Aotearoa, 2016
Welcome to Moeraki Boulders

Welcome to Moeraki

boulders in the breakers

boulders in the breakers

large and heavy

large and heavy

exploded boulders

exploded boulders


Moeraki Boulders - Geology on the beach

On a stretch of coast between Oamaru and Dunedin on South Island lays a collection of around 50 big round boulders, the Moeraki Boulders. They come in different sizes, the largest more than 2 meters in diameter. The big ones weigh up to 7 tons. They look a bit like old style footballs, patches of dark leather stitched together with a lighter coloured thread, just look at the exploded ones.

They were formed about 60 million years ago, and the large ones took some 4 million years to form. Calcium salts assembled around a solid hard centre, but remarkably, the very heart of the stones now seems empty, as can be seen with the ones that burst open.

There are similar boulders, the Koutu Boulders, around Hokiango Harbour on NZ’s North Island.

split at the seams

split at the seams

they come in different sizes

they come in different sizes

more boulders in the cliff...?

more boulders in the cliff...?

like old footballs (or kidneys?) fallen apart

like old footballs fallen apart

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