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Story: West Coast region

Pounamu

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Pounamu

Most of the pounamu (greenstone) found on the West Coast occurs as boulders in the Arahura valley. There is considerable variation in colour and tone, as shown by these sawn boulders.

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Private collection

by Simon Nathan

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, West Coast region – Māori exploration and settlement, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/21069/pounamu (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 3 March 2009, updated 1 September 2016.