Durie Hill EarthCache
Hidden : 3/5/2015
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

This Earth Cache should introduce the Durie Hill Tower and its very special shellrock to you.

This tower was erected to the memory of 513 members of the armed services of this city and district who fell in the 1914- 1918 war and is part of the Mainstreet Brass Rubbings Heritage Trail.
Its base is 273,5 feet above the sea level and the lookout deck is at 372 feet. The whole towe is constructed of cemented marine limestone containing shell fragments (called shellrock) from a nearby quarry.


Limestone is a sedimentary rock abundant in New Zealand which consists mainly of the bones and shells of tiny marine fossils made of lime. Rocks with more than 50% calcium carbonate are considered to be limestone.

"Most New Zealand limestone deposits formed in the Oligocene and Miocene periods, 5–37 million years ago. Around 20 to 30 million years ago, when the climate was warmer and much of New Zealand was submerged under shallow seas, conditions were ideal for limestone formation. Not much sediment from land entered these coastal waters, and layers of shells and bones from billions of sea creatures accumulated on the sea floor. These hardened into rocks, which were eventually uplifted and now form the country’s karst (weathered limestone) landscapes. They are a dramatic sight at Castle Hill on the road to Arthur’s Pass, and form the intriguing Pancake Rocks on the West Coast. Other sites include the Waitomo caves in the King Country, and the rolling land around Ōamaru in North Otago, which is known as ‘white stone country’."

(Reference: http://www.teara.govt.nz)


And also here at the Durie Hill you can find the shellrock limestone. Open your eyes and have a look onto the Durie Hill Tower.

To log this EarthCache, you have to answer following questions and email me the results. You can go ahead and log your find, (ie. you don't need to wait for permission) but if I don't think you have honestly completed the required tasks I will contact you.
1. Have a closer look and describe the stone's structure. What kind of material can you discover in the stones?
2. Which colors can be found within the stone structure? What do you think where this colors come from?
3. From which quarry does this stone come from?
4. During which geologic era was this stone emerged and how was it formed?
5. Optional: I would appreciate it, if you take a photo of you and your GPS on the top of the Durie Hill tower.

Please email me the answers to the questions and maybe you add a photo to your log.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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