Ashburton Agate hunting: Rockhounding adventure near the Rangitata river

Went to South Canterbury in New Zealand for the weekend and did some beach agate hunting. There are a number of major rivers that flow from Southern Alps and carry agates into the ocean where the ocean swell then deposits them on miles and miles of beach.
Instagram: @mamlambo_nz

[@RESEARCHINGYOURROOTS]

Very clear ones too

[@lizzymoore54]

Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Carnelian are my favorites but all rocks interest me. Silicates especially. There is such beauty in nature. Thanks for taking us along on your hunt. So much fun! ☺️👏👏👏

[@mamlamborocks]

I love a pretty carnelian, or some silicified petrified wood 😊 Thanks for watching Lizzy!

[@arrowvanlanduyt6319]

When you recognize the location because you lived near there lol. I grew up running all over those cliffs and paddocks haha!

[@mickguilford9052]

Mate I would say the small semi polished stones are both moa gastroliths(gizzard stones)you will have ostrich ones where you originated from I’d say👍🏻.only a real close look will confirm but I collect them and I’d say you have been lucky enough to find a couple 😊they stopped being made 400 odd years ago !!!they are quite common in Canterbury especially larger agate ones.well done mate.cheers

[@mamlamborocks]

Thanks Mick! Always good to get some info on the stones I find! I've heard that you can tell if it's a Moa gizzard stones under a microscope.

[@jaynehorn151]

Do you ever find fossils when agate hunting or agate when fossil hunting?

[@mamlamborocks]

I more often find agates while fossil hunting 😁

[@justrocks7813]

New subscriber!🤗🤗🤗

[@mamlamborocks]

Welcome!!

[@joshmiller7172]

I'm moving to your side of the lake lol

[@mamlamborocks]

hahahaha, it's definitely worth it for rockhounds 😄

[@trustbirthaugusta]

What do you DO with Agates/Jaspers? I like looking at them but other than that are they valuable?

[@mamlamborocks]

Nah, they don't have much value. Most of them go sit in the garden or I give them to friends and family.

[@mickguilford9052]

To the trained eye I reckon I can tell 99%of the time without a microscope.only agates chalcedony or opalite ones tho.obviosly the Moas used quartz a nd jasper etc where there were no agates. I have plenty of these stones that I suspect probably were gasthroliths but can’t really say 4 certain.

[@mamlamborocks]

Thanks for the info Mick! I would love to find some gastroliths in situ amongst moa bones 😊 That's one way to tell for certain! If you don't mind, please email me some pictures of the gastroliths you have to [e-mail]

[@mountainscenerynepal1082]

Are you gemologist?

[@mamlamborocks]

Nah, just a hobby for me