Waitaki Whitestone Geopark

Our Geopark tells the story of our land, our whenua. Come explore our beautiful part of the world!

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

Are you interested in the development of Geoparks within New Zealand?
We are looking to establish a New Zealand Geopark Group.  First Meeting Tues 28 Nov 23, 7 - 8pm, via Zoom. More info here: https://t.co/b2t6SRRVBL

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

The Geopark Festival booklets are out! 📷 our amazing volunteer Cathy will be out and about in Ōamaru in the next couple of days to distribute those.
For the full programme, visit https://t.co/SNQZFcy6y3

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

Registration required! This Saturday, join us for a walking tour at Elephant Rocks and Anatini!
https://t.co/yMYrhlfHwq

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

Become an expert on the local geologic attractions of Elephant Rocks and Anatini. Did you know this area was once part of a warm and shallow ocean about 25 million years ago? https://t.co/FQt0VlBHqy

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

Today we were based at the Waitaki Museum as part of the Matariki celebrations. We were looking at our connection to the land through identifying rocks & working out what they tell us about the past. Check our map - where people identified their rock type and plotted its location

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

News from the Waitaki Whitestone UNESCO Global Geopark - https://t.co/7aN3WEOXSm

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

Mānawatia a Matariki! 📷 From the 4th to the 13th of July, there are lots of wonderful opportunities for you to celebrate the special time of Matariki - the beginning of the Māori new year as observed on the lunar calendar. https://t.co/KfR9oEc1T7

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

Our geoeducator recently visited the tamariki at Montessori Oamaru for World Environment Day. We learned all about the different treasures within our geopark - from the little penguin, to our native bush, and fantails. What a beautiful card they gave to Sasha!

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

New signage was installed at the Te Kaihīnaki / Moeraki Boulders DOC carpark! In collaboration with Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, DOC and the Geopark, these new signs allow visitors to learn more about the cultural & geological history of the boulders and the wildlife in this area.

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

Our geoeducator Sasha recently visited Kakanui School to run our School of Rocks programme. We learned about the three rock types and created some collaborative art to display our findings. 📷 Rocks tell the story of the past!

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

It's our fault! The next major Alpine Fault event is likely to occur within our lifetime, so we're taking steps now to plan for the impacts and disruption it will cause.
The Ōamaru - AF8 Roadshow is a free public event happening at the Oamaru Opera House tomorrow!

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

A fossilised sponge from New Zealand has been named as one of the top 10 new marine species of 2022 - recovered from microfossil deposits in Oamaru!
Read more about the "ballerina sponge" in this article from NIWA. 👇
https://t.co/47mVr0HfDd

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

We are attending the tourism trade event TRENZ this week! We have joined forces with Tourism Waitaki to showcase our region to buyers from around the world! With the meeting of the Executive Board of UNESCO just around the corner, we are excited to introduce the Geopark to buyers

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

We had such a great time last night at the Aquavan Community Event! There were lots of volcano eruptions and many fossils were found in the limestone blocks. Thank you to NOSLaM, in conjunction with Otago Catchment Community & University of Otago, for organising this event!

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

News from the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark - https://t.co/PgEOlAoZbl

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

Congratulations to the Waitaki Community Gardens for being nominated as Organic NZ Community Garden of the Year! 📷Congratulations
Cast your vote below 📷https://t.co/3EDlVRH6l3

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

Ngā mihi o te Aranga, Waitaki! Happy Easter!
Planning to head out this long weekend to explore some of our beautiful sites and stories? Download our free Geopark App and choose one of our 7 tours to explore a land of geological and cultural marvels. https://t.co/722GnpNv6Y

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

News from the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark - https://t.co/WCc1qq4Zc5

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

During Prof. Ross Dowling's visit to our Geopark in early March, he also talk to Dan at Real 104FM about his visit and what UNESCO Global Geopark status could mean for the Waitaki.
If you missed it on the radio, you can now listen to it on our podcast. 👇 https://t.co/rJX5fAItrX

[Waitaki Whitestone Geopark @WaitakiGeo]

We had an awesome day at the Family Fun Day on Saturday! 😊 So much so that we ran out of greywacke rocks to paint on as well as vinegar to let our volcano erupt 😲 The kids found some awesome fossils in the limestone blocks and made wonderful art on greywacke pebbles.