FB Group Posts: 8, 10 & 11 June 2021 – Fossicking at Kakanui and Gemstone Beach

This is the second Post on my June 2021 stone collecting trip to the South Island. This is also the 12th Post in the Series of my daily Posts in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The first Post in this Series is here.

Tuesday 8 June 2021: Seven stones found on Seadown Beach, a Kakanui Beach (North Otago), this morning – in the sequence in which they were discovered. I picked up many more but these were among the most interesting ones. The first four stones:

Looking back towards the low morning sun, at the southern end of the beach, where I began my fossicking.

One of the first stones I found – could be orbicular jasper.

Nice little pale green quartzite.

I picked this small stone up because I like the “black dots” effect. It was only upon examining the photos more closely that its intricacies revealed themselves…

There are some gorgeous jaspers on this beach. I left a number behind, but couldn’t resist this one.

When I started off, the temperature was about 3 degrees but it was sunny with little wind. I tried hard not to pick up too many as I am still on my way south to Riverton and Gemstone Beach (Orepuki). The last three stones:

The last photo I took on the beach before departing.

There are lots of gorgeous yellow quartzites (and their variations) on this beach, and I worked hard to be selective. I decided to pocket this one because it is unusual to see the darker markings.

I could not leave behind this gorgeous small yellow quartzite. One of my top finds of the morning.

I was attracted by the green markings on this stone. It was only when examining the photos that I realised this too is a quartzite.

Wednesday 9 June 2021: This is the day I made a Post in the Group’s Alphabetical Series – “F” is for “Fossil Worm Casts” – see here.

Thursday 10 June 2021: Ten stones selected from my first visit this month to Gemstone Beach (Orepuki, Southland). The first five:

Gemstone Beach today.

Great patterning.

Small stone.

Another small stone.

A lot of the stones I found had interesting tiny inclusions or crystals.

I walked this afternoon from the carpark westwards to the mouth of the Waimeamea River and back, spending three hours on the beach. The last five stones:

Amygdaloidal stone.

Gorgeous small green quartzite.

The only hydrogrossular garnet I found.

Fossil worm cast stone – argillite.

Porphyritic stone. Too big to tumble polish, so left it there. 20 metres later I changed my mind and went back and put it in my backpack. It will go in the “stone garden” back home in Whanganui.

Friday 11 June 2021: Seven of the stones collected today on Gemstone Beach (Orepuki, Southland). The first four:

Amygdaloidal.

Small stone.

Another small stone.

There is a great diversity of colours and patterns in these stones. The last three:

Probably banded argillite.

Probably breccia.

The view from the carpark, looking southeast towards Pahia Hill.

Stones in a small stream that runs across Gemstone Beach.

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