Southern Sojourn 2023(22): Back to Gemstone Beach! Wednesday 15 March

Post 22 https://tumblestoneblog.wordpress.com/2023/03/15/southern-sojourn-back-to-gemstone-beach-wednesday-15-march/

Post 23 https://tumblestoneblog.wordpress.com/2023/03/17/southern-sojourn-2023-two-hours-on-gemstone-beach-thursday-16-march/

Post 24 https://tumblestoneblog.wordpress.com/2023/03/19/southern-sojourn-202324-bordering-on-madness-wet-weather-fossick-on-gemstone-beach-friday-17-march/

Post 25 https://tumblestoneblog.wordpress.com/2023/03/19/southern-sojourn-202325-fossicking-with-chrissy-at-the-cliffs-papatotara-on-te-waewae-bay-saturday-18-march/

Post 26 https://tumblestoneblog.wordpress.com/2023/03/20/southern-sojourn-202326-delightful-discoveries-desperate-de-pants-ing-and-dramatic-drenchings-on-gemstone-beach-sunday-19-march/

I arrived back in Riverton yesterday. This morning I spent three hours on Gemstone Beach (and the part of Te Waewae Bay beach to the west). On the beach, I met with Lee Gibbs, a fossicker who is also a member of the Facebook Group “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils”. Lee and two fossicking friends have, like me, travelled from the North Island to visit Gemstone Beach. We had a good chat about stones and tumble polishing. This Post features 11 of my finds today.

The beach in front of the carpark.

Looking west.

Panorama of the Taunoa Stream.

The Taunoa Stream cutting through the stones.

This stream bank is about 1.5 to 2 metres high.

Gemstone Beach stones.

Looking towards the mountains of southeastern Fiordland.

The Waimeamea River, after some rain – but still able to be forded.

The 11 stones featured in this Post.

The two most striking of my finds are an unusual small green orbicular stone and a larger colourful breccia:

Among the larger stones are these four:

A stone that proved difficult to photograph.

Other side of stone.

One side of a colourful stone.

Other side of stone.

Complex detail in this stone.

Probably a banded argillite.

As is often the case, the smaller stones are sometimes the most interesting:

The black bands are eye catching.

The intense white stands out in this stone.

A small green quartzite.

Other side of quartzite.

Another stone difficult to photograph.

Small poppy jasper.

The next Post in the “Southern Sojourn 2023” Series features a gorgeous grey breccia stone. The first Post in the Series is here, the Index to the 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