FB Group Posts: 18, 20 & 21 May 2021 – Birdlings Flat Beach Agate and Slope Point Stones

This is the sixth in this Series reproducing my recent regular Posts in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The first Post in this Series is here.

Tuesday 18 May 2021: Another recently tumble-polished small beach agate (chalcedony) from Birdlings Flat. Not banded this time. I decided to try to retain some of its outer character so did not wear away all of the brown and white material in the tumbler – and the result is very interesting. The stone is 3.5 cms long, having some small indentations but otherwise smooth.

One side of the polished stone.

Other side of the polished stone.

Held up to a sunny sky.

Wednesday 21 May 2021: This is the day I made a Post in the Group’s Alphabetical Series – “C” is for “Coral” – see this Post.

Thursday 20 May 2021: A small tumble-polished rhyolite from Slope Point (southern-most point of the South Island). Collected there on 3 March during a visit with Oliver Simpson [see previous Post]. Its wavy lines caught my eye on the beach.

It is a small stone.

One side of the polished stone.

Treasure

Another side of the polished stone, with a rough area apparent.

The beach near Slope Point on which the stone was found. To the right is the edge of a lagoon, with the open sea to the left (and ahead).

Oliver Simpson on the beach – many thanks to him for the day’s outing.

It has come out of a 3lb barrel this morning, my first completed batch of Slope Point stones. This stone is only 3 cms long and 1 cm wide. Because of its smallness, I didn’t completely smooth it before putting it into polish, doing only one week in 400 grit before a pre-polish and pro-polish

Friday 21 May 2021: Three small tumble-polished stones from my first (and so far only) fossicking visit to Slope Point (southern-most piece of land of the South Island), collected in early March, finished polishing yesterday.

Stone One, about 2.5 cms.

Another side of Stone One.

Stone Two, 4 cms long.

Other side of Stone Two.

Stone Three, 3 cms.

This sign stands at the place that the tourists get directed to. Fossicking beaches are nearby but not easy to access.

Slope Point and adjacent beaches. Source: Google Maps.

The next Post in this Series is here.

Author: tumblestoneblog

Retired Academic, male, living in the New Zealand countryside near Whanganui with his wife as well as Jasper the dog, Fluffy the cat, Dancer and Penny, the horses, and a shed half-full of stones. Email john.tumblestone@gmail.com. View all posts by tumblestoneblog