Geo Radio - Waitaki Whitestone Geopark: Recent Episodes
Waitaki Whitestone Geopark
There is a lot going on in the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark! Follow our podcasts to listen to the weekly Waitaki Whitestone Geopark radio programme and never miss any Geopark news and activities again.
We recently participated in an Enviroschools hui where we explored the science of water holding capacity in soils.
Learn about the continent of Zealandia through the rocks and stories of the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark
A new mural in Chelmer Street, Oamaru shows an ancient underwater scene - an artists impression of what the Oamaru area was like around 35 million years ago....and what lived there....
Learn about the different tours you can explore - including the new tour at Macraes.
Download the app and chose from a range of tours.
Our Geoeducator recently accompanied a school group on a field trip to learn about formation of our landscapes and ancient New Zealand.
Keen to explore the Geopark? Download our Touring App - see https://www.whitestonegeopark.nz/geopark-app
Learn more about this programme offered for primary schools through the Waitaki District.
Big changes ahead for the Geopark - a new Chair, a new Manager, a new project....listen here to learn more.
GNS Science recently visited Palmerston Primary School to deliver an exciting interactive earth science programme. Learn more here!
What a successful festival last weekend!!! Over 35 activities and events spread across our district to showcase the treasures of the Waitaki. Listen hear to how it all went.
Learn more about what kind of activities and events are planned for the Geopark Festival 2023 at www.whitestonegeopark.nz
Grab a programme today, or download a copy from www.whitestonegeopark.nz
Come and join in the events 27 - 29th October 2023.
A team from Waitaki Whitestone Geopark recently attended the 10th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks 2023. Listen here to learn about our valuable learnings and networking, and what this means for our Geopark.
Learn more about this exciting festival - with activities and events throughout the Waitaki District.
Please note this was previously published with the incorrect date/year.
Learn more about this exciting festival - with activities and events throughout the Waitaki District.
We recently held a field trip at Elephant Rocks and Anatini to celebrate Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail 10-year anniversary. Learn about what we did - and check out our short video of the day on our facebook page.
Listen here to learn about one of our Geosites and new interpretation signage that was installed earlier this year.
Students from the University of Otago's Science Communication Department made their annual visit to the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark. Listen here to learn more about their visit and potential outcomes.
This field trip - running from the Geosites of Elephant Rocks to Anatini is part of the Alps 2 Ocean Trail 10 year anniversary. Numbers are limited. Activity level = moderate to good fitness and mobility. $10 pp. For more information about this field trip and to sign up please see our facebook page or email info@whitestonegeopark.nz
Sign up for our newsletter to find out what we've been doing, and up and coming events.
This new education programme that we deliver covers where our food comes from, how soil is formed, what it's made from ...and a couple of experiments.
Pick up a map from Whitestone City in Oamaru or download our touring app and explore the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark.
Learn more about this festival planned for October 2023 and how you can become involved!
We recently hosted a celebration event to announce the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark becoming a UNESCO Global Geopark!
The Waitaki Whitestone Geopark becomes part of the UNESCO Global Geopark network. A first for New Zealand!
AF8 recently came to the Waitaki to speak to our community about hazards and risks associated with the Alpine Fault. See the recording of this talk here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xcoClgxLPY
The Geopark is home to numerous museums:
Waitaki Museum in Oamaru
Kurow Museum in Kurow
Waihemo Museum in Palmerston
Whitestone City in Oamaru
Vanished World Centre in Duntroon
The AF8 Roadshow will be at the Oamaru Opera House Tuesday 16 May at 5:30pm.
Come along and learn about the potential impacts a large earthquake on the Alpine Fault may have on our district.
See https://af8.org.nz/ for more information.
This free community event is being held at Oamaru Intermediate School Thursday 4th May 5 - 7pm.
Come along and learn about our marine environment - past and present!
Vanished World began with the interest and research of staff and students at Otago University.
Today it offers educational insight into the formation of our land and the marine creatures that once lived here.
See Waitaki District Councils school holiday brochure for holiday programmes, visit the Centre, and pick up a free self-guide brochure to visit some of the local sites.
Visit the Vanished World Centre in Duntroon for indoor activities - and learn about wetlands!
We recently delivered programmes on the Plesiosaur fossil discovered at Shag Point, volcanoes, and the School of Rock to a local primary school. Learn more here.
Find a fossil, rock painting and a volcano activity at the Friendly Bay Fun Day in Oamaru recently.
Children collected marine fossils from limestone that was 25 million years old. They painted rounded greywacke cobbles that were originally sands off Gondwana around 200 million years ago - before dinosaurs became extinct!
Learn about the benefits of the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark seeking to join the UNESCO Global Geopark network.
1) Introducing our new volunteer.
2) Next weeks public talk is an expert in the field of geotourism. For more information see - https://www.whitestonegeopark.nz/post/01-03-23-public-talk-geotourism-and-geoparks
Learn about our recent Kakanui field trip. Missed out on attending? Follow us on facebook and sign up for our newsletter to learn about more events!
Our next field trip is fully booked. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook to learn about up and coming events.
Learn about greywacke - how it was formed and where it is found...and how it got there.
Meridian recently hosted a tour of the Waitaki Dam. Listen here to learn about how it all went and some of the fascinating history attached to this dam.
Last week our Geoeducator attended the New Zealand Geographic conference in Christchurch. While there, they participated in a pre-conference tour of the Banks Peninsula Geopark.
We have now installed interpretation signage on the back of three of our recently installed bench seats. These are at Hutchenson's Quarry in Oamaru, All Day Bay, and Kakanui.
Geosites within the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark tell the story of the geological formation of the the continent Zealandia. Learn more at www.whitestonegeopark.nz
Our October public talk will take place in Duntroon on Thursday 20th October 6 - 7pm. Come along and learn about Maori Rock Art within the geopark.
We are installing new bench seats at four of our geosites - Hutchisons Quarry, All Day Bay, Campbells Bay and the Kakanui River. Interpretation signage for these geosites will be installed on the back of these bench seats at a later date. This project has been funded by the Otago Community Trust.
Learn about our recent announcement plus Lisas time at the Asia Pacific Geoparks network Conference.
Join us for our public talk in Palmerston. For more information see - https://www.whitestonegeopark.nz/post/15-09-22-public-talk-macraes-gold-rocks
Learn about our September beach clean up day - Saturday 17th September at the Kakanui Beach Reserve on Beach Road (opposite the Old Bones Lodge).
For more information about what to bring please see https://www.whitestonegeopark.nz/post/17-09-22-beach-clean-up-at-kakanui-beach-reserve
Learn about this free and fully resourced programme for Waitaki Schools. Contact us to book a time for us to deliver this in your school.
We recently had Students from the Otago University Science Communications visit the Geopark. This is our third year of being their clients. Students select a topic to create resources for use by the Geopark. In the past students taking this course have produced brochures, pull up banners, graphics, and audio files (check these out on some of our new interpretation panels). We are looking forward to seeing what students will develop this year!
Our August public talk will take place in the Omarama Hall on Thursday August 18th from 6 - 7 pm.
Come along and find out about the active Ostler Fault.
For more information see - https://www.whitestonegeopark.nz/post/18-08-22-public-talk-the-mackenzie-basin-s-ostler-fault
Visit Vanished World in Duntroon to learn about the ancient sea that occupied the area from our current coast to inland from Kurow....and about some of the animals that lived here! Visit the dig room and dig your own 25 million year old fossils. Visit their website at www.vanishedworld.co.nz
We recently hosted two evaluators to the geopark. Listen here to learn about their visit and where to from here....
Listen here to learn about our new ambassadors programme. See our website for further details.
The UNESCO evaluators are visiting our geopark very shortly - keep an eye on our website, and follow us on facebook!
Listen here to find out about our new interpretation signs and what kind of content they contain!
Visit the sites and learn about the story's of our land and people.
Come along to this months public talk - to be held at the Kakanui Hall Thursday 16 June 6 - 7pm.
Topic - the Oamaru and Kakanui Volcanoes
Join us this weekend for a beach clean up!
Meet at 11am at the Doc site Kaihinaki near Moeraki Boulders.
Learn about our June public talk to be held in person in Kakanui. Plus details about our June beach clean up!
Listen here to learn more about the recent public talk on glaciers and past climate change. Follow us on facebook - we have posted a link to a NIWA video on glaciers!
Please note both of these talks were live online and have not been recorded for later viewing.
Pre register for our public talks online Tues 17 May at 6:30 and Thursday 19 May 6pm.
www.whitestonegeopark.nz
Find out more about this wonderful exhibition called 'Earth Caught in Stone' - a collaboration between Otago University, the Dunedin Art School and Geological and Nuclear Science. Also sign up for a webinar where a selection of artists and scientists whose work is featured in this exhibition give a short talk on their topic. Many of the topics in this exhibition feature geology and landforms of the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark - so come along and learn more about our wonderful district.
Listen here to find out about our online activities available on our website www.whitestonegeopark.nz
Listen here for details of the up and coming UNESCO evaluation of the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark.
Our April expert speaker is Peter Almond from Lincoln University. He will be speaking on soils, loess and climate change. See our promotional flyer and register for this talk at www.waitakiwhitestonegeopark.nz
This talk will be available later on our youtube channel.
This exhibition by GNS, Otago University and the Dunedin School of Art explores some earth science topics featured in our geopark, both through the scientific lens as well as an artistic lens.
Keep an eye on our website www.whitestonegeopark.nz and our facebook page for dates and more information.
Listen here to learn how you can join us in our virtual tour of four sites within the Geopark.
Listen here to find out how to access this site, and what the outcrops here tell us of Oamaru's past.
Listen here to find out about how our latest beach clean up went, and our public talk plan for March and April.
We are working on a project at the moment to update Vanished World signage and install new signage at many of our geosites. Listen here to learn more!
Our first public talk for 2022 is going to be held at the Scottish Hall in Oamaru on Thursday 17 February 6 - 7pm. Come along to Listen to Nick Mortimer from GNS talking on Gondwana - Zealandia - Waitaki.
Access our online resources from our 'kids corner' webpage - https://www.whitestonegeopark.nz/kids-corner.
Listen here to learn about what experts we had at our recent event. More information about this event and a link to a video taken on the day can be viewed at https://www.whitestonegeopark.nz/post/guided-walk-at-devil-s-bridge-wetland.
Listen here to learn about the different things we've accomplished in 2021 - and ideas for exploring the geopark over the summer.
Listen here to learn about our virtual road show.
Looking for Christmas presents - visit us at the Farmers Market in Oamaru this Sunday to purchase Geopark caps, t-shirts and copies of the very first geological map of New Zealand.
Rocks at river mouths tell us interesting information about what rock outcrops upstream and how far they may have travelled.
Listen here to find out about our up and coming beach clean up day at Kakanui River Mouth planned for Sunday 28 November.
Listen here to learn about our up and coming public talk titled 'Macraes - A history from the start of time' by one of OceanaGolds Macraes senior mine geologists Amber Daniels.
The public talk is to be held in the Scottish Hall (Tyne Street) in Oamaru 6 - 7pm Thursday 25 November.
