South Island, New Zealand
Between Dunedin and Christchurch on the East Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, you’ll find the Moeraki Boulders. This geological oddity is accessible via a short walk form a carpark, or alternatively a ~2km (1 mile) hike along the beach from the nearby village of Moeraki.
What sets these boulders apart from mere rocks (and probably got them named in the first place) is their shape – after millions of years, the boulders have formed into near-perfect spherical shapes. There are many grouped together on the beach, with the largest up to 2 meters (6 feet) across!
For more on the science of “how” the boulders became spheres, see this site – long story short is they were formed a very long time ago underground, but exposed through erosion more recently.
The whole beach is protected, with signs around the boulders warning of severe fines if any damage is done on purpose. Nonetheless, you can still go right up and stand on the rocks.
A pretty amazing and unique sight among New Zealand’s countless natural wonders.
