Skip to main content

Story: Rock, limestone and clay

Blocks of pumice

Blocks of pumice

Pumice is a volcanic rock so light that it floats, and large blocks can be easily lifted. It occurs mainly in the central North Island, but because it floats it can be found around the New Zealand coastline. The beaches of Lake Taupō consist of pumice sands. In 2003 over 173,000 tonnes of pumice were mined from the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. It is mainly used as fill in road construction, for drainage and building foundations. Pumice sand makes lightweight concrete bricks.

Using this item

Private collection

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Rock, limestone and clay – Phosphate, sulfur and pumice, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5260/blocks-of-pumice (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Shona
13 September 2016
I remember as a child dad taking us up to Taupo for Xmas each year,well, turangi_ita this side of Taupo, and the roads used to crunch and crackle under Neath. Yes, it was pumice.i will never forget the sound, it used to put me off to sleep. The old days!