Mangakirikiri cinnabar prospect, Thames, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
Mangakirikiri cinnabar prospect	- not defined -
Thames	- not defined -
Thames-Coromandel District	District
Waikato Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

Sinter deposits consisting of opaline silica, with associated pyrite-marcasite-arsenopyrite, cinnabar, rare stibnite and chalcopyrite. The sinter deposits are interbedded with sporadic mineralisation in variable propylitised and argillic altered andesite. Freedman in 1985 and 1990 assayed the material at Hg up to 2.64%, Au up to 0.08 ppm, and As up to 440 ppm, with no silver or antimony detected.

(Fraser, 1910) states occurs in a band dipping 10 degrees south-east, one to ten inches wide containing a few lenses of cinnabar at the intersections of irregularly inclined clay filled fractures, up to 25% mercury, but the quantity is small.

(Thames Star newspaper, 1898) notes at least 8 lodes on the south-west side of the Otanui Stream area, a small tributary off the Mangakirikiri Stream. One quartz lode is described trending north-south, dipping 40-48 degrees east, 3-4 feet wide. Little information is given on the quality or quantity of the mineral found.

The cinnabar deposits were discovered by the Lowrie brothers and Long (surnames) in 1897. Two drives, and surface pottering is noted shortly after. The Thames Quicksilver Mines Limited is formed in 1899 to prospect the deposits, then nothing more is heard of this entity. It is widely reported an American syndicate plans to take over the deposits in 1906, but this also comes to nought.

The Mangakirikiri cinnabar claim is registered with the warden in 1915, to prospect the specimen cinnabar, and 'good general dirt', and this also dis-appears from history no sooner as it is formed.

The area is not easily accessible.

References

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