This talk will be available for viewing on our Youtube channel at a later date.
Listen here to learn all about our recent visit to Maheno Kindergarten where we talked to the tamariki about the Plesiosaur fossil recovered near Matakaea Shag Point.
Listen here to find out where we are in our UNESCO application status. Also learn about our recent beach clean up event - run as part of the 'Keep NZ clean' week.
Listen here to find out details of our beach clean up event - to be held at Campbells Bay on Sunday 31st October at 10am. Check our facebook page for updates if the weather is not favourable.
Listen here to meet our new manager and to learn about our new strategic plan for the Geopark!
This public talk will be held at the Opera House in Oamaru on Thursday 21 October at 6pm during the Waitaki Arts Festival.
Come along and learn about our ancient past through the fossil record of the geopark.
Listen here to learn all about the sediments that make up the cliffs of Trotters Gorge - and how the cliffs themselves have been formed.
Come along to the Scottish Hall in Oamaru on Thursday 16 September 6-7pm to hear out monthly public talk. We will be adhering to alert level 2 for this event. Check out our website for more details - https://www.whitestonegeopark.nz/post/16-09-21-public-talk-ko-puketapu-te-mauka.
This event will be viewable on our youtube channel at a later date.
Listen here to find out about information on the geology of our local beaches and headlands.
Listen here to learn about our School of Rocks programme being offered to primary schools in 2021 and funded by Curious Minds.
Our geoeducator is also involved in the Soil Your Undies programme being led by Otagos Enviroschool initiative with key partners of Beef and Lamb NZ, North Otago Sustainable Land Managment (NOSLaM), and the East Otago Catchment Group. Listen here to learn more about this programme and how the geopark are telling the story of "rocks - the origins of soil". Soil Your Undies programme is being funded by Curious Minds and ORC's ECO fund.
Did you know you can view our previous public talks through our youtube channel?
Also - we have a kids corner page with lots of resources for fun, engaging leaning!
All this can be found at www.whitestonegeopark.nz
Listen here to learn about our recent field trip with Otago University Science Communication Students - how the geopark is their client and the resources they produce as part of their assessments.
Listen here to find out more about our up and coming public talk - to be held at the Oamaru Public Library 6 - 7 pm Thursday the 19th of August.
See our flyer at August public talk.
Recently we had the pleasure of meeting with the Banks Peninsula Geopark. We took a tour of some of our local geosites, showing them some of our updated interpretation signs. We aim to tell the story of our land and people through the geopark. Listen here to learn more about what our day involved and the development of the geopark here in the Waitaki.
Are you involved in a community group and would like our team to tell you about the geopark - places to visit, explore and learn about the stories associated with our land and its people? Listen here to learn about how we meet with community groups. Contact us through our website to book a time for us to visit your community group.
Come along to the launch of this self guided trail - or pick up a copy at a later date from the Waitaki Aquatic Centre and the Oamaru Library.
Listen here to learn about the geology of Trotters Gorge and the oldest river sediments in the geopark.
Find out about our touring routes - including our latest one titled 'Rural route to Duntroon'.
Use the app and learn about some of the amazing geology and social history along this route.
Visit the Forrester Gallery in Oamaru to see Otago Museums exhibition "100 Women, 100 words, infinite possibilities".
Listen here to learn more about studying and working in the areas of STEM.
Come along to hear Keren from Totara Estate and learn about some of the social history of our geopark!
Join us for a day of planting at Clifton Falls. Listen here to learn about this wonderful project and how you can be a part of it!
Listen here to learn all about our recent bus tour that took in the geological sights of part of the coastal section of the geopark, as well as our rich cultural and historical stories.
Listen here to learn all about the ancient seafloor that has been preserved at the Campbells Bay geosite - what does it tell us about ancient sealife?
Listen here to learn about the recent bus tour to Vanished World supported by the Geopark.
Discover where the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark started and the history behind Vanished World in Duntroon.
The Geopark will have a stall at this event - come along and learn more about the Geopark.
Listen here to learn abit more about the geology along the coast.
Check out www.whitestonegeopark.nz for more information and resources.
Listen here to find out where the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark is in it's UNESCO accreditation process.
Listen here to learn about the Geopark volunteer programme. Check out the Geopark website www.whitestonegeopark.nz to sign up for our newsletter and learn more about our volunteer programme.
Visit our new office to view our Geopark displays and learn more about the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark.
Listen here to learn about the geology of the new section of the Alps 2 Ocean (Sailors cutting to Benmore Dam).
Our February 18 public talk is at the Oamaru library 6 - 7 pm. Come along and hear Henry Gard present.
Learn about what earth science topics we covered on a recent field trip with Waitaki Girls High School.
Listen here to learn all about Soil your undies Otago community event that Sasha recently attended.
Listen here to Gareth Boyt - the Waitaki District Council Biodiversity Advisor to learn about biodiversity!
Listen to how the Victorians used local stone in construction and how the stone fits into the story of Zealandia.
Recently a journalist from the New Zealand Herald spent some time in the Geopark. Read all about her experiences at https://www.whitestonegeopark.nz/media
The title of the article is "New Zealand road trip - discover the power of Waitaki"
Visit the Waitaki and Oamaru Visitor Centre to discover more of the Geopark.
The Geopark now has a space in the Waitaki and Oamaru Visitor Centre. Visit Thurs through Monday 10am until 4pm to learn more about the Geopark.
The team from the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark recently visited the Field Day in Palmerston and the Community Gardens Abundance of Spring event.
Ride the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail and explore the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark at the same time!
Listen here to discover how these rocks were formed.
Please note, the pop-up shop is now closed.
Check out www.whitestonegeopark.nz for more information and follow us on facebook.
Please do contact us if you would like us to visit your community group to give a presentation on the Geopark and the stories the rocks tell with regards to the formation of Zealandia.
Our public talk in July was a huge success with Brian Miller talking about Zealandia as well as the Oamaru volcano. After the talk a number of people walked from the Oamaru library (where the talk was held) to the Geopark pop-up shop to look at resources there and to ask any questions they may have.
The Waitaki River has been identified as a geosite. Listen to this podcast to learn some amazing features of this very special braided river.
There is alot to do in and around Moeraki, including:
Te Kaihinaki (Moeraki Boulders)
Katiki - where you can see kekeno (fur seals) and hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins), and
the Moeraki Peninsula at the end of the Millenium Track and where there are information boards about the history of early Maori in the area and whaling activities.
Come along to the Oamaru Library in Thames St on Thursday 16th July 2020 at 6 - 7pm to hear Brian Miller talk on the following topics:
"What is a Geopark and why is the Waitaki District special?
The formation of New Zealand and the discovery of Zealandia
How an undersea volcano created the Victorian town of Oamaru"
The Geopark recently installed interpretation panels at Elephant Rocks near Duntroon.
These explain how the Elephant Rocks were formed.
Podcast summary:
An orogeny is a mountain building process.
The Kaikoura Orogeny is the mountain building process that started 25 million years ago when movement along the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates began their uplift. Continential crust thickened and eventually around 5 million years ago the Southern Alps were uplifted.
This mountain building phase continues today.
Podcast summary:
The Pacific Ring of Fire is known as the area around the edges of the Pacific tectonic plate where there is concentrated earthquake and volcanic activity.
These earthquakes and volcanoes happen as a result of the Pacific Plate crashing against, subducting beneath and sliding against neighbouring tectonic plates.
In New Zealand, the Pacific Ring of Fire is where the Pacific Plate abuts the Indo-Australian Plate. To the east of the North Island this happens in the Hikurangi subduction zone where the Pacific Plate is subducted beneath the Indo-Australian Plate. The result is earthquakes and volcanism.
To the South of the South Island there is subduction (in the opposite direction to that happening off the North Island).
In between these subduction zones, through the South Island, the margin of the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates is marked by the Alpine Fault. This has uplift (mountain building) as well as sideways movement. This mountain building process is called the Kaikoura Orogeny which started 25 million years ago. Tune in next week to learn more about the Kaikoura Orogeny!
May 2020
Radio announcer: Time to talk Geopark once again. Joined by Geo educator Sasha Morriss. Sasha, still working from home at the moment.
Geoeducator: That's right, yes, I'm still working remotely.
Radio announcer: But you've been really active and busy, I guess.
Geoeducator: Oh, yeah. Look, it's been a really good opportunity for us just to develop a lot more online resources. So we've got a kids page up and running, lots of activities in kid friendly language. And we've also set up a resources page specifically for teachers to use. Now, teachers, you know, not just in schools, teachers are parents, teachers are family members. So if you've got children that you care for or in your life, jump online and have a look. And there might be some resources there that the people in your family find interesting.
Radio announcer: Now, one of the things you have been working on, I understand, is about timelines.
Geoeducator: That's right. Yes. So geological timescales and timelines is what we've been working on lately. And that's available online now. So we've got some text around that explaining what is the geological time scale and also the time scale itself. And it has been drawn up in a column form. So just to run over it briefly, the geological time scale is massive. It's very difficult for us to get our minds around, you know, millions of years. So what we've done is we've re created one specifically for the Waitaki District that tells the story of Zealandia. So everything on this geological timescale to date relates back to things that we discuss in Kids Corner. So there's nothing in there that's going to throw you and think, oh, what's that? It's all things that you can cross reference to Kids corner. And it covers right from when New Zealand was part of Gondwana - basement rocks were being formed through to the separation of Zealandia. And then what we see recorded here in the Waitaki District with the marine transgression, the volcanism, we've got glaciation etc. So it's not a thing to really get hung up on the actual numbers, but it's the order of things. What happened first? What happened next etc. And it just put things into context for people. And I think makes things a little bit more accessible and clearer for people. So we'd just really appreciate people's feedback as to what they think. And I guess one thing to keep in mind when you're looking at the geological time scale is one of the assumptions that's made is that things happen at a constant rate over time. Now, we know in reality that this is not true, that you have catastrophic events that do create things that would be recorded in the geological time scale. However, over time, we kind of assume that these things even out. And so there's lots of factors that come into play when you read the geological time scale. So if you read the text, you'll see there is a margin of error that is built in there. But when you start talking about millions of years, you know, you can have significant margins of era. They can be, you know, a million years here or there. So that's why geologists tend to talk about epochs or periods of time. So when you hear Oligocene, Eocene, Miocene - they're periods of time that span millions and millions of years. And that's what geologists tend to talk about rather than specific dates.
Radio announcer: And all of that is available on the Web site.
Geoeducator: It's all available on the Web site. So jump on there and have a look. And we would just love to hear your feedback.
Radio announcer: And that Web site address, again is...
Geoeducator: The website address is www.whitestonegeopark.nz
Radio announcer: Thanks for your time, Sasha. We'll catch up again next time.
