Driving out of Omarama saw a sign saying, “Clay Cliffs left ahead”. We took the turn. Along the way we met a shepherd guiding a flock of sheep down the road.
We found out that he had spent time in Canada. He had visited Qualicum Beach and had camper vanned all the way to the Yukon. We had a great chat, he assured us that we would love the clay cliffs, and we got on our way.
It was a fairly long ride off the main road, and then quite a hike in to see them, but you walk around a bend and there they are!
The Clay Cliffs are a classic example of “badlands” terrain, with steep-walled box canyons and numerous towers and pinnacles. Grey and white sandstone and claystone were formed in an ancient lake that once existed here. The yellow and brown layers are gravel conglomerate with silt layers, deposited by an ancient river.
Thousands of years of erosive wind and rain have eaten into the sedimentary layers, producing the spectacular landforms shown here..
As you walk into the ravines, you get a sense of how enclosing it can be..
It was a hot sunny day. Lynne was very happy to find some shade!.
As you walk away from it, you’re looking out over plains with rolling hills in the distance. There is nothing comparable in the surrounding landscape. But there are those magnificent New Zealand skies!
Here we are settled in to Glentanner Holiday Park. Note that the Jucy van doesn’t have an awning. This will become very important in a couple of days.
We weren’t on the ground very long before Lynne discovered this apple tree..
Here are Lynne’s fresh NZ apples. Very delicious!
She started a trend. Kids camping around us started climbing the tree and picking the apples!
Grampafacts 