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Geology of the Provinces of Canterbury and Westland, New Zealand : a report comprising the results of official explorations

Extent

Extent.

Starting from the north-east portion of the Province, we find a well-defined zone of the Pareora formation beginning five miles north of the Motanau, and thence following the coast to some miles south of the mouth of the Waipara, where the Canterbury plains begin. Other portions occur in the Blythe, Greta, and Waikari rivers, where they form conspicuous cliffs. After crossing a small saddle of palæozoic rocks at the head of the Waikari, we meet it again in the valley of the Omihi and Glenmark creeks, whence it follows the eastern foot of the ranges as far as the Okuku river, forming also outliers on both banks of the Ashley river, of which that called the Moeraki Downs on its southern banks is the most important. We also find it well-developed in the upper course of the Waipara, near Heathstock. Between the Waimakariri and Rangitata, at a few isolated spots inland, the Pareora formation is only represented by small outliers; but page 317south of the last-mentioned river it begins on the banks of the Kakahu to assume larger proportions, covering on the banks of the Opihi, Pareora, and Otaio, a large extent of country, and reposing generally unconformably on the Oamaru formation. Between the lower course of the Waihao and Waitaki the low hills bounding the Waitaki plains are also formed of Pareora beds of considerable thickness. The principal outliers of this formation are found in the Broken River basin, and near Lake Heron, where they occur nearly 3,000 feet above the sea-level. In Westland, from near the northern banks of the Grey to the Hokitika river, the same formation is also extensively developed, containing a great number of fossils, of which several have hitherto only been found in that area. These western beds form (Captain Hutton's Kanieri group, and are considered by him to belong to the lower portion of the Pareora formation.