The Waitaki Whitestone Geopark is a story 35 million years in the making.
7,200 square kilometres of the Waitaki district is designated the Whitestone Geopark. Karst landscapes with signature white limestone have been shaped over millennia by volcanoes and glaciers to create some of the country’s most remarkable geological features.
From Moeraki’s iconic boulders, to the beautiful limestone heritage buildings of Ōamaru; the impressive features of the aptly named Elephant Rocks, the soaring clay cliffs of Ōmarama or the intriguing Vanished World of Duntroon, the Whitestone Geopark is just waiting to be explored.
The unique geology of the Whitestone Geopark has also preserved marine life that used to live in the ancient sea. You’ll find the fossilised remains of penguins, whales, dolphins and sharks amidst the limestone formations.
The Geopark has also been shortlisted for UNESCO Global Geopark status in 2019, potentially becoming the only geopark in Australasia and joining the rarefied ranks of just 140 other geoparks around the world.
