List of rock formations of New Zealand (original) (raw)

This is a list of rock formations in New Zealand based on their aesthetic and cultural importance. New Zealand's geomorphology is formed through an interaction between uplift, erosion and the underlying rock type. Most of the notable examples listed here are formed by selective erosion, for example waves and rivers can more easily erode sandstone than basalt and can also exploit joints or faults in the rock-mass. Some rocks like limestone (Waitomo Caves) and marble (Takaka Hill) can also be dissolved in water which forms a distinctive karst geomorpholohy. Notable rock formations are also formed through constructive processes such as geothermal and volcanic deposits, and sedimentary deposition.