Moeraki Boulders

Thanks again to Shera, who suggested I stop at Moeraki (pronounced moah-ROCK-y) on the drive between Dunedin to Christchurch. Moeraki Beach is located about 40 km (25 mi) south of Oamaru, about an hour out of Dunedin for me on Saturday morning. Scattered along the beach are these large, curiously round boulders that have been the source of much fascination for many years.

Here is the Maori explanation for the Moeraki boulders (happily plagiarized from my $6 gift-shop brochure):
The Ngai Tahu people of the area relate the boulders to the wreck of the great canoe Arai Te Uru. As it was traveling south, the canoe foundered in a storm near Matakaea (Shag Point, which is nearby). Its cargo was washed up on the nearby beaches - the round food baskets and water gourds are Te Kai Hinaki (the Moeraki Boulders), while the seed kumara (sweet potatoes) are the irregularly shaped boulders further south.

Now, the scientists' explanation:
The boulders look as though they were washed up onto the shore, but a geologist would direct your attention in the opposite direction. The Moreaki Boulders were once buried in mudstone cliffs at the back of the beach. For millions of years the sea has been eroding these cliffs, washing away the soft mudstone which surrounds the resistant boulders. In the process, the cliffs have constantly slumped seaward and the boulders have been left lying on the shoreline. There are countless more still embedded in the mudstone waiting to be uncovered.

Personally, I think the Maori explanation is a bit more interesting.


On the beach at Moeraki, I spotted this confident little bird strutting along the water. Best I can figure, it's a black-winged stilt, also known as a pied stilt. Has anyone seen this bird before?

As interesting as the boulders were, I was more captivated by the tiny, colorful, spiral shells that covered the beach at Moeraki. They were everywhere, but I don't know what kind of fish they held (maybe snails?). All of the ones I picked up were empty. The whole beach was scattered with these, and I thought they were just exquisite.