Manawatu Region

Akitio northern coast shore platform. Map: U25; Classification: C3. Significance: One of the best examples of a wide shore platform truncating steeply dipping beds along the coast from Cape Turnagain to Castlepoint.

Akitio sandspit. Map: U25; Classification: C3. Significance: Best-developed sandspit on the eastern coast of Manawatu region.

Akitio southern coast shore platform. Map: U25; Classification: C3. Significance: Most easily accessible example on this section of coast of a wide shore platform, truncating steeply dipping beds.

Alfredton Fault. Map: T25; Classification: C3. Significance: Site demonstrates complex late Quaternary displacement due to E staggering of Alfredton Fault. Displacement of 46-84 m RL and 0.6-4.6 m vertical (N trace E side up, S trace W side up).

Cape Turnagain Pliocene limestone. Map: V24; Classification: C3. Significance: Outlier of Pliocene coquina limestone.

Coonoor karst, Puketoi Range. Map: U24; Classification: C3. Significance: Superb example of a karst landscape with hundreds of sinkholes, many visible from main road. Karst-developing limestones are rare in lower North Island.

Eketahuna Limestone Jurassic nannofossil locality. Map: T25; Classification: C3. Significance: Only known in-situ locality in New Zealand of the calcareous nannofossil Stomiosphaera. Regionally significant for the presence of the mollusc Buchia, radiolarian chert and other calcispheres.

Foxton Beach parabolic dunes. Map: S24; Classification: C3. Significance: Good example of active parabolic dunes.

Gillespies Folly bird bones, Makuri. Map: U24; Classification: C2. Significance: Fossil bird bone deposits.

Hokio Beach dune fields. Map: S25; Classification: B3. Significance: An example of one of the most extensive areas of sand and related aeolian features in New Zealand, including blowouts, sand passes and lag surfaces.

Indecision Cave (PT 17), Coonoor. Map: U24; Classification: C3. Significance: Geomorphology, regionally significant on account of recreational use as one of the largest in the area.

Karere Lagoon. Map: S24; Classification: C2. Significance: Best example of the series of oxbow lakes along the Manawatu River.

Lake Papaitonga dune-dammed lake. Map: S25; Classification: C3. Significance: Excellent example of a dune-dammed lake. One of few remaining examples of surrounding natural forest.

Makawakawa Stream Plio-Pleistocene sequence Pohangina Monocline. Map: T23; Classification: B2. Significance: Extensive monoclinal structure on part of a major range boundary fault, west side, southern Ruahine Ranges. A sequence of interbedded marine and terrestrial sediments where correlation of different fossil groups can be made for the Plio-Pleistocene. Records gradual rise of the Ruahines.

Makirikiri Plateau tarns, Ruahine Ranges. Map: U21; Classification: C2. Significance: Best examples in North Island axial ranges of rare, sporadic sinkholes forming ephemeral tarns on Pliocene limestone plateau.

Manawatu alluvial terraces. Map: T24; Classification: A3. Significance: Good example of alluvial terraces in New Zealand.

Manawatu dune field. Map: S24; Classification: B1. Significance: An example of largest Holocene dune area in the country with several dune-dammed lakes and well defined foredune.

Manawatu Gorge. Map: T24; Classification: B3. Significance: A large and impressive gorge bisecting the main axial ranges of the North Island.

Manawatu River estuary. Map: S24; Classification: C2. Significance: Excellent example of estuary and associated sand and mud flats.

Mangahao River Pliocene mollusc fossils. Map: T24; Classification: C3. Significance: Very diverse Mangapanian-Nukumaruan molluscs.

Mt Stewart Anticline. Map: S23; Classification: B3. Significance: 11 km long, actively growing, N-S trending, asymmetric topographical anticline in loess, tephra and dune sand.

Omanuka dune-dammed lake. Map: S24; Classification: C3. Significance: Good example of dune-dammed lake.

Oroua Valley Triassic fossils. Map: T22; Classification: B3. Significance: Best of only a very few fossil localities on the west side of Ruahine Range.

