NZFossil

Not a lot. No chances to go out fossicking at all due to family commitments and work. Apologies to anyone who was expecting an invite. Here is a selection of NZ ammonites

Yesterday spent a day out on Kawhia Harbour, courtesy of Laurence Taylor. Many thanks to Laurence and Greg, our skipper and Anka for providing excellent company. We had an exploratory poke through the Heterian sections on the southern arms of the harbour. Much of interest which will repay another visit. We did not get to our planned destination. We learned that the approach was too shallow and that the best way to get there was over a farm. Greg has promised to provide contact. Many thanks. No really exciting finds to report. Mostly the usual suspects - Retroceramus galoi, Pleuromya miliformis and so on. Did find an unusually coloured bed of sandstone chock full of fossils near Ohineruru Bay, which will definitely require another visit. Captain Kings? Nice little specimen of Camptonectes cf laminatus. Found some partial ammonites in sticky yellow clay (Oraka?) with some Thracia sp., which I have not had a chance at identifying yet. A large flat nodule found at Totara Point, which may contain an ammonite. Too chicken to give it a tap yet. A beautiful day out accompanied by family and friends. (My eldest son was there too. My wife could not make it because she had twisted her ankle badly, alas.) We will go again.

A long overdue trip to the Late Cretaceous of Kaipara Harbour. A long walk made worth it by some excellent finds. including a nicely preserved Gaudryceras sp, most likely propemites. from a concretionary nodule. Also, some smaller specimens of another species and some baculites. Also found several belemnites, which are not common for this part of the world. Cat is thrown in for variety. Mangakahia Complex, Punakitere Sandstone, part of the Northland Allocthon. Haumurian/Piripauan.

Ye Gods. For some infernal reason, I have not been to access this page for several months. Now sorted, touch wood. What has happened in the interim? Not a lot. Took a brief trip out to Moewaka Quarry with some friends who wanted a fossick. Found some good co-joined valves of Retroceramus galoi - not surprising. But, but, but, my colleagues found a number of interesting bits and pieces, including a good 3D specimen of Pseudolimea sp. (only found negatives of this so far), a small, what I think is, Protocardia sp. (never seen one there before). LAter went up to the Ponganui CLiff, but found very little apart from nicely preserved Pleuromya, (common) some Retrocermus brownei (also common) and of all things a Goniomya sp (not common and never found there before). Also found one Aucklandirhynchia sp. but lost it. (Duh) and a small ammonite from the cuttings next to the creek. (Most likely Waikatoceras sp - will need some prep.) Superb weather and sooo nice to be out an about again after a long gap.