Takapuna Lava Flows and Fossil Forest

At Takapuna lava flows have left behind tree molds from a fossil forest that was living about 200,000 years ago. Geologist Bruce Hayward shows us some of the many interesting features of the lava and tree molds that can be seen in this popular and accessible part of Auckland.
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[@MrLucidity]

Dude, i've lived on The Shore all my life, i've played on those rocks as a kid, back in the 80's.
And i never knew that. after 44 years; i learnt something new about my old stomping grounds.
Cheers

[@OutThereLearning]

Great!

[@olivermcleod3659]

Thanks for 'preserving' this special site on film. I was lucky enough to be given a grand tour of the fossil forest by Bruce just a couple of years ago. It is an incredibly well preserved site and it makes total sense that the overlying ash beds were only recently scraped away by the sea. It's evocative to think that the fossil forest was already exposed by the time Rangitoto Volcano erupted - maybe the tree molds even caught some of the ash!

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for your appreciation and thoughts Oliver

[@godfreyramsay8857]

I knew about the fossil forest before the car park was built over it. It was one of several ‘secret’ places I enjoyed showing out of towners and I was mortified when the car park brutalised much of the forest.

[@laurenunreal4]

This is one of my favourite channels, and this video further blows my mind! Thank goodness they didn’t car park over the whole thing. Watching your videos really makes me regret not studying geology at high school many years ago. Next time I’m up that way I’m definitely going to visit here. Thanks for the amazing information.

[@OutThereLearning]

Thank you for your enthusiasm and kind comment!

[@williamchamberlain2263]

That's some crazy geology. Great video

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks!

[@nalabadala22]

Definitely going to make time to explore this area. Thank you for such an in depth, informative & enjoyable tutorial

[@OutThereLearning]

You're very welcome!

[@user-zt7zg6ej7n]

As a 4,5,6 year old I spent days playing on tbese rocks. Unaware of their history. Developed my imagination and curiosity. Thank you Takapuna reef. Re the ramp = unbelievable
ignorance

[@barneymaurirere9592]

ROCK N LAVA !!! BEFORE ROCK N ROLL . LOVE THIS STUFF .

[@neilscorgie4058]

I never knew. Thanks for taking the time to make these video clips.

[@elizabethfairlie8296]

I lived in Takapuna years ago. Walked the beach often. Remember it well. Great commentary Bruce.

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for your comment!

[@DanielDaniel-zg3li]

Excellent thanks Bruce. Have walked over this area oodles of times and never realized what it was all about. Just thought that it was a reef and that was it. Next time i'm in NZ and in Takapuna I will be looking at the reef in a new light. Daniel Daniel

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers Daniel!

[@justjane805]

I am so pleased I have found your videos. It's way past midnight but I can't stop watching them. Thank you.

[@OutThereLearning]

Glad you find them so intresting. Thank you

[@susanmarsh2856]

Bruce you make these little visits so interesting with your detailed knowledge and un doubted life time enthusiasm. I have already booked a post COVID trip to NZ to see the impact of the Kaikoura and Christchurch disasters. Now I have a readily accessible site to see in Auckland too. Love your YT adventures. Thank you.

[@ohmpoingpoing]

Amaizing

[@carolineandrews7231]

Thanks for the fantastic work in sharing this. I have been to those rock and walked over and around them, not knowing what they represented. I watched this last night and at low tide this morning went down for another look around them. I found it so exciting that I knew about the ancient forest trees and could see the lava rocks you showed us. Ngā mihi -Thank you

[@OutThereLearning]

That's very gratifying to read! Thanks very much for your comment.

[@user-io1ko5ml5b]

Thanks

[@larrylelemur6854]

A little further on the way to Milford beach around the rocks, the path passes by a much bigger tree mold at a slightly higher elevation. Haven't been there for about 57 years but I imagine it is still there. I always assumed it was a tree mold but never realised the existence of the ones in the video. The large expanse of lava flow rocks between Black Rock and Milford beach are a marvelous playground for kids and we spent many many hours exploring them.

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for your comment!

[@dempsterthompson4765]

Brilliant. I lived on the North Shore for years. Launched boats from the ramp. Can’t believe I never knew this. Thanks so much

[@OutThereLearning]

Now you know! Thanks for your appreciation

[@priyanrajapaksa8772]

WONDERFUL

[@Luubelaar]

That is SO cool!!

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@devinecatlady]

Absolutely fascinating! I've walked this exact section of takapuna coastline and didn't once notice anything other than chunks of rock. I wish I lived down there still because I'd be revisiting it in a flash to see what I missed. Absolutely fascinating!

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for your comment - glad you found it interesting

[@LWJCarroll]

Same here after all the years living in Auckland and now find this out. Thanks. Laurie 😮😊

[@fredMplanenut]

Excellent informative video, great enthusiasm on a very interesting subject, thank you.