....Geoeducator: So we've got an activity there that's actually a puzzle. So let me start at the beginning. Long time ago, back in the Triassic, which is very long time ago. We're talking, you know, 200 odd million years ago, there was a continent called Pangea. Now Pangea was the land masses of the world and then that separated up into two separate supercontinents. There's Laurasia, which is mostly the northern hemisphere continents of today (there are some exceptions of course), and Gondwana, which is mainly the southern continents (of course there are a couple of exceptions there as well). And so that broke up into those two continents, and New Zealand formed off the edge of Gondwana. So that's part of the southern continents. Now, Gondwana was in a different area on the globe than New Zealand is today. Now, Gondwana itself, then started to break up in the Jurassic. So round about 160 odd million years ago, it started to break up. And New Zealand then started to break away from Gondwana around about 80 million years ago. Now, you know, this took a very, very, very long time. So we're talking millions of years to break away and it's slowly opened up, scissor like, separating from Australia and Antarctica. And actually, interesting fact, Zealandia (which is the continent that New Zealand sits on) is only separated from Australia by a trough called the Cato trough, and it's only 25 kilometres across. Believe it or not. So pretty narrow when you're looking at the actual continental crust as opposed to what's sticking up above the land (sea). So this activity that we've got is all the different puzzle pieces, if you like, that make up Gondwana. So you can print it out, colour them and cut them at the edges of the continents and then try and piece them back together to get an idea of what Gondwana looked like. Have a go identifying the various countries that are there as well. How does it relate to the Geopark? Well, Gondwana is reflected in the Geopark through our basement rock. So we've got our greywackes (which is the Torlesse Terrane), and we've got our Otago schists, which I like to call, you know, the stripy metamorphic rocks. They are schists. And so they were formed before New Zealand broke away from Gondwana. And then all of our subsequent sediments and marine sediments terrestrial sediments, our fossils, all that were deposited after New Zealand broke away from Gondwana. So the GeoPark has this wonderful history that we've got recorded in the rocks and the landscape right from Gondwana time right through to the present day. What's happening now is we've got a lot of erosion happening, we've still got deposition happening in the rivers. So we've got this huge record right here to see. And when we travel around the Geopark at different sites, you're seeing different parts of that history. So in some areas you might see more recent, like the glaciation and some areas you'll see older, like the limestone or the volcanism. So you can get snapshots, different periods of time of our history that's linked to Gondwana. So cool activity, cool way to find out some new facts about our Geopark and how it links to the past right through to the present.
Radio Announcer: And that's all on the website at www.whitestonegeopark.nz.....
Sasha Says - Website and Diatomites Real Radio: Time to talk Geopark. Joined as usual by the Geoeducator Sasha Morriss. Sasha, what are we talking about this week? Geoeducator: Hi, Dan. Yeah, this week I'd just like to talk a little bit about our Web site that we are continuously updating at the moment. Now, the Web site for people that don't know is www.whitestonegeopark.nz. Now on the web site you can learn everything about the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark right from the overall picture, to the development, to the history of Zealandia. So right down to specific individual Geosites themselves.
Real Radio: So there's lots and lots of information on here, lots of ideas for people to be able to explore the district.
Geoeducator: Now, today, I'd just like to touch very briefly on one particular area that's of a huge amount of interest to people and that's the diatomites. Now the diatomites are an algae. It's casing has been transformed into silica, and they form a very distinct layer within the Waitaki District. Now they're older than the Otekaike Limestone. So they're older than Elephant Rocks. And they were used extensively during the Victorian era for kind of parlor entertainment. So people would arrange them in various composition, arrangements I guess. They'd make beautiful, beautiful displays. Now you can come into the shop and we've got some pictures of some of those little arrangements. Now, also on our Website, we've recently put on a clip, a video that we've had made, that was, of course, voiced over by yourself Dan. It's been put together by Golding Arts for us, and that's on the diatomite in this region, its importance, and what it's been used for. So it covers right through from the geological history, right through to the Victorian era and it's use then. So it's a great little short clip. I suggest that people get online, get onto Facebook - have a look at it there, or you can come into our shop. So the shop is open Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 4:30. And we have a clip running on the diatomite as well, what is, its significance to the area, and its really important place in the social history of the Oamaru District as well as.
Real Radio: Great. Thanks, Sasha. We'll catch up next time.
Geoeducator: Thank you. Thanks Dan.
Sasha Says volcanoes and updates on Geosites 30 April 2020 Geoeducator: So I've been working on some activities to do with volcanoes this last week. So people may be aware that we have a number of very very old volcanoes in the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark. I guess the most prominent ones will be the one at Oamaru here. So that's at the Cape. So that was around 35, 40 million years ago that that had a whole lot of activity. But we also have a number of other centres of volcanic activity around the Geopark as well. So on Kids Corner, which is a page on our website we've set up some kid friendly information about some of the volcanic history of the area, including some features that you may not know about. So there's an educational bent there. So volcanoes, are cool to to really investigate and learn about. So get on there, read that. And then we are also going to have an activity uploaded as well where you get to colour in a volcano and learn some of the various parts of the volcano, what they are called. And we're also going to have a video on there on how to make your very own volcano. So get on there. Check it out and send your photos in of volcanoes that you've made at home.
Radio Announcer: So you can actually make a volcano and have it erupt.
Geoeducator: You can make a volcano. Look, it's heaps of fun. Kids just don't tire of this because who doesn't like, you know, bubbly, foamy, mess. So you just need baking soda and a little bit of dishwashing liquid and vinegar. So you will need an adult to help you because obviously vinegar is acidic and so it can be stingy if you get it into cuts and your eyes and things. And we also added some food colouring to make some orangy read colour lava. So you combine them together and you get this foamy lava going down the side of your volcano. Might want to make it in your sandpit at home or I made mine out of a mound of dirt in the garden. And I put dinosaurs around the edge of it - so it was a lot of fun actually.
Radio Announcer: Who got more out of it, you or the kids?
Geoeducator: They actually all loved it. They all loved it. Yeah, it was pretty fun. And they all had a go - after I'd done the video they all had a go at pouring in more vinegar to see who could who could make it foam up the most.
Radio Announcer: That's so cool. And you've been adding some extra stuff to the website as well. Some more sites on the Geopark Website.
Geoeducator: That's right. So we've added on the Geosites part of our Website under 'learn', we've added some information there about the Enfield dikes so that is more volcanic activity out towards Enfield way. Go on there and have a read. And Brewery Hole, which is at Duntroon - that's got a really interesting geological as well as a social history there. So go and have a read there. And Rakis Table, which interesting enough is out near the old disused railway tunnel. You cycle through it on the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail. Now, one of the things that's really interesting about Rakis Table is that it was used way back when, when they were trying to look at breaking a drought by seeding clouds. Now, to do this they used dynamite, incredibly enough - and it wasn't successful, but really interesting bit of information there. So get online there and have wee read there. And of course, people just need to be mindful, of course, with what we have on our website and our activities that we have - be mindful of the alert level that we're at as to whether activities are suitable or not.
Radio Announcer: Good stuff. And the Website address again?
Geoeducator: www.whitestonegeopark.nz.
Sasha Says - Geopark and Geosites 21 April 2020
Radio announcer: Time to talk Geopark. Joined on the line as usual from home by Sasha our geoeducator. How are you doing today Sasha?
Geoeducator: Very well, thank you Dan. How you?
Radio announcer: Yeah, awesome, awesome. Surviving in the bubble. But really keen to explore more of the district, particularly from a Geopark perspective when we get out of lockdown. What have you got to help with that?
Geoeducator: Oh look, we've been working really hard just to put a lot of new information on our website. So that's www.whitestonegeopark.nz. Now, I know there still seems to be a bit of confusion over the geosites and what a Geopark is. So just to briefly explain the Geopark. If you think of it like I guess an open air living museum and the geosites within it are exhibits within that museum -individual exhibits. So of course, it's not a museum in the fact that things are we're preserving them and we're not touching them - you know, it's, we're interacting with our environment as we as we go around - once we're out of lockdown. But the geosites, of course, geo meaning earth. So, the geosites are all related to either a geological or a geomorphological (which means rivers and earth processes) a site. So it's sites relating to the earth that have been identified as being either of scientific interest or some of them of cultural interest, such as the Maori rock art sites that we've got. And some of them are of social interest. An example of that we've got the Golden Point battery down in East Otago. So we've got a number of different sites and what we're doing is we're trying to set up a separate page on our website dedicated to each geosite. So if you click through onto our website, go to 'explore' and then you'll see 'geosites'. Now, this is being updated really frequently at the moment as I'm writing more and more text to go on this. So just this last week, we've uploaded text on 'Valley of the Whales' and 'Wai O Toura' site and 'Anatini'. Now, these are all up around the Duntroon area, these three, and they're accessible on the Alps to Ocean track. So once we're out of lock down, if you're doing the Alps to Ocean Track, these are all ones that are either easily accessible or you can see from the Alps to Ocean Track. There are more of course, as well that are along that section. So we're just wanting to encourage people just to get online and have a look at the geosites and you might just find some more information that you either didn't know about before or that really interests you that you would like to visit once we're out of lockdown. And if you've got any questions or want to know more information, just flick us an email. We're more than happy to help. And there have been areas that have had quite a bit of research done on them as well, which we've not included yet. But that will be coming later on, because, of course, you know, you've got people like me that want to really delve in and and find out to the Nth Degree all the information I can about a site. So if if there's a site that you're particularly interested in, flick us an email and we'll see if we can help you there as well.
Radio announcer: And your email address again...
Geoeducator: So email address is info@whitestonegeopark.nz.
Radio announcer: That's cool. Thanks very much for your time, Sasha. We'll catch up with you next week.
Geoeducator: Thanks, Dan.
Geoeducator: Ok, so if you head onto our website. That's www.whitestonegeopark.nz. You'll see there's a whole lot of sections in there. If you head to the 'learn' section you'll see there's a kids corner. Follow that link and - I'll just run through all the various activities we've got there for children who are looking for things to do with a bit of an educational bent on it. So we've got, a coloring in page there for people to print off and there's links there to explain what they're colouring in. So you want to know a bit more about a plesiosaur - follow the link. Want to know abit more about clay cliffs - follow the link. And it's all in kid friendly language. So we're aiming this for maybe an adult to print out and they could give it to their child or obviously they could also use it online under supervision. We've got word searches. We've got a matching exercise there to do. We've also got a map so people can see with these various locations are. So these are things that you can go and actually look at in person, once we've been downgraded to a suitable level out of lockdown. We've got crosswords and we've got an exercise where you can - we run you through the steps on how to create your very own prehistoric scene at home, which is quite an exciting one, and I did with my own kids. We've also got links there that parents might want to follow to other websites. Now, these include pretty cool things. So Te Papa have put out activity books - one's on the giant squid that's up there, we've got Matariki. They are in various different languages - so you can go on there, follow the link and it will take you through to these Te Papa activity books. Now you can download these and print these out and that's another educational activity for kids to be able to do at home. We've also got links there through to New Zealand Geographic material as well aimed at children and some 3-D paper models that kids can also make - some of these are but tricky so parents or adults who are supervising will need to probably help out with some of those. So there's some pretty cool things and we continually adding to it. Next week, we're looking at adding a table on how to become a rock detective. So some of the things that you need to look at if you're out in your own backyard and you find a rock - we lead you to a table of some questions that you can ask yourself, observations that you can make that could help you identify what the Rock is. So I've thrown in a bit of a trick question in that lot so see if you can pick that one out as well. So watch out for that next week.
