Secret Pinnacles

 

You may have heard of the Putangirua Pinnacles, but have you heard of an almost as equally impressive valley of pinnacles that has no official name? Reaching this secret spot requires a challenging trek involving bush bashing and careful navigation through a log-strewn river valley.

These pinnacles are examples of erosion-formed geological features known as “hoodoos” or “earth pyramids.” These towering pillars of rock began forming approximately 7 million years ago, when the area was an ancient seafloor. Over time, as tectonic activity pushed the land upwards, layers of gravel and sediment were compressed into a rock called “conglomerate.” The erosion process that shaped the pinnacles started about 120,000 years ago, when the local stream began to cut through the uplifted conglomerate. Rainwater and wind gradually wore away the softer materials, leaving behind the more resistant rock to form the distinctive spires.