We went to Muriwai today, a beach 45km west of Auckland with a gannet colony and some fascinating geology. There are approximately 1200 gannets nesting on top of cliffs with vertical faces. A viewing platform has been built directly above for tourists like us to observe the activity. It is all completely free.
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| I like how they’re symmetrically spaced across the top |
The geology of the surrounding cliffs is unlike anything I’ve seen before. They are the result of lava flows from an underwater volcanic eruption some 17-50 million years ago. The flowing lava is quickly cooled by the surrounding water causing a crust to form and creating a pillow-like bubble. This is called pillow lava.
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| Wouldn’t want to live in any of those houses |
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| Public toilets. Notice the rooftop garden. |
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| The cliff directly behind the public toilets. |
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| Another picnic on the beach |
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| Eating sand |
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| Fan-shaped lava formation thought to be one of the main lava feeder tubes |
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