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80-502: The historic Haast to Paringa Cattle Track is a trail through South Westland , New Zealand, constructed in 1875 to allow farmers in the Landsborough and Cascade Valley area to drive their cattle on an annual two-week journey to the sale yards in Whataroa . It was constructed as an inland loop to bypass the precipitous cliffs at Knights Point . For 90 years it was the only land access to

160-481: A 2–3 day circuit. The longest stretch of the track is downhill, and takes 7 to 9 hours to reach Coppermine Creek Hut. Markers indicate the routes around fallen trees and slips; the track crosses the Alpine Fault and the area is very prone to erosion from heavy rain. On reaching the flats, the track turns north and crosses Coppermine Creek to reach the hut. From Coppermine Creek a two-hour walk on flat ground leads to

240-456: A commutator. The molding plate is also fabricated into tubes and rings for insulation in armatures, motor starters , and transformers. Segment plate acts as insulation between the copper commutator segments of direct-current universal motors and generators. Phlogopite built-up mica is preferred because it wears at the same rate as the copper segments. Although muscovite has a greater resistance to wear, it causes uneven ridges that may interfere with

320-427: A distinct vitreous or pearly luster, and different mica minerals display colors ranging from white to green or red to black. Deposits of mica tend to have a flaky or platy appearance. The crystal structure of mica is described as TOT-c , meaning that it is composed of parallel TOT layers weakly bonded to each other by cations ( c ). The TOT layers in turn consist of two tetrahedral sheets ( T ) strongly bonded to

400-432: A hexagonal sheet. The remaining oxygen ion (the apical oxygen ion) is available to bond with the octahedral sheet. The octahedral sheet can be dioctahedral or trioctahedral. A trioctahedral sheet has the structure of a sheet of the mineral brucite , with magnesium or ferrous iron being the most common cation. A dioctahedral sheet has the structure and (typically) the composition of a gibbsite sheet, with aluminium being

480-506: A large slip on near Knights Point raised the possibility of road access to the Haast Pass being eventually cut off. In the 2023 election campaign , independent candidate Patrick Phelps and National MP Maureen Pugh both raised the idea of rerouting State Highway 6 inland through the cattle track. The track is 33 km, and these days is normally walked from north to south, taking 3–4 days. The northern trailhead begins at State Highway 6 , on

560-557: A man by the name of McGloin, undertook to clear bush from Lake Paringa to the mouth of the Waita River , the route of the current track. Later contracts formed the road to a width of 4–9 feet, and metalled it with gravel to a depth of 6 inches. All shingle was taken in by wheelbarrow, and unmortered stone culverts were built over waterways. The road was suitable for pack mules and horses, and later enlarged to accommodate drays . The track took over ten years to complete. By 1882 15 km of

640-401: A mica disc and contained in a borosilicate glass gas discharge tube (arc tube) and a metal cap. They include the sodium-vapor lamp that is the gas-discharge lamp in street lighting. Another use of mica is as a substrate in the production of ultra-flat, thin-film surfaces, e.g. gold surfaces. Although the deposited film surface is still rough due to deposition kinetics, the back side of

720-442: A mild abrasive to aid the polishing of the tooth surface and also adds a cosmetically pleasing, glittery shimmer to the paste. Mica is added to latex balloons to provide a colored shiny surface. Muscovite and phlogopite splittings can be fabricated into various built-up mica products, also known as micanite . Produced by mechanized or hand setting of overlapping splittings and alternate layers of binders and splittings, built-up mica

800-496: A more accessible deposit was found at an altitude of 500 m, south of Blowfly Hut; a bridge, road, and what is now known as the Old Mica Mine were built in the bush. Mica was mined until late 1945, but in the end the deposits proved too small and of poorer quality than those overseas. South Westland became less isolated when a regular air service run by Bert Mercer and Air Travel New Zealand began to Haast and Okuru in 1934. A wharf

880-480: A population density of 0.80 people per km . The district is the most sparsely populated of New Zealand's 67 territorial authorities. Westland District had a population of 8,901 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 261 people (3.0%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 597 people (7.2%) since the 2013 census . There were 4,539 males, 4,338 females and 24 people of other genders in 4,059 dwellings. 2.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age

