Heading west from Riverton Aprima along the coast of Southland, there are surf beaches at Colac Bay, Oraka, Wakapatu and Monkey Island, before you get to the much larger Te Waewae Bay. Take a break at the east end of Te Waewae at Gemstone Beach, which lives up to its name.
This beach is a collection point for stones and rocks washed down from around the wider region. Even if you don’t know what to look for, the unique and multi-coloured stones and pebbles on the beach are amazing. If you know what to look for, garnets are common, and pounamu (NZ greenstone) and other precious stones are possible.
Fortunately, we met a collector there who showed us a selection of garnets. They are the real thing if they are still shiny after they dry.
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