Sasha Say’s – Website during lockdown Real Radio: Time to talk Geopark, as usual. But not quite as usual because we're doing this remotely, of course, being in lockdown. Joined by Geoeducator Sasha from home. How are you, Sasha?
Geoeducator: Hi. Yeah, good thank you. How you Dan?
Real Radio: Doing okay. Now, what we've got basically at this situation at the moment obviously can't really get out and about and explore the Geopark. But you can do it online, can't you?
Geoeducator: That's right. Yes. So Lisa and I are both working from home during this period. So what we've decided to do is we're gonna really concentrate on developing the website with resources for people to use from home. So the number one focus at the moment is just getting up and running a kids page. So on there we'll have things like word searches, colouring in - with descriptions of the different things that they're colouring so that there's an educational element to that as well relating back to the Geopark. And we're just asking people to email us or jump on to Facebook and just let us know what you would like to see on the website for the kids page. Because obviously, you know, I'm well aware that there's so much out there and parents are getting bombarded with so much via Facebook at the moment of various activities for children to do while we're in lockdown. So we don't want to be adding to that. We want to be able to offer a resource that's very usable for people. So if we can just get some feedback, then we can make sure that we are meeting the needs of what people are actually after at the moment. So that will be really great.
Real Radio: Good stuff. Okay. So what's the website address again?
Geoeducator: Okay, so our website is Whitestonegeopark.nz or you can email me directly at geoeducator@whitestonegeopark.nz. And we'd just love to hear from you. And in addition to the children's page that we're doing, we're also updating a lot of our other resources online. So we're going to be working through a lot of the Geosites and just putting more information out there about what people will be able to see later on once things get back a bit to normal. In the meantime, people can just get on the Website and maybe get a bit more understanding of exactly what the Geopark is.
Real Radio: Thanks, Sasha. We'll leave you to it and we'll catch up again next week.
Geoeducator: That's great Dan. Take care.
Geopark Sasha – Pop-up shop
Radio announcer: Time to talk Geopark once again joined by the Geoeducator Sasha Morriss. Sasha, what are we talking about this week?
geoeducator: Yeah, hi. Today we're gonna be talking about our pop-up shop. So it's in number 27 Thames Street in Oamaru. We just opened last Monday. So we're going to be open Monday through Friday, 12:30 through to 4:30.
Radio announcer: Okay. So what can people see in the pop-up shop.
geoeducator: Right, so first of all, when you approach the shop, you'll notice that it's all been painted in the Waitaki Whitestone colors. And there is a little blue pinguin painted in the entrance that you can have a look at and you just get an idea of the, you know, the size if you've not seen one in person. And next to it as a giant penguin that has been found up near Duntroon. And there's also a species of it found up at the back of Waimate as well. So people can have a go at measuring themselves and just seeing, you know, how they measure up next to a long extinct penguin. So these guys stood about 1.3 meters high and I think they're up to about 80 kg I think it was - up around there. So though they were pretty good size.
Radio announcer: But we don't have any as large as that at the moment.
geoeducator: No, that's right. They've all long gone. So you'll come into the shop and you'll see right down the left hand wall, a massive plesiosaur. So some of you may be aware that a plesiosaur was recovered a number of years ago down near Shag Point from the siltstones down there. You can go and see that at the Otago Museum it's around about seven meters long, really impressive. The most complete plesiosaur record actually in New Zealand. And the plesiosaur actually died out along with a lot of animals and plants, including famous dinosaurs round about 65 million years ago - there was a mass extinction, and the plesiosaur was amongst those that were lost. So it's pretty special to have remnants of that accessible for people to look at. So come and have a look at the picture there. Now starting from the school holidays we're planning on having Oamaru Rocks having a station in the pop-up shop so people can come along and paint on a little rock, learn a little bit about how the greywacke rocks, which are the rocks people paint on - how they're formed. And, you know, you may or may not choose to do a Geopark type of picture on your rock. You're free to take that away with you if you want to or hide it somewhere. And we've got lots of information charts so come and have a look at how the Waitaki District fits into the story of Zealandia and how Zealandia was formed. We've also got a really important fossil collection on display that was found down off Beach Road here. It was one of the most important fossil collections to have been recovered in a very long time in New Zealand. And just looking at these fossils, it's hard not to be kind of blown away, by the age of them - they are millions and millions of years old. And yet they look like shells that you could walk along and find off the beach today. So I encourage people to come in and have a wee look at those. So it's just a great place to learn about the formation of Zealandia. And also we can guide you forward and what you can go and see out in the Geopark itself. Lisa will be there, I'll be there occasionally, and we've got a couple other people that will also be manning the shop.
Radio announcer: Okay. So what hours is it open?
geoeducator: So it's going to be open 12:30 to 4:30 during the week.
Radio announcer: Okay. That's cool. Thanks, Sasha. We'll catch up with again next week.
geoeducator: That's Great Dan. Thank you.
Today we're gonna be talking about an area down the coast of Otago. It's a place called Shag Point that's not far from Palmerston. So there's a few different things to see down there. So I'd just like to touch on that. First of all I know lots of our listeners out there are really interested in fossils. And down at Shag Point, a number of years ago, there was a plesiosaur fossil pretty much intact that was found in the silt/mudstone down there and it is now on display at the Otago Museum. People can go there and have a look at it. And the reason it's significant is because it was the first mainly intact plesiosaur to be found in New Zealand. So it was an amazing discovery - round about seven meters long and it was discovered and removed by the University of Otago - the Geology Department there. So first of all, there's this Plesiosaur fossil - go and check it out at the Otago Museum. Now, the next thing that's really amazing at this Point, when you are there you can see seals and other wildlife there, which are, you know, incredible all along the coast there. There's incredible wildlife. But we've got a really interesting social story that's attached to Shag Point. And that's when you're walking from the car park, there's little bits of rounded quartz under your feet that kind of roll around. It's not the gravel that was brought in for the road. And when I went there I said to Lisa, "Oh this looks abit like the Taratu Formation" which is a formation that sits on top of the schist basement rock in Otago. And we went round the corner abit and lo and behold, we discover that apparently this area used to be commercially mined for coal. Now there is an old little coal mining wagon there that you can look at in the car park. Now, the Taratu Formation was the first sediment that was deposited on the basement rock. And it's hugely variable in its composition, but it's basically quartz that's been reworked out of the schist and in places you get coal. So the coal tells us that it was terrestrial deposition - that means that it was deposited on the land. So bituminous coal was first discovered here in the 1830s. And in 1862, they realised it was actually commercially viable to mine and it was mined right up into 1972. So it's a pretty recent history, really - long time of mining. And it eventually closed and the shafts, the old coalmine shafts have been flooded. But yeah, it's quite an interesting site. So you've got the plesiosaur and then that was obviously in marine sediments and then you've got this Taratu Formation as well with coal mining. Now, one of the interesting things that I get often asked is if there's a plesiosaur there would have been plesiosaurs swimming around when the limestone was deposited. The answer is no. Okay. So the limestone is around about 25 million years old now this plesiosaur is from sediments around about 70 million years ago. Now the significance with this is around about 65 million years ago. So after the plesiosaur had been swimming around more recent, what you get is called the K-T boundary. And that's a boundary between the Cretaceous time period and the Tertiary time period. World wide it saw a mass extinction of life on earth. Plantlife, animallife, what have you. So the plesiosaur went extinct at that point - it was no longer. And that's when the dinosaurs went extinct as well. A dinosaur is separate from a plesiosaur - a dinosaur is a land animal and plesiosaur swum in the ocean. So it's a really significant discovery in New Zealand to find this plesiosaur in the siltstone. And it's here in East Otago. I just encourage you to get online - I've just written a Facebook post about this and also a podcast about the plesiosaur so get online and have a listen and have a read and we'd just love to hear from people about their experiences out and about in the Geopark.
Geoeducator: So we turned off the main road from between Omarama and Tekapo up to Lake Ohau and immediately when you leave there you're just surrounded - the road is just on either side this beautiful long yellow grass it's just stunning with the backdrop of these just sharp grey mountains. With this, you can just see the rock slides coming off down the side. And we made our way across some really hummocky ground. And Lisa was saying to me, you know there's moraine around here, where is the moraine? And we were looking for the moraine. And we're like, you know what - we're on the moraine - we're surrounded by the moraine. So it lead onto a bit of discussion about what is glacial moraine. And I hope to put something on the Facebook page a bit later, possibly next week, just a little bit about the formation of moraine and different types of moraine you get. So just as an overview, obviously, moraines are a by-product of glaciation and they get left behind as a moraine retreats rather than advances. When a glacier advances, it tends to decimate everything in front of it. So as it retreats, it leaves deposits behind from the sides. They're called lateral moraines. And at the end, which are called terminal moraines. So as it retreats it leaves behind a history of its existence really. When we made our way up the valley further to the lake itself and if you looked down the edges of the valley, adjacent to the lake, you can see striations on the wall of the valley. Now these are remnants - this is a record of the glacier itself where it's carved into the hard rock surface of the valley. So you can see there are horizontal striations as well as little lips on the rock edges where the glacier has decreased in height as it has retreated. So we've got a really amazing record of glaciation just from what we can see on the surface with those striations and also with the moraines. Just two things to keep an eye out if people who are up there on the Alps 2 Ocean. Now, I just must point out, we meet a fantastic group of people on the Alps 2 Ocean. That I said listen in to Sasha Says "hi, team it's me - you meet me today". So we handed out some brochures and they're doing a mammoth trip today - I think we're doing 80 k's in one stretch today - in this heat. So that's been our adventure so far. We're off to Clay Cliffs next and going to have a look up around here.
Real Radio: I know you're going to the vineyard, really. But anyway, that's what that's one way of building the fan club, Sasha for Sasha Says.
Geoeducator: Well, you know, we like to be out there doing it Dan.
Real Radio: Good stuff. And of course, it's all on the doorstep it's just up the road. So you can get out there and explore it.
Geoeducator: That's right. It's all here. And it's all so varied. Different parts of the Geopark offer different glimpses into Zealandia. And so it's fantastic to have this opportunity to be up here amongst the basement rock. And just to see evidence of active earth processes, you know, in the not too distant past.
Real Radio: Good stuff. Thanks very much, Sasha. We'll catch up with you next week.
Geoeducator: Okay thanks alot Dan see you.
GEOPark - Sasha Says - Katiki – kekeno (fur seals), hoiho (yellow eyed penguins) and a lighthouse! Real Radio: Time to talk Geopark, joined once again by the Geoeducator Sasha Morriss. Unusual to see you with a map in front of you. You like maps, don't you?