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960-535: A reflective color depending on the thickness of the coating. These products are used to produce automobile paint, shimmery plastic containers, and high-quality inks used in advertising and security applications. In the cosmetics industry, its reflective and refractive properties make mica an important ingredient in blushes , eye liner , eye shadow , foundation , hair and body glitter, lipstick , lip gloss , mascara , moisturizing lotions, and nail polish. Some brands of toothpaste include powdered white mica. This acts as

1040-724: A second deposit was located in the Xalla Complex, another palatial structure east of Street of the Dead. There is a claim mica was found within the Pyramid of the Sun, which originates from Peter Tompkins in his book Mysteries of the Mexican Pyramids . But it is not yet proven. Natural mica was and still is used by the Taos and Picuris Pueblos Indians in north-central New Mexico to make pottery. The pottery

1120-518: A telephone line was connected over the track in 1910, and radio arrived in the 1930s. To sell their cattle, farmer needed to drive them 130 miles north to the nearest sale yards at Whataroa . Des Nolan (b. 1920) recalled the process to getting cattle to market from Okuru over the Haast–Paringa track around World War II. By this time there were three huts on the track: Coppermine Creek, the Iron Hut, and

1200-600: A time, needing at least half a dozen men to accompany the mob over the narrow, difficult track at the Paringa Saddle; each man would need to drive around 35 cattle over the worst sections of road. Over 100 years perhaps 50,000 cattle were taken over the cattle track in this way. In 1942, a mica mine was developed in the Mataketake Range. Mica was a mineral used in radio condensers and spark-plug washers in Allied aircraft, and

1280-439: Is birefringent and is therefore commonly used to make quarter and half wave plates . Specialized applications for sheet mica are found in aerospace components in air-, ground-, and sea-launched missile systems, laser devices, medical electronics and radar systems. Mica is mechanically stable in micrometer-thin sheets which are relatively transparent to radiation (such as alpha particles ) while being impervious to most gases. It

1360-548: Is a territorial authority district on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island . It is administered by the Westland District Council . The district's population is 9,430 (June 2024). Westland was originally a part of Canterbury Province , administered from Christchurch , on the east coast. The booming population as a result of the gold rush , together with the difficulty of travel and communication across

1440-552: Is derived from the Latin word mica , meaning a crumb , and probably influenced by micare , to glitter. Human use of mica dates back to prehistoric times. Mica was known to ancient Indian , Egyptian , Greek , Roman , and Chinese civilizations, as well as the Aztec civilization of the New World . The earliest use of mica has been found in cave paintings created during

1520-528: Is made from weathered Precambrian mica schist and has flecks of mica throughout the vessels. Tewa Pueblo Pottery is made by coating the clay with mica to provide a dense, glittery micaceous finish over the entire object. Mica flakes (called abrak in Urdu and written as ابرک ) are also used in Pakistan to embellish women's summer clothes, especially dupattas (long light-weight scarves, often colorful and matching

1600-514: Is produced all over the world. In 2010, the major producers were Russia (100,000 tonnes), Finland (68,000 t), the United States (53,000 t), South Korea (50,000 t), France (20,000 t) and Canada (15,000 t). The total global production was 350,000 t, although no reliable data were available for China. Most sheet mica was produced in India (3,500 t) and Russia (1,500 t). Flake mica comes from several sources:

1680-477: Is resistant to corona discharge . Muscovite, the principal mica used by the electrical industry, is used in capacitors that are ideal for high frequency and radio frequency. Phlogopite mica remains stable at higher temperatures (to 900 °C (1,650 °F)) and is used in applications in which a combination of high-heat stability and electrical properties is required. Muscovite and phlogopite are used in sheet and ground forms. The leading use of dry-ground mica in

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1760-447: Is stable when exposed to electricity, light, moisture, and extreme temperatures. It has superior electrical properties as an insulator and as a dielectric, and can support an electrostatic field while dissipating minimal energy in the form of heat; it can be split very thin (0.025 to 0.125 millimeters or thinner) while maintaining its electrical properties, has a high dielectric breakdown, is thermally stable to 500 °C (932 °F), and

