Moeraki Boulders

Today's the day ........................ for an alternative explanation

These large strange rocks lying on the beach are known as the Moeraki boulders.

They started life 55M years ago when lime was deposited slowly and evenly around a shell or pebble to form a hard, cemented, spherical concretion. In more recent geological times, the region was uplifted. The sea slowly eroded into the mudstone cliffs and eventually the boulders were freed from their encasing softer rock.

An alternative explanation is that an enormous Waka Atua - or great canoe of the Gods got waterlogged and foundered off the coast where the boulders are. The large rocks are the gourds and calabashes bound with flax which held water for the voyage and the smallest rocks are the kumara or sweet potato taken as provisions.

Either sounds quite possible to me .........................