List of rock formations of New Zealand
This is a list of rock formations in New Zealand based on their aesthetic and cultural importance. New Zealand's geomorphology is formed through an interaction between uplift, erosion and the underlying rock type . Most of the notable examples listed here are formed by selective erosion , for example waves and rivers can more easily erode sandstone than basalt and can also exploit joints or faults in the rock-mass.[ 1] Some rocks like limestone (Waitomo Caves ) and marble (Takaka Hill ) can also be dissolved in water which forms a distinctive karst geomorphology. Notable rock formations are also formed through constructive processes such as geothermal and volcanic deposits, and sedimentary deposition.
Photo
Formation
Region
Type
Summary
Location
Cape Kidnappers
Hawke's Bay
Wave erosion, sea stack
39°38′51″S 177°05′12″E / 39.647473°S 177.086699°E / -39.647473; 177.086699
Castle Craig Rock
Waikato
Terrestrial erosion
38°15′35″S 174°49′15″E / 38.25972°S 174.82083°E / -38.25972; 174.82083
Castlepoint
Wellington, Wairarapa
Wave erosion
40°53′55″S 176°13′14″E / 40.89861°S 176.22056°E / -40.89861; 176.22056
Cathedral Cove
Waikato, Coromandel Peninsula
Wave erosion, cave, sea stack
36°49′42″S 175°47′24″E / 36.82833°S 175.79000°E / -36.82833; 175.79000
The Dome of Saint Paul
Northland, Whangaroa
Terrestrial erosion, igneous rock
35°03′03″S 173°44′59″E / 35.050731°S 173.749623°E / -35.050731; 173.749623
Hole in the Rock
Northland, Piercy Island
Wave erosion, Natural arch
Limestone island with a natural arch. Significant tourist attraction.
35°09′56″S 174°20′21″E / 35.165437°S 174.339061°E / -35.165437; 174.339061
Horeke basalts , Wairere Boulders
Northland
Terrestrial erosion, igneous rock
Lava flow broken up as lower strata removed by erosion. Notable corrugation on basalt boulders.[ 2]
35°22′29″S 173°35′47″E / 35.374687°S 173.596301°E / -35.374687; 173.596301
Kupe's Sail
Wellington, Wairarapa, Palliser Bay
A dipping bed of slightly more resistant rock protruding above weaker rock.
41°36′16″N 175°15′58″E / 41.60448°N 175.26616°E / 41.60448; 175.26616
Koutu Boulders
Northland
Wave erosion
35°27′29″S 173°24′53″E / 35.458139°S 173.414767°E / -35.458139; 173.414767
Lion Rock
Auckland, Piha
Wave erosion, sea stack
Prominent islet with shear cliffs of volcanic conglomerate
36°57′13″S 174°27′57″E / 36.953685°S 174.465880°E / -36.953685; 174.465880
Mangapohue Natural Bridge
Waikato
Terrestrial erosion, karst
38°15′40″S 174°53′57″E / 38.261043°S 174.899301°E / -38.261043; 174.899301
Natural Vase [citation needed ]
Wave erosion
Orakei Korako (including Golden Fleece Terrace and Rainbow Terrace)
Bay of Plenty
Geothermal
Geothermal terraces formed by minerals precipitating as the water cools.
38°28′25″S 176°08′55″E / 38.47361°S 176.14861°E / -38.47361; 176.14861
Pink and White Terraces
Bay of Plenty, Mount Tarawera
Geothermal
Significant geothermal terraces formed by minerals precipitating as the water cools.These terraces were thought destroyed by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera , however they may have just been buried.[ 3]
38°15′40″S 176°25′50″E / 38.26111°S 176.43056°E / -38.26111; 176.43056
The Pinnacles
Waikato, Coromandel Peninsula
Terrestrial erosion, volcanic rock
Andesite lava spires preserved when the weaker neighbouring pyroclastic rocks were eroded.[ 4]
37°02′36″S 175°43′34″E / 37.043223°S 175.726249°E / -37.043223; 175.726249
Pinnacle Ridge and Cathedral Rocks
Wanganui-Manawatu, Mount Ruapehu
Terrestrial erosion, volcanic rock
Rock spires of andesite near summit of Mount Ruapehu.
39°14′30″S 175°34′00″E / 39.24167°S 175.56667°E / -39.24167; 175.56667
Poor Knights Islands
Northland
Wave erosion, natural arch
35°30′S 174°45′E / 35.500°S 174.750°E / -35.500; 174.750
Putangirua Pinnacles
Wellington, Wairarapa
Terrestrial erosion, sedimentary rock
41°27′05″S 175°13′20″E / 41.45139°S 175.22222°E / -41.45139; 175.22222
Te Kaukau Point
Wellington, Wairarapa
Wave erosion
41°34′20″S 175°25′50″E / 41.57222°S 175.43056°E / -41.57222; 175.43056
Three Sisters and Elephant Rock[ 5]
Taranaki
Wave erosion, sea stacks and natural arch
Notable for their well documented partial destruction from wave erosion.