Geoeducator: I love maps Dan. Everyone should know - I love maps. And actually, I went out in the field yesterday. I've been asking about quite a lot. And I took my map. It was great, because we took all the back roads and we did not get lost, which we would have if we didn't have this map because there was no service - we had no internet service at all. So maps are a good thing. Right, so the first stop that we went to yesterday was Katiki. So for those of you who don't know where that is, it's down past the Moeraki Boulders, you go into Moeraki itself and you follow the signpost up to the lighthouse. Now, the Runaka have developed a fantastic site up there. You go down a walkway that's been all planted with native plants, and that's ongoing - you can see where new plants have been put in, and down out on to this little point. Now, it's not wheelchair or stroller friendly. So you need to be walking, and any small children would have to be kept very, you know, holding their hand because there are cliffs there. And you go along a little path down to where you can see seals in their natural habitat - and it's just magnificent. And from there, you can look back further south to Katiki Beach. And that's just another magical place, very untouched - nature as it should be. Wonderful day out to experience a different area away from the Oamaru area itself. So at Katiki itself there are other wildlife as well - there is the Hoiho, which is the yellow eyed penguin as well. So it's not just all about seals. You would have to be there at a specific time. And the gates are closed dead on time - there's a sign there as well, so it's not a free for all access. The lighthouse itself has got a little bit of history around it as well. It was built in 1878 and it stands there as a special cultural and historical site there. So I just encourage people to go out there and experience a little bit more of what the Geopark has to offer. And from there, we went on a bit of a tiki tour and did a few other little sites. And I'd like to hold those off for another day if possible. You have to listen back in, to get some more information.
Real Radio: Sounds intriguing. Thanks, Sasha. We'll catch up with you next time.
Geoeducator: That's great. Thanks Dan.
Geopark - Sasha Says – Pop up shop and maps
Geoeducator: We're in the pop up shop, which is and Thames St in Oamaru. So we're going to be opening in March time as a kind of information centre for people to drop by, learn about what the Geopark is, and some of the things on offer. So we're currently just renovating, getting our displays ready, painting - we're going to have this very impressive mural of a plesiosaur the entire length of the building, which I imagine that lots of kids who are into prehistoric creatures will love to come and have a look at it. So that's where we are for this morning.
I won't to let too much away. But we are going to be having a video display of something we've been working on. We're going to have lots of information on Zealandia - how it was formed. We'll have brochures to give away to people to help them organise their day, what they want to see (or their week), where they want to travel to and explore. And we're working alongside Oamaru Rocks as well. They're going to have a presence here as well as the North Otago Rock and Mineral Club - they're also going to have a presence here as well. So we'll be able to let a few more details away the closer that we get to the time. But it's going to be an exciting space and we're going to have activities for people to come in and do as well as take away. So we're just excited about engaging with the community. And if people out their have got a community group who they think would like to get involved with the Geopark - if you can just contact me at my email geoeducator@whitestonegeopark.nz, then we can see if we can sort something out. So it's all about community engagement and getting people excited about this wonderful place that we live in.
So at the moment we've been working on maps for the Geopark. I like maps - who doesn't like a map. So we've been collating quite a few different maps on the area. Now, I don't know, there'll be people out there that are kind of old school and like looking up an atlas and that's the category I fit into. So, you know, go back to your childhood and you get the atlas out and there will be all the maps at the front of like population distribution and agricultural uses and things like that. And I just think there's so much that you can get from a map. Obviously digital maps have their place, completely. But there is something about having a paper map that you can not get with a digital map. So my favorite two maps are topography maps and geological maps. So one of the things that I want to introduce to people in the Pop-Up Shop is just some basic map reading skills as well. And we're going to have some really old maps on display. Well, when I say old, they are old, but we've reprinted them - from the 1950s of the geology of the area from a really well-known geologist could Gauge. And so they're going to be up. So if you'd like to come in and have a look to see, you know, an area that you're familiar with, ohh you know, how's this been mapped before? What rocks are here? What has he said - are there any faults in this area? Things like that. You can come and have a look here - bearing in mind that there has been a lot of more recent work done and people are always discovering new things. But it's always interesting to look at old maps and just get a feel of what's out there, have a look at the way any other land forms have changed, like river channels, things like that. So, yeah, I'm gonna be pushing a bit of map education I think from in here.
Geopark - Sasha Says ‘pop up shop’ Real radio: Time to talk Geopark. Joined once again by the Geoeducator Sasha Morriss. Sasha, what are we talking about this week?
Geoeducator: Hi. I've got a couple of things I want to talk about today. First is our pop-up shop. We went over and had a look at that yesterday. It's 27 Thames Street. So that's where the Christian bookshop used to be. It's a great space. We went and met up as a team over there just to discuss the layout, and how we're going to fit out the shop. So that's going to be opening March. And we're going to be having quite a few different activities for people to come in and do or have a look at. There'll be information boards to explain exactly what is the Geopark, and information about what you can see in the Geopark, experiences that you can have, and also how we fit into the global Geopark family as it were. So we'd really like to see you there. Come on in and meet us as a team. Find out more about the shop. Now we are getting the shop renovated. All down one wall it's going to be painted in this massive mural. It's going to be the length of the shop - gigantic plesiosaur. So if you have kids that are mad about ancient sea animals, come in and have a look. Get your photo taken with the plesiosaur. It's going to be awesome. So, yeah, we're really looking forward to it. There's lots of planning going on. Get on Facebook to keep up to date with what's happening.
Real radio: Okay. So is there a target date in mind?
Geoeducator: At this stage. We're just saying early March. So but like I say, if you get on Facebook and have a look. Keep up to date with what's going on. And we will release that date closer to the time.
Real radio: Okay. And the Facebook addresses is...
Geoeducator: Waitaki Whitestone Geopark. And just another thing as well. We've got our Geopark newsletter is out today. So I just encourage people to sign up for that. And there's a link there to the Terra Vita Geopark (UNESCO Global Geopark). Now Terra Vita is in Germany and our Geopark co-ordinator Lisa Heinz visited there when she was across in Germany in January. Now Terra Vita actually roughly translates to land, life or life of the land. So it's the history of the land. So I encourage you to jump on to our Web page, sign up for our newsletter and have a read of that. And that might just give you a bit of indication about the kind of Geopark family that we're looking to join, and get a bit more information. Now, one other thing is that this recording is now being put into a podcast and it's available on Real Radio. It's available also through our Web page and also on Spotify as 'Sasha Says'. So there'll be updates coming through to you about our pop up shop and about the Geopark plus information about specific sites within the Geopark and in a particular we're looking at Zealandia at the moment. And I'm just at this point writing up a big board, display board to go in the pop up shop with information about Zealandia. So if you're hot into geology or you've got family members, kids, that are hot into geology, come on in and we can talk you through the Zealandia and how the Waitaki district is a window into the development.
Real radio: That's cool. Thanks, Sasha.
Geoeducator: Thanks a lot.
Geopark - Sasha - Zealandia Real Radio: Time to talk Geopark. Joined by the Geoeducator Sasha. What are we talking about this week, Sasha?
Geoeducator: Well, this week I want to just discuss what I did over the weekend. I went out to Vanished World at Duntroon and I met up with a whole lot of their volunteers out there. If you haven't been out to Vanished World, take a trip. It's great - the volunteers are really knowledgeable and you can look around the centre there as well as do the good old Vanished World trail. You get a little map and it's a wee driving trail that you can do to look at various sites in the area. And there's little display boards at each site that describe what you're looking at and how it fits in with the story of New Zealand and the Waitaki District. Now what I was going there specifically to do at Vanished World was not only to meet the volunteers, but to meet one of the new staff members out there. Now they're going to be working two days a week at Vanished World to bring together all the electronic information that they've got just to make things a little bit more concise for people out there and the educators that they have out there. One of my other priorities out here on Saturday was to give a bit of a talk to the people, the volunteers there about Zealandia. Now, I've spoken before on the radio about Zealandia. So Zealandia is the continent that New Zealand rests on. In the past we've been told New Zealand is an island nation, however, science has recently shown that New Zealand is (the land part of New Zealand) is only the very, very narrow apex of a large continent called Zealandia. Now, Zealandia extends all the way up through New Caledonia, all the way out to the Chatham Islands and down further south. So there's no real definitional criteria to be called a continent, but it's rather a convention. So the more people that pick up the idea of Zealandia, the more that it will get generally accepted as a scientific fact. Now, how they've come to determine Zealandia or to define Zealandia has been about 20 years worth of research done. So on earth you have a continental crust and oceanic crust. Now continental crust is a lighter density, it has a different composition to oceanic crust and it kind of sits higher on the mantle. Now they've discovered that the crust that makes up Zealandia actually sits a lot higher than the surrounding oceanic crust, and it's different composition. So if we were to drain all the waters out of the oceans surrounding New Zealand, you would see this beautiful continent of New Zealand. So while at the moment we tend to think of New Zealand ending at the beach, it actually extends way out further. That is actually buried underneath the sea. So it's really exciting research that's come out. And we're going to be holding a series of public talks throughout the year with someone from GNS coming to talk about Zealandia. So look out on our website - we'll be publishing those in the coming months as to the schedule. And send in any questions that you've got and I'll attempt to answer them. If I can't, we'll get somebody from GNS to be able to address your questions. But I encourage people to come along to these talks and hear more about this amazing continent that we live on. Zealandia.
Geopark - Sasha – Anatini 2020
Real Radio: Time to talk Geopark once again, joined by the. Geoeducator Sasha Morriss. Now, Sasha, what are we talking about this week?
Geoeducator: Yeah, hi. This week I'm going to be talking just briefly about a geosite that many may have heard of, but not necessarily visited. It's called Anatini. Now Anatini actually means 'many caves', and it's just a few minutes up the road from Elephant Rocks. Often you go to Elephant Rocks - there are lots of people there. But you go up the road to Anatini and there's not a lot of visitors there at the moment. Last time I was there, there was a family there having a wee look around. But it's a pretty interesting sight to go through. And despite it still being Otekaike Limestone. It's quite a different experience going to the site. So to find it - it's just up the road. And it's well signposted. You go through a little farm gate, down a wee track. And then this kind of gorge opens up in front of you and you follow a little track with some stairs down into the gorge. And it's almost like you can envisage that you are at the bottom of the sea floor. There's limestone cliffs all around you and you can have a good wee hunt for some fossils. When I was there I found a bivalve that was still encased in the rock - bivalve, meaning two valves, two sides to it. And at the far end, there is a protected case - and underneath that is a baleen whale skeleton. So you can go there and actually see - "oh, wow, this whale used to swim around in this area". It's mind blowing. It's awesome. So how accessible is it? Really accessible. So you need to park on the side of the road and be careful crossing the road because it can get very busy. It is a gravel track. And then there are kind of another gravel track down into the site with some stairs. So it's not accessible for wheelchairs or strollers, but kids can do it and adults who are able. Just, you know, normal precautions of not climbing on the limestone. Should it be wet it is slippery and just keeping an eye out for fall hazards and things like that.
Real Radio: Okay. So if somebody wants a bit more information about Anatini where can they find that?
