Before I left Kakanui today on my way north, I spent two hours on Seadown Beach. Again, a good patch of stones could be found at low tide at the south end. I also walked north maybe 800 metres but the beach there had very few stones to offer. It was apparent that erosion at the back of this stretch was still continuing, and parts of the now-closed Beach Road were eroding onto the sand (see photo below). In a previous Post, written last year on Seadown Beach, I had noted that between 1957 and 2002, the average rate of erosion along Beach Road had been about 50 cm per year (see Section 5.3 of “Planning on a Retreating Coastline: Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand”, a 2009 GNS Report).
Among the few stones on the stretch of beach north of the carpark was this large one with bryozoan fossils:
For more information on bryozoan fossils and this kind of stone on Seadown Beach, see Part 32 of this Series.
I have found a small number of pieces of petrified wood previously on this beach (see this Post), and this morning came across a nice specimen at the south end:
A small piece of chalcedony (beach agate) with an interesting dark patch on one side:
Five of this morning’s finds with interesting patterns/detail:
Five of the quartzites I found:
Finally, four softer stones with tiny shells in them, what I call fossilised seafloor:
This afternoon I drove to Banks Peninsula, near Christchurch, where I stayed overnight with Tracey and Ashley. Tomorrow I drive to Ward in Marlborough, and fossick at Ward Beach in the afternoon. The day after that, I am scheduled for a ferry crossing of Cook Strait followed by a drive home to Whanganui.
The next Part of this Series describes a fossick at Ward Beach, the last of this trip. The Series Index is here.
Once again I’m learning from you – did not make the connection to chalcedony aka beach agate! How did I not know that?? Hope you have a nice smooth sailing on the ferry!