thumb|250px|the moeraki boulders at sunrise the moeraki boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of koekohe beach on the wave-cut otago coast of new zealand between moeraki and hampden. they occur scattered either as isolated or clusters of boulders within a stretch of beach where they have been protected in a scientific reserve. the erosion by wave action of mudstone, comprising local bedrock and landslides, frequently exposes embedded isolated boulders. these boulders are grey-colored septarian concretions, which have been exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them and concentrated on the beach by coastal erosion.boles, j.r., c.a. landis, and p. dale, 1985, the moeraki boulders; anatomy of some septarian concretions, journal of sedimentary petrology, vol. 55, n. 3, p. 398-406.fordyce, e., and p. maxwell, 2003, canterbury basin paleontology and stratigraphy, geological society of new zealand annual field conference 2003 field trip 8, miscellaneous publication 116b, geological society of new zealand, dunedin, new zealand. isbn 0-908678-97-5forsyth, p.j., and g. coates, 1992, the moeraki boulders. institute of geological & nuclear sciences, information series no. 1, (lower hutt, new zealand)thyne, g.d., and j.r. boles, 1989, isotopic evidence for origin of the moeraki septarian concretions, new zealand, journal of sedimentary petrology. v. 59, n. 2, p. 272-279. local mÄori legends explained the boulders as the remains of eel baskets, calabashes, and kumara washed ashore from the wreck of arai-te-uru, a large sailing canoe. this legend tells of the rocky shoals that extend seaward from shag point as being the petrified hull of this wreck and a nearby rocky promontory as being the body of the canoe's captain. in 1848 w.b.d. mantell sketched the beach and its boulders, more numerous than now. the picture is now in the alexander turnbull library in wellington.dann, c. and n. peat, 1989, dunedin, north and south otago. gp books. wellington, new zealand. isbn 0-477-01438-0. the boulders were described in 1850 colonial reports and numerous popular articles since that time. in more recent times they have become a popular tourist attraction, often described and pictured in numerous web pages and tourist guides.mutch, a. r., 1966, moeraki boulders in a.h. mclintock, ed., an encyclopaedia of new zealand. government printer, wellington, new zealand. == physical character == [[image:south island tour 382.jpg|thumb|righ
Coastline_of_New_Zealand Geography_of_Otago Geology_of_New_Zealand Rock_formations_in_New_Zealand