Moeraki Boulders
Your Nature Guide
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Marios Gavalas
Author And Researcher
Nau mai, haere mai
Nau mai, haere mai
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Photos
Information
Moeraki Boulders
600 m return | 10 minutes return
Taniwha eggs? Alien shells?
The boulders at Moeraki on the North Otago coast have speculated over for hundreds of years.
Geological curiosities. The largest is over 2.2m in diameter and weighs more than 7 tonnes. There are more than 50 strewn like dinosaur eggs along the beach.
Walking Track
Timing
The boulders are best exposed 3 hours either side of low tide. If a big swell is running then you may not be able to get to the boulders at any tide.
Access
Moeraki Boulders are well signposted from SH1. There is a cafe and toilets at the parking area.
Track
Descend to the beach and head left. Explore the boulders and join the antics.
A short loop track from the cafe leads up to a viewing platform above the boulders.
Geology
Geologists term them septarian concretions. Around 60 million years ago, muddy sediments accumulated on the sea floor with plant, bone and shell fragments embedded. Sea creatures such as marine worms, molluscs and urchins mixed these sediment layers, homogenising them through their burrowing. As the wet sediments were buried more deeply, chemical reactions occurred and calcite crystallised around the organic nuclei. When this process occurred at an even rate on all sides, spherical nodules formed. For a small concretion, less than 1mm across the process may have taken around 150,000 years. Try 4 million years for one of the biggies!
As the outer material became solid and the inner material dried, shrinkage cracks propagated outwards from core to rim. These cracks were then filled with saturated calcite solution and yellow and brown calcite crystals were precipitated.
Over the last few million years, this layer of mudstone has been uplifted to the present day sea level and the gnawing of the waves on the soft cliffs is exposing the boulders. There are many more buried and many more to be revealed in the cliffs.
Polynesian History
The South Island tribe Ngati Tahu explain their formation through a story. When the great canoe Arai Te Uru was wrecked on the coast near Matakaea (Shag Point) the cargo was thrown overboard. The water gourds (Te Kai Hinaki) became the Moeraki Boulders, while the seed kumara became the more irregularly shaped rocks to the south. Several other features of the area are related to this wreck, including the hull becoming a reef near Shag Point and many local hills named after crew members.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
DOC OtagoCentral government organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Oamaru |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Walking
Scenic Attractions
Nearby
Reviews
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4.0/5
We made a fairly quick stop here as the tide was not optimal but the boulders are quite special and the kids (13 and 11) thought they were cool.
They are best seen a few hours either side of low tide.
You're not alone on this beach - but good for a pit stop.
We were here early February.
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5.0/5
28Oct18.
Not enough there to spend the day but we were delighted by the boulders. They are in various states of preservation. Some lie in pieces, some are well on the way and some are whole. There is one just about out of the cliff and one just showing through.
We went through the tourist area and paid $2 each for access. Didn’t begrudge that at all. There is also a cafe and toilets.
There is a free Moeraki Boulders public parking just off the highway. Go down there if $2 is too much.
MF![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(17,115,152)" /><path d="m 150 713 Q 245 55 -413 150 Q 245 245 150 -413 Q 55 245 713 150 Q 55 55 150 713 z" fill="rgb(148,64,6)" /><path d="m 150 485 Q 188 112 -185 150 Q 188 188 150 -185 Q 112 188 485 150 Q 112 112 150 485 z" fill="rgb(107,191,249)" /><path d="m 150 267 Q 249 51 33 150 Q 249 249 150 33 Q 51 249 267 150 Q 51 51 150 267 z" fill="rgb(238,140,103)" /></svg>)
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3.5/5
Good spot to see the phenomenon of Moeraki Boulders.
Just a few minutes enough to get some pictures, not bothered to stay the day.
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5.0/5
Interesting beach walk to the boulders (amazing big round rocks).
On the other side of the peninsula walk to the seal colony. So amazed by the seals and penguins, awesome experience!
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4.0/5
$2 donation.
Too many people there - come early or late. Sometimes you can see dolphins there, think about the tides!
S![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(135,105,104)" /><path d="m 150 696 Q 201 99 -396 150 Q 201 201 150 -396 Q 99 201 696 150 Q 99 99 150 696 z" fill="rgb(178,58,243)" /><path d="m 150 371 Q 102 198 -71 150 Q 102 102 150 -71 Q 198 102 371 150 Q 198 198 150 371 z" fill="rgb(77,197,12)" /><path d="m 150 105 Q 207 93 195 150 Q 207 207 150 195 Q 93 207 105 150 Q 93 93 150 105 z" fill="rgb(120,150,151)" /></svg>)
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2.5/5
Pretty hyped spot.
Was not the best weather when we arrived (mid September) but I can't imagine it to be that good with nice weather. The Boulders itself are quite interesting but only for 5-10 minutes. Maybe go there during a sunset.