1840-755: Is the name given to very fine, ragged grains and aggregates of white (colorless) micas. Mica is widely distributed and occurs in igneous , metamorphic and sedimentary regimes. Large crystals of mica used for various applications are typically mined from granitic pegmatites . The largest documented single crystal of mica ( phlogopite ) was found in Lacey Mine, Ontario , Canada ; it measured 10 m × 4.3 m × 4.3 m (33 ft × 14 ft × 14 ft) and weighed about 330 tonnes (320 long tons; 360 short tons). Similar-sized crystals were also found in Karelia , Russia . Scrap and flake mica

1920-451: Is therefore used as a window on radiation detectors such as Geiger–Müller tubes . In 2008, mica splittings represented the largest part of the sheet mica industry in the United States. Consumption of muscovite and phlogopite splittings was about 308 t in 2008. Muscovite splittings from India accounted for essentially all US consumption. The remainder was primarily imported from Madagascar. Small squared pieces of sheet mica are also used in

2000-414: Is unusual in that it is a good electrical insulator at the same time as being a good thermal conductor. The leading use of block mica is as an electrical insulator in electronic equipment. High-quality block mica is processed to line the gauge glasses of high-pressure steam boilers because of its flexibility, transparency, and resistance to heat and chemical attack. Only high-quality muscovite film mica, which

2080-723: Is used in decorative coatings on wallpaper, concrete, stucco , and tile surfaces. It also is used as an ingredient in flux coatings on welding rods, in some special greases, and as coatings for core and mold release compounds, facing agents, and mold washes in foundry applications. Dry-ground phlogopite mica is used in automotive brake linings and clutch plates to reduce noise and vibration ( asbestos substitute); as sound-absorbing insulation for coatings and polymer systems; in reinforcing additives for polymers to increase strength and stiffness and to improve stability to heat, chemicals, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation; in heat shields and temperature insulation; in industrial coating additive to decrease

2160-450: Is used in electric motor and generator armatures, field coil insulation, and magnet and commutator core insulation. Mica consumption in flexible plates was about 21 tonnes in 2008 in the US. A heater plate is used where high-temperature insulation is required. The molding plate is sheet mica from which V-rings are cut and stamped for use in insulating the copper segments from the steel shaft ends of

2240-626: Is used primarily as an electrical insulation material. Mica insulation is used in high-temperature and fire-resistant power cables in aluminium plants, blast furnaces , critical wiring circuits (for example, defence systems, fire and security alarm systems, and surveillance systems), heaters and boilers, lumber kilns , metal smelters, and tanks and furnace wiring. Specific high-temperature mica-insulated wire and cable are rated to work for up to 15 minutes in molten aluminium, glass, and steel. Major products are bonding materials; flexible, heater, molding, and segment plates; mica paper; and tape. Flexible plate

2320-604: Is variously called India ruby mica or ruby muscovite mica, is used as a dielectric in capacitors . The highest quality mica film is used to manufacture capacitors for calibration standards . The next lower grade is used in transmitting capacitors . Receiving capacitors use a slightly lower grade of high-quality muscovite. Mica sheets are used to provide structure for heating wire (such as in Kanthal or Nichrome ) in heating elements and can withstand up to 900 °C (1,650 °F). Single-ended self-starting lamps are insulated with

2400-449: The Nara period . Yatsuomote ware is a type of local Japanese pottery from there. After an incident at Mount Yatsuomote a small bell was offered to soothe the kami . Katō Kumazō started a local tradition where small ceramic zodiac bells (きらら鈴) were made out of local mica kneaded into the clay , and after burning in the kiln the bell would make a pleasing sound when rung. Ayurveda ,

