Month: June 2022

June-July 2022 Fossicking Trip: 8) Gemstone Beach, Day Two

Wind-blown foam in front of carpark, Gemstone Beach.
Looking southeast.
Gemstone Beach stones.
Gemstone Beach stones.

Back to Gemstone Beach today, though the weather was cold and blustery. My wife bravely accompanied me and she managed to survive the conditions and collect a few stones herself. We arrived about 2.30 p.m., a couple of hours after high tide, and spent 90 minutes there. There was a lot of foam on the beach, especially in front of the carpark. I fossicked mainly along a stretch of about 350 metres to the northwest, managing to ford the Taunoa Stream. There were limited finds today, but some nice stones. Here are seven of the best.

Very small stone.
The largest stone I collected today.
Probably thulite.
Amygdaloidal stone.
Slightly raised trace fossil.

This Post first appeared in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The next Post in this Series features a short fossick at the Back Beach again. The first Post in this Series is here.

June-July 2022 Fossicking Trip: 7) Riverton Aparima, Visit One

Riverton Rocks and Back Beach. Source of base photo = http://atoz-nz.com/location/riverton
The Back Beach, Riverton Aparima.
The start of the track over the dunes.
The Beach Past the Back Beach.

This Post features ten stones from today’s (Tuesday 28 June) fossick which started at Riverton Aparima’s Back Beach. I was there for 90 minutes in the late morning, temperatures hovering between 1 and 3 degrees. After looking for stones at the small bay at the western end of the Back Beach, I took the track over the sand dunes to what I call The Beach Past the Back Beach. There was bright sunshine with the sun low in the sky so lots of light/dark contrast made taking good photos a challenge.

Riverton Aparima’s Back Beach.
The small bay at the western end of the Back Beach.
Looking across to Bluff in the far distance.
Stewart Island Rakiura across Foveaux Strait.
The Beach Past the Back Beach.
The Beach Past the Back Beach.
The waves tumbling the stones.
Stones on the Beach Past the Back Beach.
Stones on the Beach Past the Back Beach.
Lots of rocks around this coast – lots of pockets of stones to explore.
Two metre high “cave” in a large rock.
The same “cave” and rock in March 2021. More stones piled around.

In general, the stones here are not quite as good as Gemstone Beach ones but careful fossicking tends to be productive (as you can see):

Some kind of quartz or quartzite?
Trace fossils in argillite.
Another trace fossils in argillite.
Brecciated.

I spent summer holidays in Riverton Aparima when growing up, and my first batch of tumble-polished stones (completed in April 2016) came from its beaches. For an introduction to Riverton Aparima and its beaches, see the second entry in this Post. For an account of a March 2021 fossick at The Beach Past the Back Beach, see Day 14 in this Post. For a batch of polished stones from The Beach Past the Back Beach, see here.

A shortened version of this Post first appeared in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The next Post in this Series features my second day’s fossick at Gemstone Beach. The first Post in this Series is here.

June-July 2022 Fossicking Trip: 6) Gemstone Beach, Day One

The Waimeamea River mouth was a lot south of its usual location. Source map: Google Maps.
My car alone in the carpark today (when I arrived)
Looked northwest from in front of the carpark.
Today’s breakers.

This afternoon, Monday 27 June, I spent just under three hours on Gemstone Beach, Orepuki. When I arrived at 1 pm, the temperature was nine degrees and this was maintained while I was fossicking. It had been raining overnight but none fell this afternoon, though there were grey clouds overhead and some wind. I was well dressed for cold windy weather. My hands felt cold for the first 15 minutes but then warmed up for the rest of the time. The sea was rough and the waves powerful – every so often, a particularly long-lasting one chased me up the beach. I saw only a couple of other people wile I was there – individuals who wandered out briefly from the carpark. The local gold miner and his dog also took a trip along the beach on his four-wheeler.

The Taunoa Stream, sweeping across the beach.
The beach about 150 metres past the Taunoa Stream.
The Waimeamea River running across the beach.
Looking southeast from near the Waimeamea River.

I walked a few hundred metres northwestwards from the carpark, taking my time while scanning the stones and keeping an eye on the waves. I eventually encountered the Waimeamea River crossing the beach, too deep to cross in my gumboots and too swift and cold to risk a barefoot crossing. The river was also quite a bit more southeastwards than usual (see map at top of Post, far left).

