Destination, Issue 33

This peaceful little fishing village beckons as a stopover point with views out to some of New Zealand’s most dramatic coastal scenery. Moeraki (Maori for “a place to rest by day”) is not only home to award-winning restaurant Fleurs Place (see our story on page 100) but also the famous Moeraki Boulders, large spherical stones scattered over sandy beaches.

Unlike ordinary boulders which are shaped by rivers and pounding seas, these were formed during the early Paleocene period 60 million years ago in similar fashion to oyster pearls, where layers of material cover a fossil shell or bone fragment. Over time, lime minerals in the sea accumulated on the core and the concretion grew into perfectly spherical shapes up to three metres in diameter and weighing several tonnes.

Moeraki has strong Maori, whaling and sealing heritages and was North Otago’s first European settlement. According to Maori legend, the boulders are remains of calabashes, kumara and eel baskets which washed ashore after the wreckage of legendary canoe Araiteuru at Shag Point. The long Maori history is represented in the town today by the Kotahitanga Maori Church and a pa site nearby.

Syria’s ancient cities, exotic markets and overwhelming sense of history are a revelation to two Kiwi travellers. Words: Polly Greeks. Photos: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/dreamstime, Max Galli/laif.