Since 2016, I have visited and become familiar with a number of fossicking beaches in the South Island of New Zealand. The Southern Alps run down the spine of the South Island and rivers with their source in the Alps have transported stones down to the coast. Powerful waves and currents have then moved these stones around and tumbled them for many thousands of years. Often quite smooth stones are then deposited on beaches, for the fossicker to explore.
The links below are to a small number of South Island beaches, on the east and south coasts, listed alphabetically. These are the beaches I know best. This website provides information about these beaches, their locales, their character, and the stones to be found there, based on my experiences. [Note: Links with * after them, e.g., Riverton Aparima*, have not yet been constructed – links are provided to informative TumbleStoneBlog Posts about these beaches.]
Birdlings Flat
Gemstone Beach
Kakanui’s Seadown Beach
Riverton Aparima* Blog1 Blog2
Slope Point
Timaru South
Ward Beach
Other beaches I have collected stones from, and posted useful information about, include Bluecliffs Beach (Southland), Kaitorete Spit (near Birdlings Flat), Leithfield Beach (just north of Christchurch), McCracken’s Rest (near Gemstone Beach), Papatotara Beach (Southland), and (single Posts only) St Andrew’s Beach (South Canterbury) and Tiwai Beach (Southland).
See also MY THOUGHTS ON SAFETY ON THE BEACH, AND FOSSICKING ETIQUETTE
HOME – ABOUT ME – BEACH STONES – TUMBLE-POLISHING– LIST OF CONTENTS TO DATE
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