2480-765: The New Zealand Department of Conservation . The cattle track follows the route of an old Māori trail. To avoid the steep cliffs and rugged coastline around Knights Point (an area that was labelled by early diggers "run-or-be-damned") travellers up and down the West Coast would head inland along the Waita and Moeraki Rivers , crossing the low (700 m) Paringa Saddle. The Westland County Council in 1871 decided to clear tracks from Bruce Bay to Haast , and offered contracts of £1380 for 37 miles and £800 for 19 miles. The explorer Charlie Douglas , along with Julies Matthies and

Haast to Paringa Cattle Track - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-678: The Southland District . This boundary cannot be crossed by road. Hokitika , the district seat, is the only town in the Westland District with a population over 1,000. It is home to 3,250 people, 34.5% of the district's population. Other settlements and localities include: Hokitika Ward: Northern Ward: Southern Ward: Notes: bold - settlement; normal text - locality; italics - minor locality Westland District covers 11,827.85 km (4,566.76 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 9,430 as of June 2024, with

2640-541: The "Mahitahi–Haast" road had been finished (at a cost of £2779), and in 1883 only "three and a half miles" were still to be done, according to the report by Gerhard Mueller . A road over the Paringa Saddle would be an important connection for the South Westland settlements of Haast , Okuru , and Jackson Bay , which even into the first half of the 20th century were still isolated from the rest of New Zealand. A ship would arrive every two or three months with supplies, but

2720-489: The Blue River or Blowfly Hut. First the cattle were herded to a 50 acre holding paddock at Coppermine Creek, where they rested for several days. Then they were driven 20 miles over the Paringa Saddle in one day, past the Iron Hut to the Blue River. The following day took the cattle 11 miles to Paringa , where they stayed in a paddock to recover before a day-long journey to Jacobs River . The Nolans would drive up to 200 cattle at

2800-565: The Grey River transformed into Greymouth Borough and Grey County and subsequently into Grey District, which includes portions of both historical provinces. Westland as a unit of government emerged largely intact from the local government reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, merely changing from a county to a district and incorporating the Borough of Hokitika. Recently, the population has begun to grow more quickly due to "lifestyle" residents moving into

2880-477: The Grey River, was in Nelson Province . After the abolition of the provinces in 1876, a new Westland County was created with roughly the same borders as the province. About this time, the population relative to the rest of the country began to decline, as the easily accessible gold soon ran out and the conditions were not ideal for farming. Local government changes saw the hinterland of Greymouth on both sides of

2960-460: The Hindu system of ancient medicine prevalent in India, includes the purification and processing of mica in preparing Abhraka bhasma, which is claimed as a treatment for diseases of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Mica dust in the workplace is regarded as a hazardous substance for respiratory exposure above certain concentrations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set

3040-421: The Iron Hut as "convenient" if "nothing flash". Travel writer A. Maud Moreland stayed in the Blue River hut around 1909, and was plagued by mosquitoes: It was nothing but a corrugated-iron box, eight or nine feet square, with a rude bunk, covered with fern, at either side; between them was a dirty cupboard smeared with candle grease, which served as a table; a stool by the wide hearth and two old billies completed

3120-573: The Southern Alps, led first to the creation of a special Westland County , then the formal separation of Westland from Canterbury to form the short-lived Westland Province (1873–1876). Westland Province also included what is now the southern portion of Grey District, with the provincial boundary at the Grey and Arnold rivers. Greymouth proper was in Westland Province, Cobden , on the north bank of

3200-491: The US is in the joint compound for filling and finishing seams and blemishes in gypsum wallboard ( drywall ). The mica acts as a filler and extender, provides a smooth consistency, improves the workability of the compound, and provides resistance to cracking. In 2008, joint compounds accounted for 54% of dry-ground mica consumption. In the paint industry, ground mica is used as a pigment extender that also facilitates suspension, reduces chalking, prevents shrinking and shearing of

3280-568: The Upper Paleolithic period (40,000 BC to 10,000 BC). The first hues were red ( iron oxide , hematite , or red ochre ) and black ( manganese dioxide , pyrolusite ), though black from juniper or pine carbons has also been discovered. White from kaolin or mica was used occasionally. A few kilometers northeast of Mexico City stands the ancient site of Teotihuacan . Mica was found in the noble palace complex "Viking Group" during an excavation led by Pedro Armillas between 1942 and 1944. Later,

