On a recent trip up to Karamea on the west coast of the South Island, I went to visit the Oparara Caves. These are a few kilometers inland, and not far from the end of the Heaphy Track. They are an amazing example of limestone erosion… Huge archways have been cut through the limestone by […]
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Takaka limestone landscape On a recent trip up Takaka Hill near Nelson, I went exploring over the limestone landscape with my daughter Sophie (with permission from the landowner). The area is riddled with sink holes and caves. The most well known is Harwood’s Hole – a huge vertical shaft about 50 metres across and over
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Last week, along with several other GNS scientists, I accompanied sedimentologist Greg Browne to the coast near Nelson, to check out his new dinosaur footprint discovery. His findings are being published this month in the New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. (photo courtesy of Marianna Terezow, GNS Science) Kim Hill from Radio New Zealand
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Our last day trip took us to two more beautiful localities in the area south of Hamilton. Firstly we visited the Mangapuhoe Natural Bridge. This is a huge limestone archway, formed originally as a large cave which partially collapsed, leaving the Bridge. The track from the road takes you through dense bush beside the river
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Today we went to two more fossil localities on our journey northwards in the North Island. First up we turned off the main highway about 16 kms north of Wanganui city and travelled along a gravel road beside the Whanganui river for a few kilometres. We parked up beneath some cliffs alongside the road, known
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Today I am on a fossil hunting tour to check out some of the best fossil hunting sites in the North Island, along with James Crampton and Marianna Terezow. They have been writing a book for New Zealand fossil hunters and we are giving the locations a final check to make sure the details are
Ototoka Beach Fossil Hunting Read More »