As usual, there were lots of stones on the beach, and I managed to find a number of very interesting ones. Lack of sunlight meant my photos of the stones I found were not as clear as they could be – they often show reflections from the photographer and surrounds across part of the surface.

Small stone, some brecciation.
Quartzite.
More breccia.
Probably argillite. Fine smooth mudstone.
Very small stone.

I found a handful of small hydrogrossular garnets and a similar number of good trace fossil stones.

Small hydrogrossular garnet.
Probably another small hydrogrossular garnet.
Trace fossil argillite stone.
Red trace fossil.

Some background on Gemstone Beach can be found here.

A version of this Post first appeared in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The next Post in this Series features a fossick at Riverton Aparima. The first Post in this Series is here. A Series Index is here.

June-July 2022 Fossicking Trip: 5) Kakanui Seadown Beach, Day Two

Looking north towards Oamaru from the carparking area, Seadown Beach.
A beach-level view.
Seadown Beach stones.
Seadown Beach stones.

Saturday 25 June was my second day fossicking at Seadown Beach, Kakanui. The day was warmer, the sky was cloudy. I made two trips to the beach again, spending 90 minutes there in the morning and one hour in the afternoon, either side of high tide. Found some interesting fossil seafloor stones today. These are too soft to tumble polish the same way as for other stones like jasper and quartzite – I often just tumble them in 400 or 600 grit – this leaves them very smooth.

Fossil seafloor stone.
Fossil seafloor stone.

I also found some more jaspers and quartzites.

Quartzite.
Quartzite.
Jasper with stress lines.

Tomorrow I continue my drive south.

A version of this Post first appeared in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The next Post in this Series features my first day’s fossick at Gemstone Beach, Orepuki, Southland. The first Post in this Series is here. A Series Index is here.

June-July 2022 Fossicking Trip: 4) Kakanui Seadown Beach, Day One

Seadown Beach is on a 5 km sweeping part of the North Otago coast. Source: http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-45.148453,170.913019&z=13
Southern end of Seadown Beach. Source: https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-45.1557733,170.9172044,902m/data=
The south end of the beach last year.
This year, sand and stones having been removed by the waves.

I made two visits to this beach today (Friday 24 June), the first in the morning for just under two hours and the second in the afternoon for a further hour. Temperatures were low again today though the sun was shining. The waves were breaking much higher up the beach than I expected, and the level of the beach at the south end has changed a lot from when I have been here before (see two photos above right). The waves have been eroding the beach. This happens from time to time, and large boulders have been placed along the back of the beach here to provide some protection for the road. More information on the beach and the area can be found in TumbleStoneTwo.

At beach level, large wave coming in.
The wave sweeps up the beach.
These rocks are usually about 3/4 covered with sand and stones but the waves have stripped them.
Some of these waves are maybe 2 to 3 metres high.

I visit this beach regularly on my fossicking trips because of the very attractive jaspers and quartzites I have found here, along with a number of other interesting stones. Today’s fossicking proved fruitful once again. Some of the jaspers I collected:

One side of a small jasper.
Other side of the small jasper.
Brecciated jasper.
Dark red jasper.

Some quartzites collected today:

And some others, including beach agates, petrified wood and some mysteries (the first one in particular is most intriguing – a member of the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils” commented on it: “Similar to a Danish Fossil Okkergelber Hornstein made up of bryozoan. Looks like hard clay but in fact chalcedony”):

Don’t know what this is…
It looks like lots of tiny fossils.
Don’t know what this.
Small beach agate.
An even smaller beach agate.
Large piece of petrified wood.
Caramel coloured stone.

I have another day to do more fossicking here tomorrow.

A shortened version of this Post first appeared in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The next Post in this Series features my second day’s fossick at Kakanui’s Seadown Beach. The first Post in this Series is here. A Series Index is here.

