Curio Bay
Curio Bay attracts visitors for both its ruggedness and the 160 million year old fossilized logs that lie on its reef. It was a cold moody autumn day when this image was taken. A southerly wind was blowing in from the South Pole and one needed a good layering of warm and windproof clothing to venture onto the shoreline.
Curio Bay, Catlins, Southland, New Zealand
The fossilized logs are thought to be a Jurassic-age type of conifer that were swept from the surrounding hills by volcanic ash and mud flows. Over the years silica replaced the wood cells to produce very hard replicas that can withstand the harsh environment where they now lie. Amongst nearby rocks fossilized leaves can be found, near perfect copies of the original.
Fossilized Logs at Curio Bay - Catlins, Southland, New Zealand
At the end of each day Yellow-eyed Penguins come ashore to nest overnight in the grassy banks along the shoreline. Black oystercatchers wade in the rock pools near the pounding surf.
Chris Gregory's Alphathreads 