Click to switch to trip home page.

Arthur's Pass National Park, New Zealand


Trip Day Twenty-seven: Friday, October 19, 2007

Great Alpine Highway


Waimakarini Gorge


2989-RockyMountainTop-071019-105p
Rocks At The Top

Usually when you see a field of rocks like this, you see something higher nearby where the rocks came from. When the forces of erosion, ice, water, and wind break a large formation apart, the pieces fall by the force of gravity. So, it's not uncommon to see a field of rocks below a cliff, for example. But where did these rocks come from? This hill was the highest place around.

Our guess is that there once was something much higher nearby.
These rocks are the erosion residue from the once much higher hill itself.
Or, that a nearby volcano vaulted them here during an erupution.

2990-Mountains-071019-105p

2994-RocksOnHill-071019-107p
These were probably uncovered where they lay.
2996-RockyLedge-071019-107p
Big Slab Was Undercut

Click any image to go to the next page.