soil formed from widely varying parent materials and widely varying climates, to soil- and soil management-related issues that are challenging the sustainability of our agriculture, and some of our most productive soil for horticulture and viticulture.

Opportunities for social interaction and for experiencing some of the unique environments of Australia and or New Zealand have also been included in each of the Congress Tours. It is expected that the allotted places on these Tours will fill quickly.

Please refer to the Congress Registration Form to book your participation in one (or more) of the Pre and Post Congress Tours.

Tour 1 - Volcano Coast - Northern New South Wales

The Volcano Coast tour centres on Mt Warning ("Wollumbin"- cloud catcher), an ancient shield volcano which 23 million years ago covered most of the tour area and has now eroded into a breathtakingly beautiful subtropical landscape only two hours south of Brisbane.  The tour group meets on Monday 5pm (July 26) at the Riverside Hotel, Southbank (in Brisbane, QLD), ready to head off early the next morning over the border.

On Tuesday morning we visit a dairy farm in the shadow of Mount Warning to inspect Kurosols (Acrisols/Alfisols) that have formed on re-exposed rocks of the pre-volcanic landscape. The afternoon will be spent at a sugar cane farm. Here, Hydrosols (Gleysols/Aquolls) with very organic topsoils are managed so as to reduce acid output from the underlying acid sulfate soil materials. Compost and biochar experiments have also been undertaken on this farm by the medal winning farmer.

Wednesday we travel through the heart of the ancient volcano where many road cuttings help reveal the region's tumultuous volcanic past. Stops include a facility where new soil materials are made from organic wastes and worms, a pit within a Vertosol (Vertisol) and a visit to one of Australia's acid sulfate soil hotspots, the Tuckean Swamp.

Thursday takes in a research macadamia orchard on Red Ferrosols (Nitisols/Oxisols) with soil erosion and soil health issues and a trip to the beach to see some magnificent sand dunes that have developed ‘giant' Podosols (Podzols/Spodosols). Participants will have some free time at Byron Bay, one of Australia's best known tourist destinations.

On Friday we inspect Vertosols (Vertisols) at a local turf farm where basaltic sediments overlie Pleistocene sand bodies. We then travel to an area at Byron Bay where peat soils are used to polish water from Byron Bay's sewage treatment plant. This area has been designed as a wetland and attracts thousands of birds all year round. The tour then returns to Brisbane late Friday afternoon.

The tour includes local farm produce during the day and Australian specialties for dinner, including steaks from nearby cattle country and local seafood on the coast.

Tour 3 - The North Island - New Zealand

The North Island NZ---- Volcanoes to Ocean: Assessing the risk and valuing the natural capital.

Tour will commence on Monday evening by over-nighting in Auckland, New Zealand's largest urban centre, ready to depart early on Tuesday morning. We will immediately head south to the market gardening area surrounding Pukekohe , to discuss soil resilience, erosion and urbanisation issues focussing on the Pukekohe silt loam (Typic/Andic Kandiudult) formed on the slopes of an old basaltic cone overlaying even older marine terraces. Now heading south-east we will arrive for lunch in Tirau, a centre of intensive pastoral farming. Here we will view the Tapapa section , a classic Andisol in distal composite tephras [Tirau soil, ( Typic Hapludand)], where the profile records tephric loess and buried soil horizons dating back 230,000 yrs. We complete the day with a trip to view geothermally heated horticultural crops, and a trip towards sunset around Lake Taupo to overnight in Turangi. Bring swimming wear for hot pool bathing.

On Wednesday morning we will follow the Tongariro River to its head waters under the active volcanoes Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe, stopping at the Mangatoetoenui Quarry to view the cover-bed succession of Holocene and Late Pleistocene Ruapehu- and Ngauruhoe-derived tephras resting on lahar deposits. Continuing our journey south and descending through extensive hill country sheep farms on steeply dissected and highly erobile soft ocean sediments, you will get the chance to view a river aggradation terrace sequence on the western side of Rangitikei River, spanning the last 400,000 yrs. The last stop of the day will consider the problem of pastoral farming on steep-land formed in Early Pleistocene marine sands and muds. The rate of formation of new soil is slower than the rate of soil loss. Exotic forestry or retirement to native shrubs and trees is desirable, but is politically and financially difficult to achieve. On to, Massey University in Palmerston North and a special tour dinner.

Tour 5 - South Australia and Western Victoria

Starting on Monday from Adelaide (the ‘City of Churches' with a population of less than 1 million people) the tour goes straight to the coast to look at coastal acid sulfate soils and issues associated with their management. We then head for the Barossa Valley (an iconic wine region of Australia) via a major vegetable production area and will hear about the use of waste water for vegetable and grape production and learn about the soil limitations associated with viticulture, including sodicity and salinity.  Lunch will be at a winery and will include wine tasting before we head to Nuriootpa Research station and discuss wine grape and soil research.  We stay overnight at Nuriootpa - a major service centre in the Barossa Valley.

On Tuesday we travel through the SA Riverland region associated with Australia's iconic Murray River.   A visit to the Murray River wetlands will introduce you to the salt interception scheme and the efforts being made by soil scientists to conserve these fragile ecosystems.  We have lunch at Banrock Station, a Riverland vineyard that is also involved in wetland conservation.  A soil pit is also visited in the afternoon before crossing into Victoria and staying overnight in Mildura -  an oasis in a 300 mm annual rainfall zone.  We will be dining at a nationally renowned restaurant that uses all local produce.

On Wednesday we move south away from the irrigation region into the cereal production and aeolian landscapes of Victoria's Mallee region (so named because of the distinctive ‘mallee' eucalypts that dominate the region).  We will visit a soil pit as well as stopping at the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park for a brief visit to see some of the local vegetation.. We will then move towards Victoria's ‘Wimmera' region and look at how grain growers deal with numerous challenges to improving farm profitability and sustainability in the low to medium rainfall zone - including climate variability and subsoil constraints.  We stay overnight at Horsham - the major centre in the Wimmera region.  In Horsham we will visit the Department of Primary Industries research centre where current research on farming systems will be demonstrated - including soil water and nutrient dynamics and root zone constraints, remote sensing and the Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) facility.  

On Thursday we look at more cropping areas and major soil types (e.g. cracking clays) and then on to Grampians (‘Gariwerd') National Park where indigenous culture, fauna and fauna are encountered as well as breath-taking landscapes.  A free afternoon to explore local flora and fauna as well as aboriginal culture.  We stay overnight at Halls Gap.

Friday we travel south and enter the grazing and higher-rainfall cropping zone of Victoria.  We venture to the Dundas Tablelands to look at groundwater and salinity management issues.  We then head to Hamilton and look at pasture, livestock and grain production systems research on one of the largest volcanic plains in the world. The range of soils varies according to volcanic history, landform and climate.  We visit a DPI research centre and look at farming systems and climate change research being undertaken (including measurement of nitrous oxide emissions).

On Saturday we leave Hamilton and venture eastward across the volcanic plains. The tour group will see how farmers are adapting to sodic soils and climate change with various management options such as raised bed cropping and our day ends in the port city of Geelong on Corio Bay.

On Sunday we visit the Bellarine Peninsula and associated wineries on different soil types (taste any difference?) relax for lunch and then onto to Werribee (only 35 km to go) to view vegetable production on basaltic alluvium and recycled water use.

Finally onwards to Melbourne, that capital city of Victoria, to recuperate or party. Melbourne has lots of attractions and is the home of Australian Rules Football, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and many fine cafes and restaurants. Come check out the variety of this trip!