Omarama Clay Cliffs Explained

The Omarama Clay Cliffs, also known as the Ahuriri River Clay Cliffs and the Clay Cliffs Paritea are a group of cliffs in southern New Zealand.^[1] They are located close to the north bank of the Ahuriri River, some 10 km to the west of the township of Omarama.

The cliffs serve as a tourist attraction in the area and they are privately owned.^[2] There is a fee to park.

Formation

The cliffs are made up of layers of silt and gravel that were formed during glacial erosion^[3] around two million years ago, and are part of the Hawkdun Group of sediments. The cliffs were uplifted by the nearby Ostler Fault.^[4]

-44.4889°N 169.8667°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: World famous in New Zealand: The Clay Cliffs, Omarama. Stuff. en. 2019-04-01.
2. Web site: Omarama Clay Cliffs Waitaki, New Zealand. www.newzealand.com. en-US. 2019-04-01.
3. Web site: Clay Cliffs Paritea Omarama, New Zealand Attractions. www.lonelyplanet.com. en. 2019-04-01.
4. Web site: Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site. Geocaching. www.geocaching.com. en. 2019-04-01.