June-July 2022 Fossicking Trip: 3) Timaru South

I drove down Scarborough Road to the coast. Source of map: http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-44.427804,171.247799&z=14
About 100 metres after walking across the railway line from Scarborough Road, you can drop down onto the beach.
TumbleStoneTwo webpage on Timaru South https://tumblestoneblog.wordpress.com/2022/06/19/ts2-timaru-south/

Third beach visit on my current South Island fossicking trip was a short stop just south of Timaru as I was driving from Birdlings Flat to Kakanui. I arrived at the Scarborough Road entrance to the Jack’s Point/Tuhawaiki Point Walkway at 1pm (Thursday 23 June) and spent an hour on the beach. It was seven degrees and sunny. The tide was very high and cut off the possibility of walking north very far.

Looking from the carparking area to Mutu Mutu Point. High tide.
Looking northwards towards Timaru city, the waves lapping the cliff.
Down on the beach, risky to walk northwards.
Down on the beach, looking south to Mutu Mutu Point. At the far end is the large seal making its way up the beach.

As I was walking south towards Mutu Mutu Point, a large seal arose from the sea at the Point and I decided it was wise not to get too close. I moved towards it a bit to take some photos and it made its way south and disappeared around behind the cliff. I did some fossicking, walking slowly back north, then looked up behind me to see the seal moving towards me. I continued to retreat. The seal then trundled another 30 metres or so, climbed up the foot of the cliff and rested there, soaking in the sun. A man and his dog appeared up above it, on the walkway. He sat and ate his lunch, the dog being a little restless, aware of the seal below.

The seal at Mutu Mutu Point.
Photo taken with zoom lens.
After disappearing briefly, the seal reappeared and started moving towards me, following the foot of the cliff. Looking up at the man and dog above.
The seal has arrived at its destination, the sunniest most sheltered place on the beach. Man and dog above.

I returned to my fossicking on the strip of beach available to me. I collected just a handful of stones, mainly quartzites.

A description of this beach, and further north and south, can be found here on TumbleStoneTwo. Next stop, Kakanui.

A shortened version of this Post first appeared in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The next Post in this Series features my first day’s fossick at Kakanui’s Seadown Beach. The first Post in this Series is here. A Series Index is here.

June-July 2022 Fossicking Trip: 2) Birdlings Flat

Location of Birdlings Flat. Source: Google Maps.
From an information sign at the carpark. This shows the stretch of beach I walked today.
The thick fog meant I couldn’t see the Banks Peninsula cliffs until I got very close.
What I would have seen if the fog was not there.

Second beach visit on my South Island fossicking trip was Birdlings Flat. I arrived there at 9 a.m. on Thursday (23 June) in thick fog with the temperature below zero. I was aware that the mouth of the canal from Lake Forsyth/Wairewa had been dug out recently to flush out the lake. The last part of the canal follows a path under the Banks Peninsula cliffs (see photo above, second from left), so I walked over that way. At one point, looking back, I spotted a small seal pup struggling up the beach, maybe looking for a rest from the heavy swells.

Small seal pup struggling up the beach behind me.
Getting closer to the cliffs…
Birdlings Flat stones, mainly greywacke.
Looking down on the canal dug from Lake Forsyth/Wairewa. The sea had piled up stones to cut it off.
The view from down in the canal.
Turning around and looking at the stones thrown up by the sea to block the canal outlet.
More Birdlings Flat greywacke (mainly).

I spent 80 minutes on the beach – the fog kept the stones wet though the lack of sun made it hard to spot them. I didn’t find any agates (not unusual for me) but found some nice jaspers and quartzites.

Brecciated jasper.
Quartzite.
Another jasper.
Quartzite.
Quartzite.
Brecciated stone.
Quartzite.
Unknown.

Some background on Birdlings Flat for those who don’t know it can be found here in TumbleStoneTwo. Driving further south, my next stops for Thursday will be Timaru and Kakanui.

Waves at the foot of the cliffs.
The bridge over the canal, at the lake end.
Looking into the foggy distance.
TumbleStoneTwo webpage on Birdlings Flat.

A shortened version of this Post first appeared in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The next Post in this Series is on my visit to Timaru South. A Series Index is here.

June-July 2022 Fossicking Trip: 1) Ward Beach

TumbleStoneTwo webpage on Ward Beach.
Looking towards the Ward Beach carpark from near the Flaxbourne River mouth. Camping area in behind carpark.
Powerful waves at Ward Beach today.
Ward Beach stones.

