A JOURNEY TO THE (180 MILLION YEAR OLD) PAST
28 JANUARY 2024
The Penguin Walk
Curio Bay is riiiight at the bottom east of the South Island of New Zealand (in the incredible Southland Region) and it's a destination like no other. It's a pretty spectacular place because it has an 180-MILLION-year-old fossilized forest, dating back to the Jurassic period! Yes ma'am, these trees were around when the dinosaurs were chomping and peeing on them (hopefully chomping first).
During this time, the area was covered by a dense, subtropical forest which was home to a variety of coniferous trees including ancient relatives of modern-day kahikatea and totara trees. Some of the giant trees in this forest fell down, and they ended up getting covered by layers of dirt and sand - his could have happened because of things like storms or just the slow buildup of soil over time. The secret to turning these fallen trees into fossils lies in keeping them from rotting away, so when they got buried under all that sediment, it acted like a protective blanket, keeping out oxygen and tiny organisms that usually break things down. As more and more sediment piled up, the buried trees went through a special process called permineralization.
Permineralization is like a slow makeover for the trees. Imagine minerals from the water slowly seeping into the plant tissues, replacing the original material with stony stuff like silica. It's a meticulous process that happens over a really long time, kind of like turning the trees into stone sculptures. The minerals basically create a copy of the tree's intricate details, capturing a snapshot of the ancient forest. Phew... bet you didn't think you'd be getting a lesson in fossilization today now did you?
Fast forward millions of years, the land in Curio Bay lifted up and eroded over time which eventually revealed the fossilized trees, giving us a glimpse into the incredible ancient forest that once covered the area. It's like a natural history book written in rocks and sand, telling the story of New Zealand's distant past - awesome a?!
Before you get to the fossilized forest, there is a penguin walk where, you guessed it, there are penguins! There are several yellow-eyed penguins that nest at Curio Bay and there is a special nesting area for them behind the fence, which you can lift a flap and look through and hopefully see a nesting penguin. They are one of the rarest penguins in the world, with an estimated population between 6000-7000, and this is due to the destruction of coastal forest where they nest and predators killing them. The best time to see the penguins is in the afternoon and early evening when they return home after being at sea since the early morning - however just keep in mind that the track is closed at 5pm.
Sadly, we didn't get to see any penguins but that shouldn't have been a surprise since we were there mid-morning. The track only takes a few minutes to walk and it's a flat path with a wooden fence and flax either side.
We were staying in Kaka Point in the Catlins and we wanted to explore the whole southeast coast from Curio Bay, all the way up to Nugget Point in one day. Usually we slow travel around New Zealand but we only had 4 days in the Catlins before heading back to Te Anau for a few weeks, so it was crunch time!
During this time, the area was covered by a dense, subtropical forest which was home to a variety of coniferous trees including ancient relatives of modern-day kahikatea and totara trees. Some of the giant trees in this forest fell down, and they ended up getting covered by layers of dirt and sand - his could have happened because of things like storms or just the slow buildup of soil over time. The secret to turning these fallen trees into fossils lies in keeping them from rotting away, so when they got buried under all that sediment, it acted like a protective blanket, keeping out oxygen and tiny organisms that usually break things down. As more and more sediment piled up, the buried trees went through a special process called permineralization.
Permineralization is like a slow makeover for the trees. Imagine minerals from the water slowly seeping into the plant tissues, replacing the original material with stony stuff like silica. It's a meticulous process that happens over a really long time, kind of like turning the trees into stone sculptures. The minerals basically create a copy of the tree's intricate details, capturing a snapshot of the ancient forest. Phew... bet you didn't think you'd be getting a lesson in fossilization today now did you?
Fast forward millions of years, the land in Curio Bay lifted up and eroded over time which eventually revealed the fossilized trees, giving us a glimpse into the incredible ancient forest that once covered the area. It's like a natural history book written in rocks and sand, telling the story of New Zealand's distant past - awesome a?!
Before you get to the fossilized forest, there is a penguin walk where, you guessed it, there are penguins! There are several yellow-eyed penguins that nest at Curio Bay and there is a special nesting area for them behind the fence, which you can lift a flap and look through and hopefully see a nesting penguin. They are one of the rarest penguins in the world, with an estimated population between 6000-7000, and this is due to the destruction of coastal forest where they nest and predators killing them. The best time to see the penguins is in the afternoon and early evening when they return home after being at sea since the early morning - however just keep in mind that the track is closed at 5pm.
Sadly, we didn't get to see any penguins but that shouldn't have been a surprise since we were there mid-morning. The track only takes a few minutes to walk and it's a flat path with a wooden fence and flax either side.
