Wairere Boulders facts for kids
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| Legal status | Company |
|---|---|
| Services | Visitor attraction, campsite, accommodation |
| Owners | Graham and Paula Grant |
Wairere Boulders is a special nature park and fun place to visit in Northland, New Zealand. It's located near a town called Horeke in the south Hokianga area. This park is famous for its super cool and rare rock formations. When you visit, you can walk on different trails, go kayaking, and even stay overnight at their campsite.
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Who Owns Wairere Boulders?
Wairere Boulders was first started by Felix and Rita Schaad. They were a couple from Switzerland. They bought the land in the 1980s. After working for four years to build tracks, bridges, and viewing spots, they opened the park to visitors in 2000. They decided to sell the property in 2017.
Now, the park is owned by Graham and Paula Grant. They are from Scotland. They bought the large property, which is about 140 hectares (that's like 345 football fields!). Since then, they have added new walking paths. They also created a camping area, a coffee shop, and a bed and breakfast. The property even has a farm where they raise cute miniature highland cattle.
Fun Things to Do at Wairere Boulders
The most exciting part of Wairere Boulders is seeing the huge and unique rock formations. These rocks are made of a type of volcanic rock called basalt.
Explore the Amazing Walks
There are many different walking paths to choose from. Some walks take about 40 minutes, while others can take up to 3 hours. You'll get to walk under, over, and all around the giant boulders. The rocks are surrounded by a beautiful subtropical rainforest. Many of the plants have labels so you can learn what they are. For extra fun, look out for rock animals, tiny fairy houses, and a cool swimming hole!
Go Kayaking on the River
You can also go kayaking on the boulder river. This adventure takes you through mangrove trees. Then, you'll paddle out to the big Hokianga Harbour. Remember, kayaking here depends on the tides. So, make sure to check the tide times before you plan your trip!
How the Wairere Boulders Formed
The Wairere boulders are very old. They slid down the hillsides a long, long time ago. This happened because of a type of basalt lava flow that cooled and formed a hard cap on top of softer clay. Over time, the clay underneath started to wear away. This created a V-shaped valley.
As the valley formed, big pieces of the hard basalt cap broke off. These huge rock blocks slowly moved down the hillsides. They gathered at the bottom of the valley. Now, they fill a part of the valley that is about 1.4 kilometers long and up to 350 meters wide.
Unique Rock Shapes: Basins and Flutes
Many of the boulders have special shapes on their surfaces. You might see deep holes called "solution basins" and long grooves called "fluting." These formed as the rocks slowly slid down the valley. This is a rare process called "karst formation" on basalt. Usually, karst shapes are found on softer rocks like limestone.
At Wairere, the basalt rocks were dissolved by weak acids. These acids came from decaying leaves and plants that grew on top of the boulders. Over thousands of years, these acids created the basins and flutes. The basins are like small pools, about 20-50 cm wide and deep. The flutes are deep, vertical grooves on the sides of the boulders. Sometimes, the fluting isn't straight anymore because the boulders have moved or tilted since they formed.
Basalt karst features can be found in other places in northern New Zealand too. Some of the best examples are at Wairere Boulders. You can also see them on Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea.
See also
- List of rock formations in New Zealand