I have embarked on another beach stone fossicking trip to the South Island – I live near Whanganui and make a trip like this by car about three times a year. After an at times rough Cook Strait ferry crossing on Tuesday (21 June), I drove to the small town of Ward for an overnight stay. I made my first beach visit of the trip on Wednesday morning, driving the six kilometres to Ward Beach for a 90 minute fossick.

Main areas of Ward Beach that I have visited so far over the last two years. Base map = Google Maps.
Ward Beach Reserve and carpark area. From information signage at the beach.
Beach in front of Ward Beach carpark, looking towards Flaxbourne River mouth area.
The stone bank, in front of the Ward Beach carpark.

When I arrived at the beach at 9 a.m., it was cold, about five degrees, but mainly sunny and there was not much wind. Due to recent storms causing heavy swells, the waves were large and powerful. I have recently written a page on Ward Beach for my new website TumbleStoneTwo, so it was interesting to visit in person again. I was also able to take some photos I need to round out the page.

I found some interesting zoophycos stones, a couple with an unusual red stain, but no agates this time.

Probably a limestone, with red staining.
Zoophycos trace fossil in limestone.
This stone has a slightly raised trace fossil 2/3s up its length.
Nice black trace fossil.
Pastel grey-brown stone.
Some kind of brecciated stone, I think.

I have not yet tried to polish the zoophycos stones as they tend to be softish limestone. But I intend to experiment with them sometime, maybe see what a straight polish tumble will do.

Powerful waves at Ward Beach.
Ward Beach.
Ward Beach stones.
Mouth of the Flaxbourne River, quite narrow at this point, maybe a couple of metres. Rock to left was uplifted by the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake.

A shortened version of this Post first appeared in the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. The next Post in this Series is on my visit to Birdlings Flat. A Series Index is here.

TS2 – MY THOUGHTS ON SAFETY ON THE BEACH, AND FOSSICKING ETIQUETTE

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NOTE: The following are initial thoughts only. I will develop them more as time goes on.

MY THOUGHTS ON SAFTEY ON THE BEACH: Make sure you know what the tides are doing, and always assess the implications of the tide coming in – will it trap you against a bank of stones or a cliff? Check the weather forecast before going out, and dress appropriately. Take food and water if you are going to be fossicking for more than an hour or so. If by yourself, let someone else know when you arrive and leave the beach. Always look up from the stones from time to time so you know what is going on around you. Keep an eye out for seals on the beach, and give them plenty of space. When weighing up the risk of picking up an interesting stone in the face of a powerful incoming wave, leave the stone where it is – don’t risk being dragged out. Don’t try to lift or carry too many stones – make an extra trip if need be.

MY THOUGHTS ON FOSSICKING ETIQUETTE: Only venture onto private property with the permission of the landowner. Avoid disturbing livestock. Leave no litter, and pick up other people’s rubbish if you are able. Take only the stones that you want, be selective. Give other fossickers plenty of space. If you dig a hole, fill it in afterwards. If you find a fossil, consider whether you should report it to a museum. Share your knowledge with other fossickers, especially newbies. Minimise your disturbance of wildlife, especially nesting birds.

THE ETHICS OF FOSSIL COLLECTION: In October 2022, a small group of fossil collectors cut out and removed a 23 million year old whale fossil from the bank of a West Coast river. The fossil was well-known in the area and was often visited by the public. Many people and groups were shocked at its removal, and those who did it appeared to do so in a deceitful and aggressive manner – see, for example, this news article and this news article. While private fossil collectors are important for the identification of fossils in New Zealand, there appears to be no legal protection for fossils, and the ethical issues surrounding fossil collection are not always clear. This article by Nic Rawlence, a Senior Lecturer in Ancient DNA at the University of Otago, provides a good discussion of these issues.

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TS2 – TIMARU SOUTH: MY STONE FOSSICKING

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Timaru South beach. Lighthouse in distance.
Timaru South beach.
Entry onto beach at Scarborough Road end.
Small quartzite, Timaru South beach.

It was in June 2021 that I first visited Timaru South beach, at the Scarborough Road end, on my way south on a South Island fossicking trip. On my way back north, I stopped off at the Ellis Road end of the beach, on a foggy South Canterbury day. The following are Posts on TumbleStone Blog describing my visits to the beach to date, listed in chronological order:

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