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Curio Bay - The petrified forest in The Catlins [New Zealand]

Curio Bay - The petrified forest in The Catlins [New Zealand]

April 2021 · 2 min read · Southland
Curio Bay close up, the graveyard of the stone trees. New Zealand, Southland
Curio Bay close up, the graveyard of the stone trees. New Zealand, Southland

Take me for a walk, a walk in time where no clocks were ticking and no fossils energy market were in place. It was some time ago but thinking to this place almost always make me forget the currency of nowday time. This place alongside the green pastures of the New Zealand's Southland is the graveyard of trees that lived 180 millions years ago. To walk in proximity of this ancient fossilized trees is thought provoking and oneiric.

The forest grew over a span of 20’000 years when after a volcanic eruption was turned flat, the dead plants slowly absorbed the silica that turned them into fossils overtime.
The forest grew over a span of 20'000 years when after a volcanic eruption was turned flat, the dead plants slowly absorbed the silica that turned them into fossils overtime.
Not only the tree trunks were fossilized, even the branches and the leaves.
Not only the tree trunks were fossilized, even the branches and the leaves.
The bay were the forest lie is a beautiful place on it’s own with this big cut into pools and cliffs were the waves hit the land creating beautiful tiny waterfalls. It was fun to play escaping the coming crushing wave or just stay there cuddled by the spraying waters.
The bay were the forest lie is a beautiful place on it's own with this big cut into pools and cliffs were the waves hit the land creating beautiful tiny waterfalls. It was fun to play escaping the coming crushing wave or just stay there cuddled by the spraying waters.
Curio bay is also home of the endemic and rare Hector’s Penguin, I didn’t get a chance to see them, penguin are very shy and stay out in the sea for a very long time.
Curio bay is also home of the endemic and rare Hector's Penguin, I didn't get a chance to see them, penguin are very shy and stay out in the sea for a very long time.
Curio Bay petrified forest. The beautiful view from the road toward the bay, the sight of the pools unraveling from the green fields is something do be witnessed.
Curio Bay petrified forest. The beautiful view from the road toward the bay, the sight of the pools unraveling from the green fields is something do be witnessed.
Outside of the first main area it was hard to spot the plants for an untrained eye but it was fun peaking over the rocks and inspect them.
Outside of the first main area it was hard to spot the plants for an untrained eye but it was fun peaking over the rocks and inspect them.

On a closing note, this place got me thinking about the far geological eras before current time, how slow everything was flowing in comparison of these times and how lucky we are to have some places like this that make scientific research more apparent. But preservation doesn't seems a value we are to much attached nowdays so I want to praise the people and the rangers of The Catlins for having put restricted areas and passageways to reduce the damage that a tourist may cause and hopefully improve even more so that tourists and penguins can coexist for a long time.

Salutes from Curio Bay petrified forest.

Have a goodday!

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