Whangarei
17.89°C
Whangarei
17.89°C
Waitakere City
16.98°C
Manukau City
17.11°C
Papakura
24.46°C
Hauraki
17.26°C
Waikato
17.67°C
Matamata
18.46°C
Hamilton
17.51°C
Otorohanga
18.52°C
Rotorua
16.6°C
Taupo
15.44°C
Tauranga
19.27°C
Kawerau
18.6°C
Whakatane
19.64°C
Gisborne
15.51°C
New Plymouth
16.98°C
Stratford
8.97°C
Ruapehu
14°C
Wanganui
17°C
Palmerston North
16.41°C
Wairoa
19.19°C
Hastings
18.84°C
Napier
18.49°C
Masterton
15.49°C
Carterton
15.66°C
Porirua
15.99°C
Lower Hutt
16.45°C
Wellington
15.79°C
Tasman
9.35°C
Nelson
16.27°C
Marlborough
3.22°C
Kaikoura
15.48°C
Christchurch
12.59°C
Ashburton
12.52°C
Timaru
13.37°C
Waitaki
11.32°C
Waimate
13.08°C
Queenstown
12.38°C
Dunedin
14.33°C
Southland
9.98°C
Gore
11.31°C
Invercargill
12.06°C
Blenheim
14.73°C
Te Anau
27.35°C
Wanaka
11.17°C
Kaikoura
13.38°C
Stratford
13.54°C
Upper Hutt
15.9°C
About
A rugged and wild coastline next to a lovely beach provides the setting for a Petrified Forest, a Living forest, and a chance to see some amazing wildlife.
Curio Bay is of international significance for its Petrified Forest dating back to the Jurassic period. The tree fossils you see here, similar to Kauri and Matai, are approximately 170 million years old. The forest was alive when New Zealand was part of Gondwanaland.
Curio Bay’s Petrified Forest is best viewed at low tide from the viewing platform. Please do not damage or remove any fossils and to protect the wildlife, no dogs are permitted in the area. You can also walk through the Living Forest walkway and see how the Petrified Forest may have looked millions of years ago. This is a special occurrence in the world to see a fossil forest so close to its living counterpart.
You may also see protected Yellow-eyed Penguins at Curio Bay in the late afternoon as they come ashore after a day at sea. Please be sure to read the Department of Conservation information on these protected birds.
From Curio Bay, you could take a short walk to Porpoise Bay a beautiful beach for walking, and swimming, and where you may see the endangered Hector’s dolphins playing in the surf during the summer months.
The recently opened Curio Scape has a café and interactive museum.
Walk from the car park to Petrified Forest – 5 minutes.
Living Forest Walkway - 15 minutes return.