Early 2024 Fossicking Trip – Part 28, Rain-Charged Channels on Te Waewae Bay, Monday 18 March

After two days not visiting the beach due to bad weather, I spent three and a half hours at Gemstone Beach and nearby Te Waewae Bay coast this morning. It was cold and windy with the odd rain shower. A couple of people with their dog were the only ones there when I arrived. It was just after high tide, but it was apparent that the sea had moved a lot of sand onto the beach in front of the carpark – I had to walk down to the Taunoa Stream to find any substantial patches of stones. Recent rain had made the Taunoa Stream almost unfordable, and I waited and fossicked around the stream until the tide had gone down a little, giving me more space to attempt a crossing. I was successful, though I got some water in my gumboots (as happened again later when I came back).

Gemstone Beach this morning, a bleak scene.

The Taunoa Stream. A lot of stones and sand have been moved around over the last couple of days.

The Taunoa Stream flowing high with recent rain.

I slowly made my way down to the Waimeamea River lagoon. Most of the stones across the beach were wet because of the occasional rain and lack of sunshine, so I could spot the colourful ones without having to risk the waves. However I couldn’t go as far as I usually do. The Waimeamea River had forced a channel through the stones to the sea at the eastern end of the lagoon. This is the first time this has happened this trip. And the water was far too deep and swift to ford.

The Waimeamea River lagoon today, a couple of hours after high tide.

The Waimeamea River flowing through a channel in the stone barrier.

The Waimeamea River rushing to the sea – not fordable.

I found three poppy jaspers today, two near the Waimeamea River and one halfway back to the carpark:

I also found a few pink stones, at least some of them classic thulites. Here are two pinkies:

Thulite.

I came across a glassy stone with a bright green mineral in it, maybe chrome in hydrogrossular garnet. A torch behind it highlights its degree of transparency. I have collected a handful of similar stones on previous trips, though this is the biggest one so far:

Chrome in hydrogrossular garnet?

With a torch shining behind the stone.

A small hydrogrossular garnet, also with a torch behind it:

Small hydrogrossular garnet.

With a torch shining behind it.

A small quartz stone with tiny black inclusions:

With a torch behind the stone.

Two colourful spotty stones – when my friend John who lives in Scotland saw a photo of the first one, he suggested it could be a “highly metamorphosed vesicular basalt”. The vesicles have likely been infilled by minerals left behind by superheated water. The second stone may be a very similar type:

Three different kinds of dark stones with tiny white crystals – the first has a horizontal linear pattern of interest, the second has some grey mixed in with the black and white, and the third has some elongated crystals:

Two stones made green by epidote – one with transparent quartz “windows”, the other a large trace fossil stone:

Finally, four other finds I made today:

The first Part of this Series can be found here. The Series Index 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