Around Duntroon and Ōamaru Through Fossils, Rock Art and Wine
Around Duntroon, the remains of an ancient sea are everywhere in the limestone. At Clos Ostler, ribbed scallop shells and broken shell fragments show through the boulders of the vineyard wall. Elsewhere in the district, the rock has preserved the bones of whales, dolphins and penguins. It is extraordinary country to explore, with so much of its history still visible in the open landscape.
Duntroon and the limestone shelters
The Vanished World Centre in Duntroon brings together fossils from the district and the story of the sea in which they lived. A visit makes the discoveries outside all the more interesting. The pale cliffs and scattered outcrops begin to look different once you have seen what has been found within them.
Just west of Duntroon, Takiroa’s limestone shelter holds Māori rock art. It stands beside an ancient pathway following the Waitaki between the mountains and the coast. For Kāi Tahu Whānui, it is a place of ancestral connection and knowledge, with a history that continues into the present. Nearby Maerewhenua also preserves rock art within the limestone country.
A whale still held in the rock
At Anatini, the fossilised remains of a baleen whale lie where they were discovered. Part of the skeleton survives, including jaw bones whose size suggests an animal some five to six metres long. The surrounding farmland was once beneath the sea. Standing there, with the bones still held in the limestone, that distant world becomes surprisingly easy to imagine.
Nearby Elephant Rocks has an altogether different scale. Large, rounded limestone formations stand across the grass, weathered into shapes that make the place immediately recognisable. Anatini and Elephant Rocks are close enough to enjoy on the same outing, with time to walk and look around.
The shells around our vines
At Clos Ostler, the marine history is part of everyday life among the rows. The wall was built when the vineyard was planted, using limestone boulders with fossils embedded in them. The curved outline of a scallop, its fine ribs, and the smaller pieces of shell caught beside it are beautiful in their own right. Their abundance is one of the things that makes this place so distinctive.
Inside the wall, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris grow on the north-facing slope. Sunlight, air movement and the ground beneath the vines all matter here. Seeing the vineyard after a morning among the limestone gives those details a setting, and a tasting allows the visit to continue through the wines. The Vineyard Suites offer the chance to stay above the rows and spend longer in the valley.
Following the story to the coast
Ōamaru makes a rewarding continuation of the journey. Its Victorian Precinct was built with the pale local stone, giving the streets a character closely connected to the surrounding country. From there, the harbour and coastline bring the sea back into view.
South of Ōamaru, around Kākaunui, the coast holds further evidence of ancient marine life. At Campbells Bay, limestone formed largely from tiny marine organisms is exposed along the beach. The area also has an important place in the history of fossil penguin discoveries. The fossils and rock formations differ from site to site, which is part of the pleasure of exploring them.
There is enough here for several days, with Duntroon, the vineyard and Ōamaru each offering a different way into the region. The Geopark pages below give the background to the sites and their visitor access. For us, the detail that stays closest to home is still the scallop shell in the wall beside the vines.
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Further perspectives
Access note
On 18 October 2026, the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark still lists Maerewhenua as temporarily closed following a rockfall. The closure notice should be checked before planning a visit.
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