Haast to Paringa Cattle Track - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-516: The apical sites vacant) or M 3 (OH) 2 (for a trioctahedral site with the apical sites vacant; M represents a divalent ion such as ferrous iron or magnesium) The combined TOT layer has a residual negative charge, since its bulk composition is Al 2 (AlSi 3 O 10 )(OH) 2 or M 3 (AlSi 3 O 10 )(OH) 2 . The remaining negative charge of the TOT layer is neutralized by the interlayer cations (typically sodium, potassium, or calcium ions). Because

3440-419: The best surface properties of any filled plastic composite. In 2008, consumption of dry-ground mica in plastic applications accounted for 2% of the market. The rubber industry used ground mica as an inert filler and mold release compound in the manufacture of molded rubber products such as tires and roofing. The platy texture acts as an anti-blocking, anti-sticking agent. Rubber mold lubricant accounted for 1.5% of

3520-404: The cation. Apical oxygens take the place of some of the hydroxyl ions that would be present in a brucite or gibbsite sheet, bonding the tetrahedral sheets tightly to the octahedral sheet. Tetrahedral sheets have a strong negative charge since their bulk composition is AlSi 3 O 10 . The octahedral sheet has a positive charge, since its bulk composition is Al(OH) (for a dioctahedral sheet with

3600-416: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 837 (11.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 4,191 (55.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 2,181 (29.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 36,800, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 546 people (7.3%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15

3680-608: The district is steep and mountainous. Many small rivers flow down from the mountains. The middle part of the district notably contains the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers . In the north, the Taramakau River , the largest river in the district, forms the boundary with the Grey District . The crest of the Southern Alps marks the eastern boundary. A small southern boundary lies between Westland proper and Fiordland , which lies within

3760-508: The district. The district consists of a long, thin strip of land between the crest of the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea . The low-lying areas near the coast are a mixture of pastoral farmland and temperate rainforest . Westland temperate rainforests contain many conifers and receives high rates of precipitation due to orographic lifting caused by the Southern Alps. The eastern part of

3840-562: The dress). Thin mica flakes are added to a hot starch water solution, and the dupatta is dipped in this water mixture for 3–5 minutes. Then it is hung to air dry. Throughout the ages, fine powders of mica have been used for various purposes, including decorations. Powdered mica glitter is used to decorate traditional water clay pots in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; it is also used on traditional Pueblo pottery, though not restricted to use on water pots in this case. The gulal and abir (colored powders) used by North Indian Hindus during

3920-435: The dry-ground mica used in 2008. As a rubber additive, mica reduces gas permeation and improves resiliency. Dry-ground mica is used in the production of rolled roofing and asphalt shingles , where it serves as a surface coating to prevent sticking of adjacent surfaces. The coating is not absorbed by freshly manufactured roofing because mica's platy structure is unaffected by the acid in asphalt or by weather conditions. Mica

4000-491: The festive season of Holi contain fine crystals of mica to create a sparkling effect. The majestic Padmanabhapuram Palace , 65 km (40 mi) from Trivandrum in India, has colored mica windows. Mica powder is also used as a decoration in traditional Japanese woodblock printmaking , as when applied to wet ink with gelatin as thickener using kirazuri technique and allowed to dry, it sparkles and reflects light. Earlier examples are found among paper decorations, with

4080-689: The film at the mica-film interface is ultra-flat once the film is removed from the substrate. Freshly-cleaved mica surfaces have been used as clean imaging substrates in atomic force microscopy , enabling for example the imaging of bismuth films, plasma glycoproteins , membrane bilayers , and DNA molecules. Thin transparent sheets of mica were used for peepholes in boilers, lanterns, stoves , and kerosene heaters because they were less likely to shatter than glass when exposed to extreme temperature gradients. Such peepholes were also fitted in horse-drawn carriages and early 20th-century cars, where they were called isinglass curtains . The word mica