Geoeducator: Well, you can get information from our dossier that you can download from our website or we're about to put up a facebook post very soon of my recent trip to Anatini. So you can see photos of part of the access - the farmgate where you first go in and then just a few pictures of what you can see when you get down into the gorge. So I suggest you have a look at that and see if that's a site that you'd want to visit. But I encourage while you're at elephant rocks, why not just take another few minutes to go up the road, have a look at Anatini and just compare the two. They're quite different, even though they're Otekaki Limestone. Another thing to point out actually at Anatini is there is really, really good examples of honeycomb weathering. So honeycomb weathering, as it suggests looks a bit like a honeycomb and in a crunchy bar looks a little bit like that, but obviously a lot bigger. Really impressive. And when I was there, I actually found there were birds had made nests in the little pockmarks in the rock. It was gorgeous. And so I guess that, you know, the rock heats up during the day. It's a nice little warm place, high up out of the way of predators that they can have their little nests. So as a cool site to visit.
Real Radio: So that's Anatini. Just up the road and well worth a visit. Cool. Thanks Sasha we'll catch up with you next week.
Geoeducator: Thank you.
GeoPark - Sasha – Moeraki Boulders January 2020
Real Radio: For the first time in 2020, joined by the GeoPark Educator Sasha Morriss. Now, what are we talking about today, Sasha?
Geoeducator: Yes, happy new year, everybody. Today, I am going to be talking about Moeraki Boulders. I'd be interested to actually hear who made a trip down there. We'd like to see your photos. Send them in to us to on instagram or our Facebook. And we'd like to have a look and we can put them up there on our page.
Real Radio: They're pretty unique. The boulders, aren't they?
Geoeducator: Yes, they are. And we're a bit disappointed, actually, to discover last year that there was a bit of vandalism happening down there. There is a new boulder that's emerging out of the cliff. And people have kind of inscribed things into it. And so last year, there was a group of us that went down from the GeoPark down to Moeraki to have a wee look at it. We met up with some people from Vanished World, the local Runanga, and also DOC. And we have we look around the boulders, in particular, the boulder that's been defaced and also the DOC site down there, which is called Te Kaihinaki. Not a lot of people may know about that. It's a separate area that you can actually park at at Moeraki Boulders and then you can actually take a really nice walk along the beach to the actual boulders themselves. It takes about 10 minutes and as it's a lovely walk and you get to look back across the bay at Moeraki township itself. Now, when we were there, we were just discussing the vandalism of this particular boulder that's happened in the past to some of the other boulders as well. And what we can do to encourage people to be a bit more mindful of visiting this site in particular. The boulders have got specific importance to the the Runaka, which is detailed down there if you're at Moeraki. There's a big display board up here about the importance of the site. But the Moeraki Boulders also have an importance in their own right. And we have an interest to protect them through the GeoPark. They have a protection on them, which is a Scenic Reserve Moeraki Boulders Scenic Reserve protection. And it's been classified as an outstanding natural feature with scientific reserve importance. It's also been classified as an international scientific important site. So there's a number of protections on the site. And DOC has been out (you might have seen on our Facebook we put a post up there on the 23rd of December), DOC'S installed some signs about how the boulders are protected also under the Resource Act of 1977. And if there's intentional breach of that protection, there are actually infringement things that DOC can enforce, such as huge fines. So people need to be really mindful when they are out visiting that, that they are not defacing them, that we can protect them for their cultural in their intrinsic value. And they're going to be here for many generations to come.
Real Radio: That's cool. Thank you very much, Sasha. We'll catch up again soon.
Geoeducator: I look forward to it. Thanks Dan.
Geopark - Sasha M – Oamaru Volcano 2019
Real Radio: Time to Geopark once again. And with the Geoeducator Sasha Morriss. Now this week, we're going to talk about the differences of some of the structures that you can see around town.
Geoeducator: Yes that's right. So just when people are out and about around town, I thought it would be quite interesting for people to look at the differences in maybe the bridges, and the buildings and walls. A lot of them are made from local stone. So the idea goes that when you're building something, you don't tend to transport materials a great distance if you can help it. So you tend to try and use materials that are local to the area that you are in. I was at the gardens actually the other day, and one of the bridges that goes from the playground across into the gardens, you'll see that there's a nice kind of arched wall going across and it's gray in color. The stone with really sparkly black bits in it. It's a really hard jagged - if you lean on it, you know, it could kind of cut your arm. It's quite jagged. It's very solid material. Now it is actually volcanic blocks and there's quite a few volcanic blocks that have been used around the gardens to build various structures. Some of the walls around the schools, you see the same material and you kind of start to think, now, where did it come from? And this is how a geologist would think where does this rock come from. What's the story behind that? And I can tell you now, there is a volcano very close to where we are recording here and that is the South Hill is an old volcano. And so a lot of that would probably have been transported from that area. There's a brochure that you can actually purchase from Vanished World. And it tells you about the volcano and its series of eruptions that would have started off as an an under the same volcano that's originally erupted up lava into limestone. It's created beautiful pillow lavas. And then you've had ash and various other eruptions later on. So some of the structures we can see around town gives us an idea of the geology that's around. Another one will be a lot of the bridge arches in town - down Thames St you'll see going across the river there are white. And they're actually made from the limestone, just like a lot of the building facades are as well. So, again, not traveled particularly far and quite malleable to make things from.
Real Radio: Ok. So you say that there's a brochure that you can get from Vanished World. Tell us a wee bit about that.
Geoeducator: Yes. I've got a brochure here that I'm looking at. And it's called 'The Oamaru Volcano'. You can purchase this for $6.50 at Vanished World. And it talks in particular about the Cape, the volcano at the Cape, and just the different eruptions that occurred there and different types of eruptions cause different kinds of formations to be formed.
Real Radio: I would imagine this would make a bit of an ideal stocking filler or gift for a budding geologist.
Geoeducator: Oh, look, absolutely. Yes, there's lots of information in this booklet. They've got other booklets available there, one on the Moeraki Boulders as well and several others as well. And yes, completely. They have been put out by GNS, which is 'Geological and Nuclear Sciences'. Really interesting brochure for any budding geologist or people just interested and the environment around.
Real Radio: Cool look, thanks very much Sasha. We'll catch up with you again next time.
Geoeducator: I'll look forward to it. Thank you.
Geopark - Sasha M dossier 2019
Real Radio: Time to talk Geopark,joined as usual by Geoeducator Sasha Morriss. Now, Sasha, you've got a dossier in front of you. Does it make for interesting reading?
Geoeducator: It does. Look the dossier is now available in several places around the district, which I'll go through soon. And it's not a not a massive document, but it is jam packed with information. It's really readable all about the geology of our area. Interesting sites to see, the history of our area. And I just encourage people to have a look at it. They can access it through our website. They can read it online, obviously, or print it out. And it's also available in the Oamaru Library that's available now or by the end of the week we hope to have it in several other locations. And I'll just read out the list, that we've got. So it's going to be available in Palmerston, in Hampden, in Kurow (at the i-site and at the library), in Otematata and Omarama. So plenty of places for you to access it and have a read through it. I just encourage people to. It clarifies a lot of exactly what is a Geopark. What have we been doing and where are we heading. It's a really interesting read.
Real Radio: So for anybody who's not entirely sure what the whole process is about and and has some questions, they can find most of the answers in there.
Geoeducator: Yeah, look, this is a really good start and it'll probably answer a lot of people's initial questions. And then there are also lists out all of the geosites that we've got there - we've got 42 geosites with a brief description of each one and a little picture. So look, it's just a great document. Good lot of information coming up to the holidays as well. Might give people a few ideas of places they could go for day trips and just about the actual structure that we've got in place for the actual Geopark project itself.
Real Radio: Good stuff. And of course, the app is also available online isn't it. How do people go about getting hold of the app?
Geoeducator: That's right. So it's available from our website. That's whitestonegeopark.nz. And you go on there and you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and there it has the app. You can put that on your phone or your device. And there's a few different field trips on there. One is a a walking tour of the Victorian part of Oamaru. And then there's an inland driving tour and there's also a coastal tour as well. Really interesting to have a good look through, lots of information and just another great resource for people to use over the summer.
Real Radio: That's cool. Thanks very much, Sasha. We'll catch up with you again shortly.
Geoeducator: I look forward to.
Geopark - Sasha M Torless Terrane 2019
Real Radio: Time to talk Geopark once again with the geoeducator Sasha Morriss. You've been on a wee field trip up to Wellington.
Geoeducator: That's right. Yes, I met with Julian Thompson, who's the outreach educator for GNS that's Geological and Nuclear Sciences. And their main office is based just outside of Wellington. And I meet up with him and we did a wee field trip out on the West Coast there to look at some basement rocks. So we had a pretty exciting day scrambling up and down cliffs and got to look at a formation called the Torlesse Terrane. Now, some people might have heard of this, and you'll have to check out our Facebook page a bit later - I'll be putting photos of the trip up on that. So the Torlesse Terrane was a sedimentary formation that was formed alongside Gondwana. So we're talking a long long time ago. More than 80 000 years ago was when New Zealand started to separate from Gondwana, so it's prior to that. There were sediments that were being washed off Gondwana and deposited. Now these were deposited in a layered way. So in a sedimentary sequence, you would get the heavier quartz sands depositing first and then the finer mud sands so you end up with what's called stratification, which is a big word, meaning 'in lines'. So you would get the quartz sands and then the muds settling later and then you'd get more quartz and more muds. So it forms this record of sedimentary deposition alongside Gondwana. Now that happened along a really wide edge. So in New Zealand, you see these sediments right from Otago right up into the North Island. Really big formation of various ages. There is a younger each and an older age to it. And it's been metamorphosed to varying degrees through time. So the process of metamorphic process is actually where sediments are changed through heat and pressure. So if you think of it like a cooker, you get things being compressed and it heats it up a little bit and the sediments start to squish and push some of their water out and they start to change. So the sediments instead of being sand or a mud start to get harder and we get what's called greywacke. So people will find this in our North Otago rivers - the round flat stones are greywacke. And the more that it undergoes this metamorphic process so it gets more heat or more pressure and time is in there as well. Then you get schists or you get gneiss. So depending on how much that rock has changed, how much heat and pressure it's been under determines the end result of the rock. So there's a whole other story we'll talk about another time to do with how we got the Otago and Haast schist. But basically the Torlesse is this greywacke that extends kind of North Otago region (it's a very blurred zone with the schist) and then right up through and into the North Island) and that's what we went to see. Fantastic examples where it's been deformed. So it's been faulted and folded. And you'll see photos of that on Facebook. And it becomes really clear and it almost it looks like a liquorice allsort that's been squished and you can see all the layers in it. Fabulous. So I encourage people to have a look at that and read my wee excert I've got to explain it - you'll see some of our amazing basement rock.
Real Radio: That's fascinating. Good stuff. Thanks very much, Sasha. We'll catch up with you again next time.
Geoeducator: Fabulous. Thank you.
Waitaki whitestone geopark Geo-educator, Sasha, answered a Facebook enquiry about what the limestone is actually called, Otekaike or Otiake.
Transcript:
Radio Announcer: Time to talk Geopark and joined by the Geopark Educator Sasha Morriss. Now, you've had a question come in via the website, Sasha.
