Story: Coastal shoreline

Cliffs, Cape Kidnappers

Cliffs, Cape Kidnappers

These spectacular vertical cliffs are at Cape Kidnappers, on the east coast of the North Island. They are made of layers of gravel, silt and pumice. These layers represent different types of marine sediment that were laid down on the sea floor somewhere between 200,000 and 2 million years ago. Over time they have been uplifted by earthquakes. At the foot of the cliffs are gravel and sand beaches.

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Photograph by Kynan Gentry

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How to cite this page:

Maggy Wassilieff, 'Coastal shoreline - Cliffs and beaches', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/4798/cliffs-cape-kidnappers (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 12 Jun 2006