Three Sisters and Elephant Rock explained

The Three Sisters and Elephant Rock are seastacks at the mouth of the Tongapōrutu River in Tongapōrutu, North Taranaki, New Zealand. They are accessible by foot from a carpark at low tide.[1]

Erosion is slowly claiming the 25m (82feet) formations.[2] [3] At the beginning of the 21st century there were four "sisters", but only two remain as of 2024. In 2016, Elephant Rock also lost the "trunk" which gave it its resemblance to the animal of the same name, leaving a single natural arch.[1] [4] [1] [5] Losses to the main landmass in the area have occasionally produced extra "sisters", such as one that appeared in 2013.[4]

References

-38.8186°N 174.5811°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Three Sisters and Elephant Rock . 25 November 2024 . www.taranaki.co.nz . en-us.
  2. "Three Sisters and the Elephant", www.newzealand.com. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  3. Web site: de Lange . William . Coastal erosion - Rocky coasts . 25 November 2024 . Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  4. "Memory is all that's left of Elephant Rock, now trunk-less," stuff.co.nz, 5 December 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  5. Web site: Three Sisters and Elephant Rock . 25 November 2024 . Discover Mōkau . en-NZ.