March 2025 Stone Collecting Trip – Part 10, Cold and Wet at Gemstone Beach, Saturday 8 March

My Gemstone Beach turning around point, near the Waimeamea River lagoon.

My finds this morning, about 60 stones.

I spent just over a couple of hours at Gemstone Beach this morning. No-one else was there when I arrived – it was 12 degrees, there was a cold breeze, and heavy showers were going through. When I left, the temperature had risen to 13 degrees and the beach was again deserted. I did look back once to see one other person in the distance in front of the carpark, but saw no-one else. The periodic rain made most of the stones wet most of the time, so I spent some of the time fossicking away from the waves, close to the cliffs. I managed just to get to the Waimeamea River lagoon but then turned back, earlier than I usually do. I took away about 60 stones, including a good bunch of trace fossils.

Gemstone Beach this morning during one of the brighter moments.

Rain drop on the camera lens.

This photo gives a good sense of the dark clouds moving over Gemstone Beach.

My Gemstone Beach turning around point, near the Waimeamea River lagoon.

My turning around point.

My finds this morning, about 60 stones.

Eleven of my finds are featured below. The first is the largest stone, possibly a type of iron-stained quartz with spectacular patterns:

Other side of stone.

Two much smaller stones – the first is a nice clear banded argillite, not sure what the second is but it has an intriguing composition:

I collected about 15 trace fossils (in argillite) stones. This is the one with the longest trace fossil. The one below it looked initially like a trace fossil but close inspection leads me to believe it is a brecciated stone, probably a mudstone.

Trace fossils in argillite.

Brecciated mudstone?

Another three finds: The first is my favourite – a variety of subtle light hues and veins. The second has some tiny orange crystals that caught my eye. The third has some intense green epidote in its veins.

Two sides of a small hydrogrossular garnet:

Other side of stone.

Finally, two different types of poppy jaspers:

Part 11 is “Subtle Colours and Patterns”, 90 Finds from Slope Point. An Index to this 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