38°49′11″S 174°34′51″E / 38.819608°S 174.580815°E / -38.819608; 174.580815
Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley (including Cathedral Rocks and Warbrick Terrace)
Bay of Plenty
Geothermal
38°17′10″S 176°23′15″E / 38.28611°S 176.38750°E / -38.28611; 176.38750
Waro Limestone Scenic Reserve
Northland, Hikurangi
Terrestrial erosion, sedimentary rock
35°35′15″S 174°17′10″E / 35.58750°S 174.28611°E / -35.58750; 174.28611
Young Nick's Head
Gisborne
Wave erosion
38°45′25″S 177°57′50″E / 38.75694°S 177.96389°E / -38.75694; 177.96389
Photo
Formation
Region
Type
Summary
Location
Blackhead
Otago, Dunedin
Wave erosion, volcanic rock and sea stacks
Rock spires with basaltic columnar jointing
45°55′50″S 170°26′00″E / 45.93056°S 170.43333°E / -45.93056; 170.43333
Boulder Bank
Nelson
Wave erosion and deposition
41°14′S 173°18′E / 41.233°S 173.300°E / -41.233; 173.300
Castle Hill
Canterbury
Terrestrial erosion, sedimentary rock
43°13′45″S 171°43′00″E / 43.22917°S 171.71667°E / -43.22917; 171.71667
Cathedral Caves
Otago, The Catlins
Wave erosion, cave
46°36′30″S 169°22′50″E / 46.60833°S 169.38056°E / -46.60833; 169.38056
Cook's Head Rock
Otago
Wave erosion
46°12′05″S 170°04′50″E / 46.20139°S 170.08056°E / -46.20139; 170.08056
Curio Bay
Southland, The Catlins
Wave erosion
Petrified forest[ 2]
46°39′45″S 169°05′55″E / 46.66250°S 169.09861°E / -46.66250; 169.09861
Elephant Rocks
Otago, Waitaki Valley
Terrestrial erosion, sedimentary rock
44°53′35″S 170°39′20″E / 44.89306°S 170.65556°E / -44.89306; 170.65556
Farewell Spit
Tasman
Wave erosion and deposition
40°31′S 172°52′E / 40.517°S 172.867°E / -40.517; 172.867
Huriawa Peninsula
Otago, Karitane
Wave erosion, natural arch and sea stacks
45°38′30″S 170°40′00″E / 45.64167°S 170.66667°E / -45.64167; 170.66667
Kaitorete Spit
Canterbury
Wave erosion and deposition
43°50′S 172°33′E / 43.833°S 172.550°E / -43.833; 172.550
Knights Point
West Coast
Wave erosion, sea stacks
Cliff and sea stacks formed by combination of uplift on the Alpine Fault and high erosion.[ 6]
43°42′45″S 169°13′30″E / 43.71250°S 169.22500°E / -43.71250; 169.22500
Lion's Head Rock
Otago, Sandfly Bay
Wave erosion, sea stacks
45°54′18″S 170°39′04″E / 45.90500°S 170.65111°E / -45.90500; 170.65111
Lovers Leap and The Chasm [ 7]
Otago, Sandymount
Wave erosion, natural arch
45°53′35″S 170°40′44″E / 45.89306°S 170.67889°E / -45.89306; 170.67889
Moeraki Boulders
Otago
Wave erosion
Stong calcite concreations eroded out of a weak marine mudstone. Boulders also present in the cliff face and nearby streams.[ 2]
45°20′55″S 170°49′40″E / 45.34861°S 170.82778°E / -45.34861; 170.82778
Nevis Bluff
Otago, Kawarau Valley
Seismic uplift, river erosion
Steep mica schist cliff face.
45°02′15″S 168°59′50″E / 45.03750°S 168.99722°E / -45.03750; 168.99722
Nugget Point
Otago, The Catlins
Wave erosion, sea stacks
Several sea stacks at the end of a prominent headland. The near vertical sandstone bedding creating steep planar cliffs.