Geoeducator: That's right. Yeah, it actually came in on our Facebook page. We had a group of kids from Duntroon School out with Sophie Briggs, one of our Geoeducators with the School Rocks. She took the kids out on a really exciting field trip. They went to several sites and they looked at some limestone. And you can look at the photos on our Facebook page. And one of the questions came in querying what the limestone is actually called. Now we've referred to it on our Facebook page as Otekaike. And the query was, shouldn't it be called Otiake? So we how do we look into that? And I discuss that with Sophie. And, um, just to clarify things, what's happened in the past with geology is you've had all this fascinating work go on and it's been quite disjointed. So previously where limestone, or any rock for that matter, was found, it was called by its provincial name. So you end up with rocks being of the same formation, deposited in the same environment, around the same time, but it will be called different names. Now, this gets confusing when you start looking at geology in a regional context because you think you've ended up with lots of different formations. So there was a paper written back in 1957 by a guy called Gage, and he made the judgment call that all of this limestone in the Waitaki district is actually all of the same geological time period from Duntroonian right up to Waitakian in age. So he suggested that all limestone that was deposited during that time period is to be called Otekaike. Now, this is to allow people to correlate between different areas easily. So you don't have the confusion of different provincial names. So Sophie was correct and the person that wrote in was correct, they're the same thing, just a different name - Otekaike Limestone. So that's what we find, all of our fossils in. That's what was deposited in the Waitaki area around about 25 million years ago in very shallow seawater, about 50 to 100 meters depth.
Radio Announcer: So it's not actually Oamaru Stone. It's what we find and we know as Oamaru Stone is actually the same all over the district.
Geoeducator: Yes, it's right. What we know is Oamaru Stone is actually - it's official name is Otekaike Limestone. That's correct.
Radio Announcer: Thanks very much, Sasha. We'll catch up with you again next week.
Geoeducator: Look forward to it, buy now.
Waitaki whitestone geopark Geo-educator, Sasha, talked about her experience at the Travelling Science Show in the Waitaki Community Recreation Centre.
Transcript:
radio announcer: Managed to escape the studio and head out to the Waitaki Community Recreation Centre. A different venue for you to Sasha, Sasha from the Geopark, our educator for the Geopark. A really cool event going on at the moment.
geoeducator: Oh, yeah, look, it's awesome. Yeah, we're here down with the Travelling Science Show. At the Rec Centre. Some educators are here putting on various displays for primary school kids. We've got kids coming down here from lots of different schools right through the day. And they get the opportunity to not only see a fantastic science show full of experiments and really getting involved, an interactive programme to being able to walk around various static exhibits and hands-on science is what it's all about today.
radio announcer: Do I understand they're going to blow some stuff up as well, potentially?
geoeducator: Well, yeah, I've been here before and there were a few little explosions there that got the kids pretty excited. So it's all in a controlled environment - don't try this at home. But yes, about hands on science and getting kids interested in science and excited about science.
radio announcer: There's quite a bit of geology stuff next door as well in the gym, we've obviously had to move away from that where it's all happening because there's a lot of kids in there that's quite noisy.
geoeducator: That's right. Yeah. We've got several schools down here at the moment. We just visiting ourselves and there are some geology exhibits down here. There's some things with some minerals that you can look at. There's also some big trays with various rocks that you can pick up and examine - things that you wouldn't necessarily find in the Waitaki Geopark but things that are really interesting to look at. So we're actually going to take some pictures shortly and put them up on our Facebook page for those that can't come down to see. So it's going to be available for everyone either here or on Facebook page to have a wee look at.
radio announcer: That's cool. So if there are people who obviously haven't been able to make it down today and they're really interested in this so they can get in touch with you and you can point them in the right direction.
geoeducator: Yeah, I can put you in touch with The Science Show organisers or if we've got kids out there who haven't been down, I suggest that you talk to your teachers and get them to bring you down next time they're here.
radio announcer: That's cool. Thanks, Sasha. We'll catch up with you again next week.
geoeducator: Wonderful thanks.
Waitaki Whitestone geopark Geo-educator, Sasha, went out to a Geosite called, Wai O Toura, at Gards road in Duntroon earlier in the week to join DOC and some of their volunteers to do a whole lot of native planting out there.
Transcript:
Radio announcer: Time to talk Geopark, joined by the Geoeducator Sasha. What are we talking about today Sasha?
Geoeducator: Hi. Well, today we're talking about a particular Geosite called Wai O Toura at Gards road in Duntroon. I went out there earlier in the week to join DOC and some of their volunteers to do a whole lot of native planting out there. So I just want to touch on that today.
Radio announcer: So how many people turned out to that?
Geoeducator: Well, we think that probably around about 50 volunteers. And they spent the morning planting. And then they stopped for lunch. Then I gave a bit of a talk on the Geopark and the Geosite in particular. And then there was also a woman there talking about how they collect the actual seeds to propagate into the plants that were being planted in the area. They're native seeds to the area. And it was really interesting just finding about how the collection went on and the germination of those seeds right through to the planting of them that they're trying to do in the area.
Radio announcer: So how does the planting work in with the Geopark?
Geoeducator: Well DOC plays a significant role in conserving, protecting and enhancing our environment. And that's what ties hand-in-hand with the Geopark, conserving and being stewards of our land and they're wanting to reintroduce Kowhai forests wherever possible along with other natives. So that's what they're doing. So it's all about conserving the area. And if people go out to the site to have a look, there is a car park there. They can go down and have a look at the actual site. It's a really interesting site. It's a big limestone escarpment. It's called the Otekaike Formation. And it's been known about for a very long time. It was originally on a route that people used to move through the Waitaki Valley and it was used for people to have shelter. There's been a number of artifacts recovered from the site. And the site's really interesting as far as being able to date the limestone itself. So back when it was deposited around about 20 million years ago. The area was really shallow, wide, warm, seas. So probably 50 to 100 meters deep. There's been a lot of fossils that have been recovered from the site, particularly by the University of Otago, the Geology Department. There's been penguins, there's been whales, dolphins, there's boney fish found there. So it's a really rich site and it's quite a continuous site. They've been able to date it. Right back from the 1930s it's been a site of interest. So I think at the roundabout, the bottom of the cliff, it's been dated about 25.2 million years. And towards the top, it's 21.7 million years. Now, the reason that this is quite important is that as people know, Gondwana, New Zealand, separated from Gondwana about 80 million years ago, and the plate, the Alpine fault kind of formed in the plate boundary formed around about 40, 45 million years ago. But the Kaikoura Orogeny where you got New Zealand going through a period of uplift was around about 25 million years ago. So it's around about the time of the top of the cliff when this was starting to happen. So it's when New Zealand really started to change and you started to get sea levels going out abit with the uplift. So it's a significant area to study. It's an interesting place to go and have a look.
Radio announcer: And it's all on our doorstep.
Sasha shared her experience in the 2019 Oamaru Victortian Festival.
Transcription:
Real Radio: What was the major point of interest for people?
Geoeducator: Well one of the main things that people were wanting to talk to us a bit about was, you know, what is a Geopark? And we had some really interesting exhibits there that attracted kids en masse. So we had there was a big tray there full of big hunk of limestone, which got smaller and smaller as the day went on. At one point, it was completely surrounded. You could not see the rock in the tray. And there was a queue of kids waiting to dig fossils out of the rock. And we gave kids little bags. They could put their wee fossils that they found - that they dug out of the rock in their wee bags and take them away. We had a microscope set up there. They could look at various rocks under a microscope. We had little trays with prepared foraminifera on them that you could look at through a microscope. Now foraminifera, also known as forams - tiny, tiny little fossils. So to the naked eye, they might look like the tip of a ballpoint pen. But when you look at them through a microscope, you actually realize their intricate detail. Some of them look like tiny bits of lace and they're all so different. And so children were able to have a look at these through the microscope - and adults, of course. And the forams are a whole field of paleontology in themselves. They used a lot in the exploration for oil. They can tell you a lot about the age of a rock or a formation. And it's a whole field of specialty. But it's really interesting - these are things that kids can't normally get to see because you need quite powerful microscopes. So that was pretty exciting. We had a rock quizz - we had a tray of rocks and identification charts for people to try and be able to work out which rock name went with what actual rock specimen. We had a number of geologists that came along and introduced themselves. Of course, we like had to test them out here first, put them on the spot. And we had a colouring competition that children could take away. So people can drop those in to the library here in Oamaru and we will choose two winners and the next couple of weeks. They get a little geology kit as a prize. And then we of course, we had our sign up sheet as well for people to sign up for the newsletters and there will be a prize being drawn on that later in the week as well. So it's all happening. We were very, very busy all day.
Real Radio: That's really good. I mean, it's it's great to see kids getting enthused about it. And a few adults too no doubt.
Geoeducator: Oh, yeah. Look, children are just so interested. We had one child there that was lying on his stomach on the ground for over an hour picking fossils out of this rock. You just get into the zone and I guess what's great is that kids are really interested in what's around them, you know, quite often as adults we get a bit humdrum about things - we've seen it before. But children quite often will to see something new or something interesting that just really sparks their imagination and they're away. So it becomes really exciting for them. The level of interest is huge and I hope people have checked out our photos from our Facebook page. We took quite a few photos over the weekend and just can connect with us through that.
Real Radio: Thanks so much, Sasha. We'll catch up with you next week.
Geoeducator: Yes. I look forward to it.
Geo-educator, Sasha, invited the public to join Andy at DOC on Wednesday at Wai O Toura at Gards Rd in Duntroon to carrying out some planting there of the site.
Transcript:
Radio announcer: Time to talk Geopark, joined by the Geoeducator Sasha. Big day on Wednesday for the Geopark.
Geoeducator: Yes, that's right. A few of us are going to be joining Andy at DOC on Wednesday at Wai O Toura at Gards Rd in Duntroon. We're going to be carrying out some planting there of the site and come along. We'll be here during the day to give a wee talk about the Geopark proposal and a little talk about the history of the site itself. So come along, meet myself and one of my colleagues and help out with the planting. Now, the contact details that you'll need for this are on our Facebook page. And you'll need to contact Andy. He's got a bit of a schedule for the day, and just let us know if you're able to come or not. We'd love to see you there.
Radio announcer: Do you need to bring a spade?
Geoeducator: Good question. No, I think everything is provided, including a sausage lunch.
Radio announcer: So that's happening on Wednesday. What time?
Geoeducator: 8:30 we assemble at the DOC field base in Regina Lane. If you just bring suitable clothing, sun hat, glasses and waterproofs just in case that rain comes in.
Radio announcer: Okay. So that's this coming Wednesday, assemble, as you've just said, down at the DOC base on Regina Lane. So the idea behind the planting, what's what's behind that?
Geoeducator: So it's now a DOC site with various remnants of indigenous vegetation there, including a range of nationally threatened and at risk species. And we're looking at reintroducing the Kowhai forests wherever possible, along with other natives there.
Radio announcer: Okay, that's cool. Look, thanks, Sasha. Hope it all goes well and that the weather stays dry for you.
Geoeducator: Thank you. Yes, me too.
Geo-educator, Sasha talks about how the Whitestone Geopark is working towards the UNESCO accreditation for the Geopark.