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@janinekaretai4306]

Wonderful. Like the Catlins

[@OutThereLearning]

A bit different, but both resulting from volcanic activity of some sort

[@poobertop]

Just fascinating, thank you for sharing.

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@notamoose231]

Never even heard of this place. Amazing.

[@NotTheFace506]

Thank you that was really cool to learn!

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@deborahriley1166]

Fascinating!! Thanks 🙏💟🙏

[@OutThereLearning]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Toninz]

Thank you-amazing to learn

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for your appreciation!

[@zephheine9681]

wow didnt know this how awesome..thank you

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for your appreciation

[@jenksand]

Would love to see a video like this made about the cliff tops along the East Coast Bays - I'm always pondering the layers in the earth when I walk along it - would be also great to make the cave at Rothesay Bay a feature.

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@craigreynolds2539]

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you!

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@valoriel4464]

Nice! Thanks

[@OutThereLearning]

Welcome!

[@davidwalters1188]

Thanks for information have been to Takapuna many times to that location and had no idea that thats what is was :)

[@OutThereLearning]

Thank you for your comment

[@glennsmith1139]

Very very interesting

[@OutThereLearning]

Indeed so!

[@riverAmazonNZ]

Intruiging! Lovely view of Rangitoto too

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for watching!

[@jenksand]

thanks for sharing this local piece of our history. I walk this area all the time and knew a little about it already - great to see so many fascinating examples.

[@OutThereLearning]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@deborahferguson1163]

Very awesome! Thank you!

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@getzvalerevich6565]

Very fascinating. Thank you

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@wilsonmarinmontoya4318]

Muy interesante. Gracias.

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@alaskajdw]

Great video thanks 😊

[@OutThereLearning]

Glad you like it

[@poobum9857]

excellent

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@zinny54]

Bravo Bruce!

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@mrivantchernegovski3869]

I go out there a lot with my girlfriend,I knew it was a lava flow but didnt know it was a forest ,and the water comimg through the rocks from the lake is cool,be good to do one on Mt Albert and Meola reef lava flow

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for watching and your suggestion

[@jessebarlow1277]

Fantastic presentation - Attenborough pales in comparison!

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@lownslowz]

Thanks for sharing, so interesting!

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@mbvoelker8448]

Amazing!

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks for watching!

[@robotslug]

Wicked cool

[@OutThereLearning]

🙂

[@chrissscottt]

Very cool, thanks. Might pop up next week for a gander.

[@OutThereLearning]

That's the spirit!

[@barron204]

Awesome video and I will check out this site soon.

[@OutThereLearning]

Great!

[@hippopotamus6765]

Bruce, I grew up in st Heliers. as a child I played around the Cliffs and foreshore.
I recall seeing rectangular patterns of what appeared to be thin lava walls filled with fine clay eroded flush with the ground.From memory they were probably 1.5 X 1.5 metres.
I was never able to discover what caused these shapes.
this has always intrigued me, your thoughts on what could be responsible would be most appreciated.

[@BruceHayward1]

These are sedimentary rocks that are cut by two sets of vertical joints that create cubic/rectangular blocks. Oxygen laden water passing along tghe joint planes oxidises iron minerals in the sedimentary rocks creating rust-coloured secondary minerals such as limonite which probably looked like the lava flow skins you talk about. It is the first stage of core-stone weathering, which is common all around Auckland.

[@wijjit]

I liked this vid - thanks

[@OutThereLearning]

Cheers!

[@glenwarrengeology]

That was very fascinating. I wonder how many fossil forests exist. In Australia there is 1 at Portland and 1 in the USA. Sounds like something to research.

[@OutThereLearning]

There are lots of fossil forests around the world, but not so many that were swallowed by lava

[@outthere9370]

Excellent! Well presented. I will pay this site a visit one day.

[@OutThereLearning]

You should!

[@fallinginthed33p]

Interesting, instead of pumice casts of bodies and animals like in Pompeii and Herculaneum, these are lava casts of trees. I'm surprised lava can preserve fine details.

[@OutThereLearning]

Interesting comparison

[@le13579]

Just wondering what the scale was on the last kauri trunk shape shown in the video?
Thanks for the great videos!

[@margaretdagger6784]

Thank you so much.

[@harlzaotearoa7769]

Awsome videos but they are to short. Thankyou anyways

[@OutThereLearning]

Thanks!

[@quays99]

I read that there are relatives of kauris in new zealand, North Queensland and Indonesia. Is there a geological reason for this? Would also like to know your thoughts on the expanding planet earth theory.

[@cjyoung7372]

You didn't show where the water from pupuke come out

[@OutThereLearning]

True

[@barneymaurirere9592]

ROCK KUNGFU MASTER .

[@curvebuster]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😮🎉

[@kayneich3560]

Huge apologies. I have just pressed 'dislike' accidentally. The clip is great. Sorry.

[@OutThereLearning]

You can undo by pressing again I think. Not a problem though!

[@OutThereLearning]

Thank you!