Kōrero: King Country region

Fossil hunting, Kiritehere beach

The King Country is a fossil hunter's dream location. The west coast and nearby inland areas are rich in fossils because the land is formed from sedimentary rocks. Even the most casual observer cannot fail to notice the marine fossils which fill the rocks of Kiritehere beach,  just south of Marokopa. Watch this video of James Crampton as he exposes fossils – more than 200 million years old – of monotis (a Triassic-period shellfish) within a boulder he found on the beach.  

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GNS Science

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

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Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Kerryn Pollock, 'King Country region - Plants and animals', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/interactive/34836/fossil-hunting-kiritehere-beach (accessed 29 March 2024)

He kōrero nā Kerryn Pollock, updated 1 Mar 2015