Otaki Fault, Mangahao Valley. Map: S25; Classification: C3. Significance: Late Quaternary fault scarp that offsets young alluvial surface (E side up), with slumping along trace immediately NE of Harris Creek. Numerous late Quaternary traces, offset and notched spurs to SW along fault (Mangahao-Otaki valleys). Appears to be major W boundary fault for high Tararua Ranges, running their length between the Ohariu and Wellington Fault systems.

Pahiatua colluvial slope. Map: T24; Classification: C3. Significance: An example of many such features, but significant because a cross section of it is well exposed through a roadside cutting.

Pakihikura Pumice sequence. Map: T22; Classification: A3. Significance: One of New Zealand's best paleomagnetically documented sedimentary sequences.

Puketoi Range cuesta. Map: U24; Classification: C3. Significance: One of the best examples of a cuesta landform in North Island. Dip slopes with dry valleys are clearly visible from locations as distant as the Tararua and Ruahine ranges.

Rangitikei River estuary. Map: S24; Classification: B3. Significance: A large, dynamic, multi-channeled estuary with an interesting range of landforms. In contrast to the Manawatu estuary, both gravel and sand features are present.

Rewa Hill Pleistocene shallow marine sediments. Map: T22; Classification: B2. Significance: Educational, sedimentary structures clearly visible, useful in illustrating the relationship between structures and the depositional environment.

Te Awa Road gully. Map: T23; Classification: C3. Significance: A large, spectacular well defined gully. Formed very quickly.

Three Kings cuestas. Map: U25; Classification: C3. Significance: These attractive features are good examples of cuestas.

Totara Road Pliocene cool-water fossils. Map: T24; Classification: B3. Significance: Good continuous sequence with moderately diverse cool-water faunas. Two Chlamys delicatula shellbeds. Only known place where C. delicatula and Pelicaria convexa overlap.

Waihi Falls. Map: U24; Classification: C3. Significance: A wide waterfall, broken into several falls, with a range of drops from direct to a very broken plunge. Spectacular in winter but becomes a trickle in summer.

Waikawa Beach interdune salt pans and lagoons, Manawatu. Map: S25; Classification: B2. Significance: Unusual interdune landscape for New Zealand, where the water table is close to the surface, making the area prone to ponding during heavy rains.

Wellington and Ruahine Faults, Kahuki Horst. Map: T24; Classification: C3. Significance: Bifurcation of Wellington and Ruahine Faults to form Kahuki Horst. Horst forms S portion of N tilted fault wedge (and graben in far N). Both traces displace Plio-Pleistocene marine sediments and are overlain by Ohakean alluvium.

Wellington Fault (Wairarapa), Kakariki West ED monitoring site. Map: T25; Classification: C3. Significance: Late Quaternary traces of the Wellington Fault that splay to enclose a wedge with hinged cross faulting, fault bends and a horst. Site (in part) of a monitoring pattern for earth deformation. This site is monitored for precise strain measurements by the Earth Deformation Section, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Ltd (New Zealand Geological Survey).

Wellington Fault (Wairarapa), Tainui Stream faulted terraces. Map: T24; Classification: C3. Significance: Site demonstrates dominant strike slip motion on Wairarapa section of Wellington Fault. Horizontal displacement of 64 m RL, 20-30 times greater than vertical slip (W side up).

Wellington Fault, Bakers Rd. Map: T23; Classification: C3. Significance: Example of displacement on the Wellington Fault. Porewan terrace (70-80000 year) displaced 150 m RL and 10 m upthrow to the W. Additionally, younger terrace (Ohakean) upthrown by 3 m in W, and to the S a 5 m scarp upthrown to E. An example of common reversals in upthrow on Wellington Fault.

Wellington Fault, Ballantrae Research Station. Map: T24; Classification: C3. Significance: Site of first documented set of dated late Quaternary alluvial terraces east of the S Ruahine Ranges. Has constrained vertical displacement rates on the Wellington Fault viz. 1.02, 0.92 and 1.23 mmy. Recent 0.5-1 m scarps also present along trace.

Wellington Fault, Mangapapa Stream faulted terraces. Map: T24; Classification: C3. Significance: Late Quaternary displacement along the Wellington Fault. 13000 year Ohakean terrace surface is upthrown on W side of fault above 2 older 30-40000 year terraces.