UK![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(203,101,215)" /><path d="m 150 565 Q 245 55 -265 150 Q 245 245 150 -265 Q 55 245 565 150 Q 55 55 150 565 z" fill="rgb(59,65,72)" /><path d="m 150 316 Q 97 203 -16 150 Q 97 97 150 -16 Q 203 97 316 150 Q 203 203 150 316 z" fill="rgb(196,190,183)" /><path d="m 150 236 Q 167 133 64 150 Q 167 167 150 64 Q 133 167 236 150 Q 133 133 150 236 z" fill="rgb(52,154,40)" /></svg>)
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4.0/5
I appreciated these as examples of what nature can create but I like geology and geography.
Others may find them less interesting/an anti climax. Go through the DOC walk entrance not via the restaurant (don't follow the big blue signs) so that you don't feel obliged to pay $2pp to use their steps down to the beach.
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4.0/5
A nice walk along the beach at low tide.
The weather was so nice and until you reached the Boulders we were alone at the beach. The Boulders were good to visit, but a bit crowded.
NF![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(161,109,95)" /><path d="m 150 719 Q 54 246 -419 150 Q 54 54 150 -419 Q 246 54 719 150 Q 246 246 150 719 z" fill="rgb(235,116,112)" /><path d="m 150 509 Q 73 227 -209 150 Q 73 73 150 -209 Q 227 73 509 150 Q 227 227 150 509 z" fill="rgb(20,139,143)" /><path d="m 150 120 Q 89 211 180 150 Q 89 89 150 180 Q 211 89 120 150 Q 211 211 150 120 z" fill="rgb(94,146,160)" /></svg>)
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3.5/5
An early whaling station settlement (1836) but the surprise is the large round boulder half buried in the sand, some cracked apart being washed by the incoming and outgoing tide.
How they came to be here is a good question.
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3.5/5
Some nice round rocks in the sea, guess it is even more impressive at sunset and sunrise.
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2.5/5
Really?
You have to pay to get down a private way to the beach. Felt ripped off even though we followed the official signs.
L![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(15,122,242)" /><path d="m 150 687 Q 161 139 -387 150 Q 161 161 150 -387 Q 139 161 687 150 Q 139 139 150 687 z" fill="rgb(71,41,163)" /><path d="m 150 337 Q 284 16 -37 150 Q 284 284 150 -37 Q 16 284 337 150 Q 16 16 150 337 z" fill="rgb(184,214,92)" /><path d="m 150 299 Q 276 24 1 150 Q 276 276 150 1 Q 24 276 299 150 Q 24 24 150 299 z" fill="rgb(240,133,13)" /></svg>)
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4.0/5
We made a fairly quick stop here as the tide was not optimal but the boulders are quite special and the kids (13 and 11) thought they were cool.
They are best seen a few hours either side of low tide.
You're not alone on this beach - but good for a pit stop.
We were here early February.
-
-
5.0/5
28Oct18.
Not enough there to spend the day but we were delighted by the boulders. They are in various states of preservation. Some lie in pieces, some are well on the way and some are whole. There is one just about out of the cliff and one just showing through.
We went through the tourist area and paid $2 each for access. Didn’t begrudge that at all. There is also a cafe and toilets.
There is a free Moeraki Boulders public parking just off the highway. Go down there if $2 is too much.
MF -
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3.5/5
Good spot to see the phenomenon of Moeraki Boulders.
Just a few minutes enough to get some pictures, not bothered to stay the day.
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5.0/5
Interesting beach walk to the boulders (amazing big round rocks).
On the other side of the peninsula walk to the seal colony. So amazed by the seals and penguins, awesome experience!
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4.0/5
$2 donation.
Too many people there - come early or late. Sometimes you can see dolphins there, think about the tides!
S -
2.5/5
Pretty hyped spot.
Was not the best weather when we arrived (mid September) but I can't imagine it to be that good with nice weather. The Boulders itself are quite interesting but only for 5-10 minutes. Maybe go there during a sunset.
UK -
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3.5/5
Some nice round rocks in the sea, guess it is even more impressive at sunset and sunrise.
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4.0/5
A nice walk along the beach at low tide.
The weather was so nice and until you reached the Boulders we were alone at the beach. The Boulders were good to visit, but a bit crowded.
NF -
3.5/5
An early whaling station settlement (1836) but the surprise is the large round boulder half buried in the sand, some cracked apart being washed by the incoming and outgoing tide.
How they came to be here is a good question.
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4.0/5
I appreciated these as examples of what nature can create but I like geology and geography.
Others may find them less interesting/an anti climax. Go through the DOC walk entrance not via the restaurant (don't follow the big blue signs) so that you don't feel obliged to pay $2pp to use their steps down to the beach.
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2.5/5
Really?
You have to pay to get down a private way to the beach. Felt ripped off even though we followed the official signs.
L -
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