The Wonders of Curio Bay

It doesn’t look much, just looking down over Curio Bay, just another coastline full of rocks, you might think.  But there is a secret in those rocks, one that is 160 million years old.  There was a forest growing here-abouts way back in the Jurassic Period.

During the Jurassic Period

The forest was petrified after being buried by a volcanic eruption.  Over a long period the wood has been replaced by silica but the structure and wood grain remains.  New Zealand was once part of the super-continent Gondwanaland, and this is confirmed as the prehistoric trees and ferns resemble the fossils found in South America.  At low tide the remains of the petrified forest can be seen in Curio Bay.

Fossilised remains of fallen trees

Fossilised tree stumps

Wood grain is clearly visible

Where ever we looked, we could see  remains of an unending forest of trees in the bay.  We hopped from rock to rock, (or log to log) and we amazed by the extent of  the fossilised remains. 

Plenty to interest Robin

Watch out for those waves

Curio Bay had yet another wonder to show us.  The elusive and very rare Yellow Eyed Penguins nest in the shrub covered cliffs here and we  returned at dusk, all rugged up in thick jackets, and woolly hats and gloves,  to (hopefully) watch them return from the sea. .  There were many people milling about the rocks waiting, and our group had a great view up on the lookout steps.  At long last a solitary penguin jumped out of the sea and onto the rocks to make his slow journey back to the burrow. 

Photo courtesy of Geoff

A group was standing right in front of the little penguin and blocking his way, so Robin went up to them and requested that they give the penguin a clear line of sight to his burrow. There were signs in abundance asking people not to crowd the birds, or get in their way, and the nesting area was strictly off limits to everyone.   Cameras were flashing, and people were moving around as the little fellow grimly plodded on.  The more sensible people were sitting quite still on large rocks and didn’t upset the penguin at all.  An angry  roar went up from the crowd as one young tourist started to follow the bird into the bushes, and he was soundly put in his place, as he well deserved to be!  A pair of birds arrived together and made their way slowly up the beach, followed by another solitary bird.  We were so pleased that we saw four of the penguins, what a thrill it was, at long last.  Us ladies stayed up on the steps and had a great view through binoculars.