46°26′50″S 169°48′55″E / 46.44722°S 169.81528°E / -46.44722; 169.81528
The Obelisk (The Old Man; Kopuwai)[ 8]
Otago, Old Man Range / Kopuwai
Freeze thaw weathering
45°20′31″S 169°12′36″E / 45.34194°S 169.21000°E / -45.34194; 169.21000
The Old Man of the Buller
West Coast, Buller River
41°57′00″S 172°17′50″E / 41.95000°S 172.29722°E / -41.95000; 172.29722
Omarama Clay Cliffs
Otago, Ahuriri Valley
Glacial erosion
44°29′20″S 169°52′00″E / 44.48889°S 169.86667°E / -44.48889; 169.86667
Ōnawe Peninsula
Canterbury, Banks Peninsula
Wave erosion
43°46′30″S 172°55′30″E / 43.77500°S 172.92500°E / -43.77500; 172.92500
Oparara Basin Arches
West Coast
Terrestrial erosion, natural arch
Ground water erosion along the boundary of the basement granite and overlying limestone has formed caves and archers.
41°08′45″S 172°11′15″E / 41.14583°S 172.18750°E / -41.14583; 172.18750
The Organ Pipes
Otago, Dunedin
Terrestrial erosion, volcanic rock
Rock spire with basaltic columnar jointing
45°48′30″S 170°34′00″E / 45.80833°S 170.56667°E / -45.80833; 170.56667
Pancake Rocks
West Coast, Punakaiki
Wave erosion, natural arch
A coastal karst geomorphology. The apparent bedding within the limestone may be due to pressure solution of calcite during burial.[ 2]
42°06′50″S 171°19′35″E / 42.11389°S 171.32639°E / -42.11389; 171.32639
The Pyramids
Otago, Dunedin
Wave erosion, seas stack
45°49′25″S 170°43′15″E / 45.82361°S 170.72083°E / -45.82361; 170.72083
Rapanui (Shag Rock)
Canterbury, Christchurch
Wave erosion, Sea Stack
Sea stack partially destroyed in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake .
43°33′50″S 172°45′00″E / 43.56389°S 172.75000°E / -43.56389; 172.75000
Split Apple Rock
Tasman
Wave erosion, igneous rock
A spheroidal granite block divided on a joint.[ 9]
41°01′05″S 173°01′15″E / 41.01806°S 173.02083°E / -41.01806; 173.02083
Te Anau glacial erratic
Southland, Te Anau
Glacial deposition
A Geological Reserve. During a past glacial advance this boulder was carried c. 50 km from the Fiordland mountains.[ 10]
45°31′28″S 167°48′37″E / 45.52444°S 167.81028°E / -45.52444; 167.81028
Truman Track [ 11]
West Coast, Punakaiki
Wave erosion
Sea cliffs in sandstone and mudstone with a raised shore platform.
42°05′31″S 171°20′20″E / 42.09194°S 171.33889°E / -42.09194; 171.33889
Tunnel Beach
Otago, Dunedin
Wave erosion, Natural arch
Sandstone sea cliffs and natural bridge, with man made tunnel.
45°55′15″S 170°27′30″E / 45.92083°S 170.45833°E / -45.92083; 170.45833
Wharariki Beach
Tasman
Wave erosion, natural arch
40°30′10″S 172°40′43″E / 40.50278°S 172.67861°E / -40.50278; 172.67861
Maps
Castle Craig Rock & Mangapohue Natural Bridge
Three Sisters and Elephant Rock
Pancake Rocks & Trueman Track
See also
References
^ Cotton, Charles Andrew (1949). Geomorphology: an introduction to the study of landforms . Wiley.
^ a b c d Thornton, Jocelyn (2009). The Field Guide to New Zealand Geology: An Introduction to Rocks, Minerals and Fossils . Penguin. ISBN 9780143202592 .
^ Bunn and Nolden, Rex and Sascha (December 2016). "Te Tarata and Te Otukapuarangi: Reverse engineering Hochstetter's Lake Rotomahana Survey to map the Pink and White Terrace locations" . Journal of New Zealand Studies . NS23 : 37–53.
^ William), Hayward, Bruce W. (Bruce (1971). The geology and eruptive history of the Table Mountain region, Coromandel Peninsula (Thesis). {{cite thesis }}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link )
^ "Memory is all that's left of Elephant Rock, now trunk-less" . Stuff . Retrieved 21 November 2018 .
^ Cooper, Alan F.; Kostro, Fabian (2006). "A tectonically uplifted marine shoreline deposit, Knights Point, Westland, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics . 49 (2): 203–216. doi :10.1080/00288306.2006.9515160 . ISSN 0028-8306 . S2CID 128895227 .
^ "Hidden Otago" . hiddenotago.co.nz . Retrieved 21 November 2018 .
^ "History and culture" . www.doc.govt.nz . Retrieved 12 December 2018 .
^ "Split Apple Rock: Sitting pretty just off..." The Earth Story . Retrieved 21 November 2018 .
^ Hayward, Bruce; Hayward, Bruce; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Glacial erratic at Te Anau" . Retrieved 19 November 2018 .
^ Wilson, Kerry-Jayne (2013). West Coast Walking: A Naturalist's Guide . Canterbury University Press. ISBN 9781927145425 .