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4160-411: The furniture. An axe-head lay near, but the handle had been burnt for fire-wood, and the floor was littered with dirty paper, old tins, sticks, and ferns. A more truly uninviting place would be hard to find. In the 1940s or 1950s, around the time the bridge was built to the mica mine, new huts were built: Coppermine Creek at the cattle paddocks, and Blowfly Hut (8 bunks), either a rebuild or replacement of

4240-451: The general formula in which Structurally, micas can be classed as dioctahedral ( Y = 4) and trioctahedral ( Y = 6). If the X ion is K or Na, the mica is a common mica, whereas if the X ion is Ca, the mica is classed as a brittle mica. Brittle micas: Common micas: Brittle micas: Very fine-grained micas, which typically show more variation in ion and water content, are informally termed "clay micas". They include: Sericite

4320-613: The glaciers, and events such as the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival . Mica Micas are used in products such as drywalls , paints , and fillers, especially in parts for automobiles, roofing, and in electronics. The mineral is used in cosmetics and food to add "shimmer" or "frost". The mica group comprises 37 phyllosilicate minerals . All crystallize in the monoclinic system, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals , and are similar in structure but vary in chemical composition. Micas are translucent to opaque with

4400-476: The height as the Nishi Honganji 36 Poets Collection , codices of illuminated manuscripts in and after ACE 1112. For metallic glitter, Ukiyo-e prints employed very thick solution either with or without color pigments stencilled on hairpins, sword blades or fish scales on carp streamers ( 鯉のぼり , Koinobori ) . The soil around Nishio in central Japan is rich in mica deposits, which were already mined in

4480-427: The hexagons in the T and O sheets are slightly different in size, the sheets are slightly distorted when they bond into a TOT layer. This breaks the hexagonal symmetry and reduces it to monoclinic symmetry. However, the original hexahedral symmetry is discernible in the pseudohexagonal character of mica crystals. The short-range order of K ions on cleaved muscovite mica has been resolved. Chemically, micas can be given

4560-658: The highest quality. In Madagascar and India, it is also mined artisanally , in poor working conditions and with the help of child labour . The commercially important micas are muscovite and phlogopite , which are used in a variety of applications. Mica's value is based on its unique physical properties: the crystalline structure of mica forms layers that can be split or delaminated into thin sheets usually causing foliation in rocks. These sheets are chemically inert, dielectric , elastic, flexible, hydrophilic, insulating, lightweight, platy, reflective, refractive, resilient, and range in opacity from transparent to opaque. Mica

4640-522: The hut at Castle Hill Station (restored in 2003). Māori Saddle Hut (10 bunks) and a new hut at Coppermine Creek (6 bunks) were built in 1980 by the New Zealand Forest Service, when the Haast–Paringa track was upgraded for trampers. An eight-bunk hut was built on the Mataketake tops in 2021, dedicated to the memory of conservationist Andy Dennis. Westland District Westland District

4720-533: The land access was via the Haast Pass, a route only suitable for horses, rugged, over 80 km long, and requiring boat transport down Lake Wānaka at the end. By 1875 mobs of cattle were already being driven from the Arawhata and Cascade river valleys north over the Paringa Saddle—now a shorter and easier alternative to the journey over Haast Pass. Mail was taken over the cattle track fortnightly by packhorse ,

4800-611: The legal limit ( permissible exposure limit ) for mica exposure in the workplace as 20 million parts per cubic foot (706,720,000 parts per cubic meter) over an 8-hour workday. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set a recommended exposure limit (REL) of 3 mg/m respiratory exposure over an 8-hour workday. At levels of 1,500 mg/m , mica is immediately dangerous to life and health . Some lightweight aggregates , such as diatomite , perlite , and vermiculite , may be substituted for ground mica when used as filler. Ground synthetic fluorophlogopite ,

4880-583: The loss of circulation by sealing porous sections of the drill hole. Well-drilling muds accounted for 15% of dry-ground mica use in 2008. The plastics industry used dry-ground mica as an extender and filler, especially in parts for automobiles as lightweight insulation to suppress sound and vibration. Mica is used in plastic automobiles fascia and fenders as a reinforcing material, providing improved mechanical properties and increased dimensional stability, stiffness, and strength. Mica-reinforced plastics also have high-heat dimensional stability, reduced warpage, and