We were staying in Kaka Point in the Catlins and we wanted to explore the whole southeast coast from Curio Bay, all the way up to Nugget Point in one day. Usually we slow travel around New Zealand but we only had 4 days in the Catlins before heading back to Te Anau for a few weeks, so it was crunch time!
The Petrified Forest
At first, the bay looks like any other coastline in New Zealand, with shallow tide pools and waves crashing against the rocks, but with a closer inspection, you can see the fossilized remains of ancient trees embedded in the bedrock. Interestingly enough, the forest here is one of only 3 that are accessible around the world! The track takes 10-minutes return, through the penguin area and down some steps onto the bay, where you can walk on, touch and inspect the fossilized trees - but only at low tide, so plan your trip around this if you want to get down to the bay and walk around the forest.
There is a viewing platform above the bay, so if the tide is high or you aren't up to walking down the stairs, you can comfortably stand on the platform to look at the bay below. There are some info boards on the platform which explain a few things about the marine life and petrified forest.
It was interesting to see the logs and touch them - they had a unique texture and it played with our minds, as some of the trees looked like rock, but had almost a plastic texture to them. The logs were all scattered over the bay and honestly if we didn't know it was a petrified forest, we would have just thought it was some old logs that have been washed up the bay and were stuck to the rocks with mud (that's what it looked like).
The girls found a few shells in the rock pools and I walked to the edge of the rocks to see if I could spot any seals or sea lions but all I saw was giant seaweed waving at me from in the ocean).
In summer, you can watch Hector's dolphins jumping around in the ocean and see some seals and sea lions sunbathing along the coast. We didn't see any of these here but New Zealand has amazing marine life and we have been lucky to see dolphins all over Kaikoura in Canterbury and we saw sea lions for the first time at Cannibal Bay, just an hour north of Curio Bay, when we visited the day after... IT WAS AMAZING!
There is a viewing platform above the bay, so if the tide is high or you aren't up to walking down the stairs, you can comfortably stand on the platform to look at the bay below. There are some info boards on the platform which explain a few things about the marine life and petrified forest.
It was interesting to see the logs and touch them - they had a unique texture and it played with our minds, as some of the trees looked like rock, but had almost a plastic texture to them. The logs were all scattered over the bay and honestly if we didn't know it was a petrified forest, we would have just thought it was some old logs that have been washed up the bay and were stuck to the rocks with mud (that's what it looked like).
The girls found a few shells in the rock pools and I walked to the edge of the rocks to see if I could spot any seals or sea lions but all I saw was giant seaweed waving at me from in the ocean).
In summer, you can watch Hector's dolphins jumping around in the ocean and see some seals and sea lions sunbathing along the coast. We didn't see any of these here but New Zealand has amazing marine life and we have been lucky to see dolphins all over Kaikoura in Canterbury and we saw sea lions for the first time at Cannibal Bay, just an hour north of Curio Bay, when we visited the day after... IT WAS AMAZING!
Know Before You Go
- The best time to visit is at low tide, but some petrified logs are still visible at high tide which you can see from the viewing platform
- The track closes at 5pm so the penguins can make their way back to their nests without being disturbed
- The penguins lay their eggs in September/October
- The best time to see the penguins is in the afternoon/early evening when they come in from being at sea since the early morning
- You are able to walk on and touch the petrified forest
- You are limited on shops here, I'd recommend stocking up on snacks/lunch in the nearest biggest down you pass through
How To Get To Curio Bay In Southland
Curio Bay is at the bottom of the South Island (almost at the most southern point!) on the east coast of the Southland Region.
There is a designated parking area on Waikawa-Curio Bay Road, as well as parking up by CurioScape (parking here is for customers only). The track starts to the right of CurioScape.
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
There is a designated parking area on Waikawa-Curio Bay Road, as well as parking up by CurioScape (parking here is for customers only). The track starts to the right of CurioScape.
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Conclusion
The fossilized forest at Curio Bay is a real-life discovery wonderland and we absolutely love the hands-on learning experience it offers – our favorite kind of learning! What sets this bay apart is that you don't just gaze at it from afar... you can actually walk on it, touch it and connect with the ancient trees, which transforms learning into an immersive adventure.
Beyond the fascinating fossilized forest, Curio Bay is teeming with marine life that adds an extra layer of excitement to your visit. It's pretty cool being able to see yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals, sea lions and Hector's dolphins! Now, you might wonder, who's Hector and why does he own those dolphins? I wonder, too.
Beyond the fascinating fossilized forest, Curio Bay is teeming with marine life that adds an extra layer of excitement to your visit. It's pretty cool being able to see yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals, sea lions and Hector's dolphins! Now, you might wonder, who's Hector and why does he own those dolphins? I wonder, too.
Gallery of Curio Bay
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
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