Fossil Baleen Whale bones from 30 million years ago - Oligocene Period Fossil site called Elephant rocks, due to the weird shapes carved in the softish limestone by wind and rain

Bridge Point between All Day Bay and Campbells Bay - where I found the perfect Pohu shells

Moeraki Boulders

Flora doing a balancing act on one of the boulders - making sure she kept her feet dry at all times

Bit of art we saw in Omaru

With this as well - not too shore if it works but does look great.

6th July 2010

Flora arrived at the hotel (hostel) at 8.30 after travelling up from Ramsey Lodge. Got to talk to her and saw some of her photos whilst at Ramsey Lodge and we both booked into Omaru. Flora is from Hong Kong, just finished Uni and speaks pretty good english.

She joined me for the morning visiting the Moeraki Boulder site. The boulder itself formed in muddy sediments laid down 60 million years ago and started of as mineral calcite gradually crystallising around an organic nucleus in a wet sediment. Geologists believe that the larger boulders, some 2 metres across took 4 million years to form. They formed in a spherical shape, so it is not due to action of rolling around on the sea bed, in the way pebbles are formed. Over time the outer surface became hard and brittle and the inner material started to dry our causing shrinkage cracks. The cracks filled up with calcite crystals and now that the boulders are being exposed to sun, wind and wave action they are starting to break up which means that the calcite crystals can be seen.

I had picked a brochure up the previous day called "Vanished World, Fossil Trail". As the start of the trail was north of Moeraki and below Omeru we looked for and found the first few sites. These were on the coast and were along All day bay through to Kakanui North Head. Had a great time clambering over the rocks and walking along the various beaches. Found some perfect Pohu shells, beautiful mother of pearl inside the shell. Sent them home so hope they survive the DHL service.

After dropping Flora off in town continued my fossil quest which got better as the day progressed. Drove up through the Walareka valleu, through Ngapara then followed the Awamoko stream down to Anatini. Plenty to stop and either view or search out for specific fossil sites, such as the baleen whale site. Finally found the Elephant Rocks site which is all weirdly shaped due to sun, wind and rain. All the rocks show signs of fossils such as bivalve shells, gastropods and brachiopods. Cannot bring any home due to customs - more the pity.

Ended my day in Duntoon where I visited the Vanished World shop and despite the time the elderly lady looking after the shop showed me around their fossil collection which included a metre long skull and jaws, complete with sharp teeth, of a dolphin like creature. Not the loving dolphin we know, more like Jaws. The only downside to the day was that the lady showed me some heart shaped sea urchins that can be found in the limestone and preceded to tell me she had loads that her husband and sons had found on their farm - I would have loved one for my collection but alas not allowed!!

Drove back to the hostel and had a quiet night in.