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4960-594: The low saddle between Windbag Creek and the Moeraki Valley. To avoid wetlands it deviates from the original route of the cattle track, which it joins after 15–20 minutes. The track travels through mixed southern beech/podocarp forest, following the Moeraki River , and crosses a swingbridge to reach Blowfly Hut, an hour and a half from the main road. The track from Blowfly Hut to Māori Saddle takes 4.5 hours, travelling southwest uphill through beech/kāmahi forest, following

5040-468: The metamorphic rock called schist as a byproduct of processing feldspar and kaolin resources, from placer deposits, and pegmatites. Sheet mica is considerably less abundant than flake and scrap mica, and is occasionally recovered from mining scrap and flake mica. The most important sources of sheet mica are pegmatite deposits. Sheet mica prices vary with grade and can range from less than $ 1 per kilogram for low-quality mica to more than $ 2,000 per kilogram for

5120-654: The old Blue River Hut. Blowfly Hut probably took its name from the flies generated by cattle manure; a surviving sign identifies it as "Jack Farrell's Hut". The Iron Hut fell into disrepair in the 1950s, and the Waita Hut, renamed the Drovers Rest, was pulled down in 2006 and replaced by a whitebaiter's crib. Although there were once 200–300 roadmen's huts in New Zealand, only three survive: Blowfly Hut, Jacks Hut in Arthur's Pass , and

5200-532: The operation of a motor or generator. Consumption of segment plates was about 149 t in 2008 in the US. Some types of built-up mica have bonded splittings reinforced with cloth, glass, linen , muslin , plastic, silk, or special paper. These products are very flexible and are produced in wide, continuous sheets that are either shipped, rolled, or cut into ribbons or tapes, or trimmed to specified dimensions. Built-up mica products may also be corrugated or reinforced by multiple layering. In 2008, about 351 t of built-up mica

5280-468: The paint film, increases the resistance of the paint film to water penetration and weathering and brightens the tone of colored pigments. Mica also promotes paint adhesion in aqueous and oleoresinous formulations. Consumption of dry-ground mica in paint, the second-ranked use, accounted for 22% of the dry-ground mica used in 2008. Ground mica is used in the well-drilling industry as an additive to drilling fluids . The coarsely ground mica flakes help prevent

5360-451: The permeability of moisture and hydrocarbons; and in polar polymer formulations to increase the strength of epoxies, nylons, and polyesters . Wet-ground mica, which retains the brilliance of its cleavage faces, is used primarily in pearlescent paints by the automotive industry. Many metallic-looking pigments are composed of a substrate of mica coated with another mineral, usually titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ). The resultant pigment produces

5440-431: The settlements of Haast and Jackson Bay , but the last mob of cattle was driven in 1961, and the construction of a highway connecting Paringa to Haast Pass in 1965 made it redundant. After falling into disuse, the cattle track was converted into a 33-kilometre (21 mi), three-day tramping track, opening in 1981. The track and its three huts (Blue River/Blowfly, Māori Saddle, and Coppermine Creek) are maintained by

5520-726: The southern terminus of the track, beside the State Highway 6 bridge over the Waita River , 11 km north of Haast. The cattle track was very subject to slips, and needed constant maintenance by roadmen, who were housed in huts in the forest. After the track was essentially completed in 1883, three huts were built out of corrugated iron: at the Waita River entrance, Blue Hut at the Moeraki (Blue) River, and Iron Hut in between about an hour from Coppermine Creek. These corrugated iron boxes were servicable but not lavish accommodation. W.D. Nolan describes

5600-557: The town of Hokitika. The district is one of three included within the West Coast Region . In the early years of settlement in Westland, gold was a major commodity, bringing prospectors flocking into the area. After the gold ran out, those who remained turned to pastoral farming. (Unlike the more northern parts of the West Coast, Westland has not developed coal mining.) Recently, tourism has become more important, with drawcards such as

