Story: Glaciers and glaciation
During glacial periods a major glacier extended down the Taramakau River valley. This map shows the extent of the glacier during the last advance of the (Ōtira) glaciation, about 18,000–20,000 years ago. Alluvial gold was concentrated in river gravels in front of the glacier, and one of the richest areas was near Kumara. Click on the icon to see a photograph of the Kaniere gold dredge working these gravels.
Source: R. P. Suggate and T. E. Waight, Geology of the Kumara-Moana area. Geological map 24. Lower Hutt: Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences, 1999
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