Curio Bay
The Catlins New Zealand Ph (03) 415 8338
Curio Bay
Curio Bay
Curio Bay is a fossilised Jurassic Park. It clocks in at 160-180 million years old and is one of the most comprehensive fossil forests in the world. If you go at low tide, you'll see petrified stumps (mineralised tree trunks) standing on the beach and fallen log fossils in the ground. This is New Zealand's testament to having been part of Gondwanaland or the ancient super-continent. Scientists have identified tree ferns, cycads, and trees which resemble the Kauri and Matai which are similar to those which have been found in South America. The area is also a protected nesting ground for yellow-eyed penguins.
A short drive from Catlins McLean Falls Eco Holiday Park and Motels is Curio Bay and Porpoise Bay. They are situated on the Catlins coast, about 88 kms south-east of Invercargill and 7 kms south of Waikawa. Curio Bay is signposted from the Southern Scenic Route, which follows State Highway 92 through the Catlins from Invercargill to Balclutha. Curio Bay is a fossilised Jurassic Park. It clocks in at 160-180 million years old and is one of the most comprehensive fossil forests in the world. If you go at low tide, you'll see petrified stumps (mineralised tree trunks) standing on the beach and fallen log fossils in the ground. This is New Zealand's testament to having been part of Gondwanaland or the ancient super-continent. Scientists have identified tree ferns, cycads, and trees which resemble the Kauri and Matai which are similar to those which have been found in South America. The area is also a protected nesting ground for yellow-eyed penguins.