Transcript:
Radio announcer: Time to talk Geopark, joined by the Geoeducator Sasha once again. Now, UNESCO's status for the Geopark is quite an important landmark this, isn't it.
Geoeducator: That's right. So, currently we're working towards our UNESCO accreditation for our Geopark. This is a massive platform for us. It's been running since 2001, the UNESCO accreditation. And there are currently a hundred and forty seven parks spread over 41 countries with this UNESCO accreditation. So what is it? What is UNESCO accreditation? UNESCO stands for United Nations Education, Science, Cultural Organization. And now their head office is in Paris. So, UNESCO in order to get accredited. You have to meet certain requirements of a Geopark. It's pretty stringent and that's what we've been aiming for. They have a specific definition of a Geopark that's a single unified geographical area. In our case, we've given it the Waitaki District Council boundaries. It's landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. So it's not just about preserving sites. It's about using them, protecting them, learning about them, but using them in a way that is sustainable for future generations. So that's what we've been really busy doing at the moment. I just encouraged people to jump on our Facebook page like us, follow us, see what we're doing, get involved, get in contact with us and see how you can become part of the Geopark.
Radio announcer: Are there any Geoparks in New Zealand? Other Geoparks?
Geoeducator: No. Look, there's not. We are aiming to be the very fist Geopark that's got a UNESCO accreditation in New Zealand and Australia, believe it or not. So it's a really big, exciting project for us here in the Waitaki District.
Radio announcer: Sounds very cool. Look, thanks very much for your time again, Sasha. We'll catch up again soon.
Geoeducator: I look forward to it. Bye now.
This week, Sasha, Geo-educator of Waitaki Whitestone geopark, talks about what exactly is a Geopark and introduces the best way to explore Waitaki Whitestone geopark.
Transcript
Radio announcer: Time to talk Geopark and are joined again by our new Geo-educator, Sasha Morriss. Sasha, what are we talking about this week?
Geoeducator: Okay, well, this week we're going to be talking about what exactly is a Geopark. This is something I get asked alot and it's not a straightforward answer. So we've got a couple of steps in this. First of all, we need to ask the question, what is the Geosite? So a Geopark has Geosites in it. A Geosite, is a geologically interesting site. So you've got Elephant rocks, Moeraki Boulders. Now in the Waitaki District. We've identified 42 main Geosites along with numerous supporting sites. So the Geopark originally started about 17 years ago with Vanished World. And people set this up and it shows people some of the discoveries around the district. And I encourage people out there to visit it. There's lots of great activities for families to to, and kids especially love the dig room.
Geoeducator: So our Geopark includes not just rocks, although I think rocks and earth processes are pretty interesting - not everybody is into just rocks. So we've got nature, biodiversity, culture and heritage. And if you go onto our Web page, that's 'Whitestone Geopark', you can download our APP. And the APP has four different tours that you can do. We've got the walking tour of the Victorian precinct. We've got three driving tours - Geo highlights, an inland tour, the Waitaki Coast Tour and Geovistas. So I encourage you all to download the app onto your phone or your device and take some of these tours and you can actually send us in and some of your photos that you take when you're out and about either by #ing Whitestone Geopark. Or putting @ Waitaki Whitestone Geopark on Facebook or you can email us info@WhitestoneGeopark.nz.
Radio announcer: 42 is quite a number. That's surprising.
Geoeducator: Yeah, well, it's a big area where 7200 square kilometers of interesting stuff. So bearing in mind the list started a lot larger than forty two. It's been whittled down to a more manageable sized project.
Radio announcer: Ok. So where does it stretch from and to.
Geoeducator: So from down near Palmerston. Right up the coast here and inland through past Omarama. And we've got sites stretched right through that region.
Radio announcer: Ok. So the address again the Website address for that is...
Geoeducator: Whitestonegeopark.nz. There's lots of interesting things on there. Right from the Geogastronomy through to places to visit, interesting photos that other people have sent in. So I just encourage people to get involved. Check out the Web site, download the app, send us in your pictures, send us in your questions. I'd love to hear from people. More than happy to answer any questions that people may have. We could maybe do that on the radio as well as one of our slots. So just really wanting to hear from people and what their thoughts, are.
Radio announcer: Thanks very much, Sasha. We'll catch up with you again soon.
Geoeducator: All right. Thank you very much.
The Waitaki Whitestone Geopark Trust has appointed a geo-educator to help educate the community on the district’s geology. Sasha Morriss, who has a masters degree in geology from Otago University, has been appointed to the role.
Transcript
Real Radio host: Time to talk GeoPark and joined by the new Geoeducator, Sasha Morriss. Sasha, new to the role only been in it a week.
Geoeducator: That's right. Yes I started last Tuesday.
Real Radio host: Okay. So what does a Geoeducator role do? What do you, what's the job?
Geoeducator: So my job is quite, is going to be a really wide, varied job. One of my main roles is going to be connecting with the community. Different groups in the community and particular school groups, creating educational programs for them about the environment that we live in, the stories that Geopark tells us right through from the geology - the formation of our land right through to the cultural aspects of the Geopark. So I hope to be meeting lots of people in my role. We'll have online programs - hopefully, field trips. I'm going to be based out at the School of Rocks and Duntroon occasionally with our other Geoeducator Sophie Briggs working there with children from Duntroon School. So it's going to be really varied. It's really exciting, and I just can't wait to get into it.
Real Radio host: Now you've got a background in geology too, haven't you?
Geoeducator: That's right. I've got two degrees in geology. My undergraduate bachelor from Otago and a master's in geology as well from Otago. My thesis was actually based in an area just in South Canterbury. I've done a lot of work in the North Otago region to do with geology, so I've got a pretty good foot on the ground, as it were. And I'm based in Oamaru as well. Been here for almost five years, so I'm pretty familiar with the area.
Real Radio host: What's the most exciting thing that you're thinking about with this role?
Geoeducator: My most exciting thing is getting people engaged with the environment here. Getting people out into the outdoors, seeing the geology, seeing the various aspects that we have here - we've got volcanoes, we've got old limestone formations, we've got so much going on here and it's about the public engaging with that and learning about what the environment was, what is it going forward, how do we use the environment, how can we protect the environment? How can we be stewards of our environment? So it's not just about what's been before. It's about where we are now and where we're heading into the future.
Real Radio host: Thanks very much, Sasha. Good to have you on board. And we'll be talking to you in quite a bit in the future.
Geoeducator: I look forward to it. Thank you very much.
"Meet the park" is coming to Palmerston Field day 2019. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to meet the Geopark trustees and understand more about the Whitestone Geopark.
Co-chair Helen Jansen was on Real Radio 104 and talked about what a Geopark is and its great opportunities for the community. Missed it? No problem, you can listen to it here.
Transcript:
Host:Right, time to talk about Geopark. And we are joined by Helen Jansen, one of the trustees of the Whitestone Waitaki Geopark project. How are you doing?
Helen: Absolutely splendid. It's a great day. Absolutely. Thank you for coming in. It's an opportunity for Waitaki to take advantage of a framework. That is a globally recognized framework based on the geology of the areas. It’s got to be unique. And in Waitaki we've got unique geology. We tell a story about incredibly ancient Geo-tectonic movements right through to the present. It is about telling the story of the people, of the animals and the plants that have taken advantage of this sort of geology right up to the present day and going into the future because the land that we live and work in sculpts the things that have happened and that do happen and can happen in the future.
Host:What’s the potential as far as tourism is concerned here?
Helen:If we have a Geopark in the world that has increased their visitor numbers and increased their local economy many times, so it's an opportunity which we have had scoped which shows that there will be enormous benefits to the district, depending, of course, on what level of investment you prepare to put into it.
Host:There's been a lot of talk about the money that goes into it but the amount that we are investing as far as Waitaki district is concerned versus the amount of potential investment from external forces that we're only putting in a small portion, potentially, aren’t we?
Helen:Absolutely. And we broke it down into small stages so at the district plan has ongoing support for it for ten years. We’ve taken the annual amounts for the last couple of years and we have just being granted money from the surplus of this year by the council in order to get us to the point where the UNESCO Geopark application can be completed and assessed. And we are in a very good space to be accredited as a Geopark. We cannot count our chickens, but we will in a very good place to do that.
Host:So why should people get behind the idea of a Geopark?
Helen:Because it's going to unify the district. It's going to give opportunity to all sorts of, initially tourists opportunities from flags worn through the east coast and up through Oamaru and right up through Ohau. We've already seen excitement through the culinary world and the producers of food in the Geogastronomy group that just started. They are championing at the bit to get this going so this would be really a great opportunity. We've got investors lined up already ready to sign contracts now that we've got this assurance that we can get this through to June. We will have those investors joining up so it's a huge opportunities for this district and for every man. That it depends very much on the energy and enthusiasm the district generates as to how much investment we will be able to bring .
Host:Thanks, Helen. We’ll catch up again soon.
Helen:Thanks very much!
Waitaki Whitestone Geopark Coordinator, Lisa Heinz introduced Waitaki Whitestone Geopark App on Real Radio 104. Missed it? No problem, you can listen to it here.
Transcript:
Host: Time to talk Geopark and joined by Lisa. Now Lisa you're going to tell us a wee bit about the app the brand new app that's out.
Lisa Heinz: Exactly. We released the app one or two weeks ago by now and you would love to show you what exciting things you can see on there.
Host: Okay. So talk us through it. I mean it's free to download from the Apple and Android store, isn't it?
Lisa Heinz: Exactly. Yep. Just type in "Waitaki Whitestone Geopark" and it will come up free to download for you.
Host: Ok. So what sort of things can you do with the app?
Lisa Heinz: And so we created four different tours. One of them is a Victorian precinct walking tour. So they will take you through the precinct, explain the history of the different buildings. Then we have three different driving tours. One of them takes you along the coast, shows you all the great geo sites you can see on there. And we have one that takes you up the valley. Same thing. What great sites you can see there. And we have a tour called GEO Vistas which is targeted at photographers. People want to see great landscapes, great scenic views which is all around our district.
Host: So is this just for tourists?
Lisa Heinz: Definitely not. I'm sure some locals still don't know the secret spots that you can see on the app. So we would love locals to download the app and try it out.
Host: Okay. So the whole idea behind the Geopark is to explore what's on our back doorstep I suppose. With regards to geology and it's quite interesting stuff. I mean it's old. Let's be honest about it. The earth is old but there's a lot of stuff ,as you say, that we possibly don't even know about. And this is where this app will help you.
Lisa Heinz: Yeah, definitely! And I think a lot of people have the thought that old things are boring. But we hope that this app shows that old things are not boring and they can be really fun. And following the tours, learning about all the geo sites, learning about how it shaped the identity of the Waitaki and yes, it's a great tool to engage with that.
Host: Okay, so you can get out there. You can explore. You can use the app to do that. Just remind us again how you go about getting the app?
Lisa Heinz: Just go on the Google Play store or the Apple App Store and just type in "Waitaki whitestone geopark". And it should pop up right away and you can download it for free.
Host: Thanks very much, Lisa.
Lisa Heinz: You're welcome. Thank you.