Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand Jan 7, 2025

Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand

One of the world"s most curious rock displays can be found on Koekohe Beach in New Zealand. The Moeraki Boulders, some of which are over two metres in diameter, have been shaped by nature over millions of years. Each boulder started as a pebble on the seabed around 65 million years ago. Over time, layers of mud and silt built up around them, cemented together by calcite. Thanks to erosion and the movement of the sea, the boulders eventually emerged. According to local Māori legends, the Moeraki Boulders are remnants of eel baskets, calabashes and kūmara that washed ashore from the wreck of Āraiteuru, a great sailing canoe.

© Douglas Pearson/eStock Photo

palette

Today in History

What the heck is a distaff?
Jan 7, 2024Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, Australia
Jan 7, 2026Old Rock Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
Giddy family fun
Oct 28, 2024Pumpkin field, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Jan 3, 2026J.R.R. Tolkien Day
Sep 20, 2024Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA
Straight out of a fairytale
Sep 29, 2023Sangameswara Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Nov 2, 2023Death Valley National Park, California
Shell-ebrating sea turtles
Nov 22, 2025Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan, China
Apr 5, 2024The Bahamas
Jan 28, 2025Short-eared owl
Feb 12, 2024Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises
Look, but don’t touch
A magnificent place of worship
Mar 11, 2025Broken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
Can you name these pretty flowers?
Feb 28, 2026Oloupena Falls, island of Molokai, Hawaii, United States
Feb 16, 2026Banff, Alberta, Canada
Jan 17, 2024Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany
Sep 19, 2024Obereversand Lighthouse, Dorum, Germany
Nov 5, 2024Ranakpur Jain temple, Ranakpur, Rajasthan
Mar 9, 2025Kedarkantha, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
Jun 25, 2025Glastonbury Festival begins
Jan 9, 2024Gayathri Reservoir, Karnataka, India
Sep 8, 2024International Literacy Day
May 29, 2025Miravet, Catalonia, Spain
Sanctuary among the trees
Spanning the soft sunlight
May 4, 2025Mysuru Palace, Mysuru, Karnataka