March 2025 Stone Collecting Trip – Part 12, A Stormy Sea and Swollen Streams at Gemstone Beach, Wednesday 12 March

Looking back after crossing the Taunoa Stream.

Today’s 67 finds from Gemstone Beach.

At 2pm, I arrived at Gemstone Beach to find lots of cars in the carpark. There were quite a few people on the beach in front of the carpark and along to the Taunoa Stream (see here for an idea of the main features of the beach). It was a cool but dry afternoon, high tide had been at 12.18pm. I spent two hours looking for stones, collecting a total of 67 finds. Halfway through the fossick, I had a brief chat with the local gold miner who described the sea as “stormy” – energetic waves, lots of foam and driftwood, swollen streams, and the stones had been turned over a bit. The Taunoa Stream was too high for most people to ford – I just managed it in my big gumboots. A kilometre westwards, the Waimeamea River was flowing strongly through the stones to the sea.

Some of the people on Gemstone Beach yesterday. A stormy sea.

Taunoa Stream, swollen with recent rain. The stream has cut down into the beach, leaving a high bank on the carpark side.

Looking back after crossing the Taunoa Stream.

Driftwood on the beach.

More driftwood, at the high tide mark, near Waimeamea River mouth, Gemstone Beach.

The Waimeamea River flowing to the sea. Over a metre deep and moving strongly. Here, a wave is sweeping up into it.

Another view of the Waimeamea River.

Wave at the mouth of the Waimeamea River. There was good fossicking along the short bank of the river between the sea and the cliff.

Today’s 67 finds from Gemstone Beach.

On my return to the carpark, when I was looking for stones on the edge of the Taunoa Stream, I talked with Tim and Martin from near Palmerston North. Tim has a cafe and museum which features beach finds including stones, including petrified wood. We discussed the kinds of stones to be found on Gemstone Beach. I promised to send Tim some trace fossil stones and some petrified wood from Slope Point when I got back home in April.

Eight of my finds are featured below. When I looked closely at the first one, what caught my eye were the densely packed tiny white crystals.

A small brown hydrogrossular garnet:

Hydrogrossular garnet.

Other side of hydrogrossular garnet.

I find this type of sugary quartz very attractive, both its texture and pastel hues – and they often tumble polish well:

An intriguing stone, probably my favourite find today, although the photo doesn’t do it justice:

The first of the next two finds is a jasper. The second could also be jasper but maybe a mudstone, I am not sure. I like the colours in both stones:

I think these last two could be different varieties of quartzite – nice and smooth and full of detail:

Part 13 features a fossick on The Beach Past the Back Beach, Riverton Aparima. 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