The schist rocks of central Otago were once mud and sand from 200 million years ago. They settled and compacted into large areas of mudstone and sand stone on the bottom of the seas.
Movement, heat and pressure from the earth's crust over 80 million years changed those rocks into schist. It has a lot of quartz in it. The name schist is from the Greek word meaning "to split".
The vista is amazing! Look for the Butcher& dam turn off. You will need to read the information boards along your stroll to complete the earth cache. Please email the answers to Nosynel before you log this cache.
This area is the driest part of New Zealand because it is in the shadow of mountain ranges that surround it. The Flat Top Hill area has extreme summer and winter temperatures. This has affected the schist causing it to form tors. A tor is a large, free standing rocky outcrop that appears to come out of smooth gentle slopes.
Sign near the schist cottage .... There were 3 creeks on the map. Name them.
What elevation does your gps read when at the gz
Describe one of the schist tors that you can see from gz including evidence of the schist splitting, the colour of the rock and weather it has layers and what they look like
Describe the weather on the day that you visited this cache, including an estimated temperature.
Optional - Take a photo of the scene that you most enjoyed when you reached gz
This cache was made in memory of a friend who lost his battle with cancer. It is a great place to admire Central Otago landscape a part of Aoteroa that he was passionate about.