5680-573: The traditional Japanese Kōdō ceremony to burn incense: A burning piece of coal is placed inside a cone made of white ash. The sheet of mica is placed on top, acting as a separator between the heat source and the incense, to spread the fragrance without burning it. Sheet mica is used principally in the electronic and electrical industries. Its usefulness in these applications is derived from its unique electrical and thermal properties and its mechanical properties, which allow it to be cut, punched, stamped, and machined to close tolerances. Specifically, mica

5760-483: The two faces of a single octahedral sheet ( O ). The relatively weak ionic bonding between TOT layers gives mica its perfect basal cleavage. The tetrahedral sheets consist of silica tetrahedra, each silicon ion surrounded by four oxygen ions. In most micas, one in four silicon ions is replaced by an aluminium ion, while aluminium ions replace half the silicon ions in brittle micas. The tetrahedra share three of their four oxygen ions with neighbouring tetrahedra to produce

5840-707: The western edge of the Mataketake Range. After two hours, there is the Mica Mine Track turnoff, a side track to the Wataketake tops reopened as a poled route in 2021. There are numerous stream crossings and some detours around slips which have covered the original track. Shortly after the Māori Saddle a side track leads to the Mateketake Tops, enabling a return loop via the Mataketake Hut and the Mica Mine Track, creating

5920-557: Was 47.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,377 people (15.5%) aged under 15 years, 1,206 (13.5%) aged 15 to 29, 4,437 (49.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,887 (21.2%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 87.2% European ( Pākehā ); 16.5% Māori ; 2.0% Pasifika ; 4.7% Asian ; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 4.6% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English

6000-679: Was consumed in the US, mostly for molding plates (19%) and segment plates (42%). Sheet mica is a versatile and durable material widely used in electrical and thermal insulation applications. It exhibits excellent electrical properties, heat resistance, and chemical stability. Technical grade sheet mica is used in electrical components, electronics, atomic force microscopy and as window sheets. Other uses include diaphragms for oxygen-breathing equipment, marker dials for navigation compasses, optical filters , pyrometers , thermal regulators, stove and kerosene heater windows, radiation aperture covers for microwave ovens, and micathermic heater elements. Mica

6080-445: Was deemed important for the war effort. Charlie Douglas had identified mica deposits in the area in his 1896 geological map, and a sample of sheet mica he collected was displayed at the 1906 Christchurch exhibition. The worldwide mica shortage spurred geologists Harold Wellman and Dick Willett to locate Douglas's mica deposit in 1941. A horse track was cleared up to the pegmatites near Mt Clarke, at an altitude of over 1000 m. In 1944

6160-498: Was finally built at Jackson Bay in 1938, and a road connecting the Bay to Haast. The Coppermine Creek hut was inhabited from 1948 to 1960 by the last roadman, Charlie Driscoll, and his wife. At that point apart from twice-yearly cattle drives the track was mostly used by hunters and trampers; Haast residents preferred to fly to Hokitika. The road connecting Haast with Otago over the Haast Pass

6240-399: Was opened on 12 November 1960, and it was then possible to use trucks to take cattle south to Cromwell ; the last mob to be driven over the cattle track was in 1961. Charlie Driscoll had by this time relocated to Big Bay. In 1965 the road north to the glaciers and Hokitika was finished, and there was now a continuous highway loop, bypassing the cattle track, which fell into disrepair. In 2012

6320-541: Was spoken by 97.8%, Māori language by 3.2%, Samoan by 0.5% and other languages by 7.1%. No language could be spoken by 1.5% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.1, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 30.7% Christian , 0.6% Hindu , 0.2% Islam , 0.4% Māori religious beliefs , 0.3% Buddhist , 0.8% New Age , and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 57.1%, and 8.9% of people did not answer

6400-521: Was that 3,882 (51.6%) people were employed full-time, 1,074 (14.3%) were part-time, and 138 (1.8%) were unemployed. The Westland District is governed by an elected council , headed by a mayor , who is elected at large. The current mayor is Helen Lash. Councillors are elected to represent multi-member wards. Three councillors are elected for the Northern Ward, three for the Southern Ward, and four for

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