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Story: Floods

Artificial rocks

Image
Large concrete forms beside the sea.

An alternative when large stopbank rocks are not available is to make blocks out of concrete. These ‘rocks’, which can be interlocked for additional strength, help protect Wellington airport from strong Cook Strait swells. Similar concrete forms are widely used for river protection all over New Zealand.

Using this item

Private collection

by Simon Nathan

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How to cite this page

Eileen McSaveney, Floods – River monitoring and flood warnings, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/4912/artificial-rocks (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 February 2024.