Have you ever been to a place and wondered how this landscape came to be? Maybe it’s the formation of a mountain or the channel of a riverbed that led you to wanting to be better informed about your surroundings?
As a resident of Banks Peninsula, it never ceases to amaze me how unique the geology of this land is, millions of years in the making. The coast, in particular, boasts a tapestry of rugged cliffs, secluded bays and pristine beaches. But how has it all been formed?
I meet with Director Sam Hampton from VolcanicKED, an organisation that aims to engage people with the New Zealand environment through knowledge, education and discovery. He explains to me the intricacies and interconnections between the rocks, landscapes and waterways of this area, and links it all back to geology.
“Lyttelton Harbour is the eroded remnants of the Whakaraupō Lyttelton Volcanic Complex, formed by volcanic eruptions between 11 and 9.7 million years
