Monday, 5 March 2012

Vanished World at Duntroon

Today we moved on to Awamoko Domain, another good NZMCA POP not far from Oamaru.     On the way we called in to the Riverstone Homeware shop to lok at what we thought was a cafe and small shop.   It turned out to be a full blown restaurant and a collection of interesting shops crammed full of all sorts of gifts, crafts, homeware etc.

 

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             The Flower Shop                          2 of the other shops                   

 

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“Boot Hill” Tombstone Collection

We didn’t spend too much time there as we were wanting to go on to Duntroon and the “Vanished World” fossil and rock formations which we had read about and sounded quite interesting.

Once set up at the POP and after a quick lunch we drove to Duntroon and into the Vanished World information centre full of casts of fossils dug from the limestone cliffs and formations in the area.   Some of the larger fossils of dolphins were deposited  70 millions of years ago in what is now known as the Waitaki Valley.   Casts have been taken and most of the originals are now in the Otago Museum.

We set off along the Vanished World Trail where volunteers have marked each area to stop and with a short walk view fossils and interesting rock formations.

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                                                                 Baleen Whale Fossils

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Up in the Hills

Further on to the next area known as elephant rocks for more photos

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Jenny & Robin and Pauline and I at Elephant Rocks

On to our last stop for the day  passing what looked like part of the set constructed for the filming of one of the Narnia films and a short walk in to another fossil site with some amazing rock formations.

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Limestone Rock Formations

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