Overview
Fri. Feb. 6.
Left house at 8:35 am with ½ pl[ate] camera + walked thro’[ugh] Plimmerton + along beach in direction of Paremata. Photo (31) ½ pl. of honeycomb weathering of shore rock (greywacke) at north end of lowlying sandy area. South of these rocks, the old cliffed sea-margin recedes from the present shore-line which has a sandy beach at high tide and a shingly one at low. Between the old cliffed shore + the present beach there is an extensive stretch of low ground reclaimed from the sea by the [illegible]-gradation of the shore-line resulting from a super-abundant supply of waste principally shingle + gravel. Over the northern + eastern parts of the low lying area there is an accumulation of blown sand
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– a well-defined rather high foredune lies just inside the beach + inside this again low dune ridges parallel for the most part with the prevailing NW wind + making an angle with the coast-line with the result that ½ way down the low-lying area they leave the (its) western shore + strike inland; on the south-west part of the lowlying area the blown sand is thus practically absent. Measured a section from the beach across the dunes to the top of the old sea-cliff. Well inland + situated alongside the railway, heavy shingle, well sea-worn + undoubtedly an old storm beach crops up from beneath the dunes. An extensive gravel-pit to supply the railway with "ballast" has been opened up + a good section of the shingle beds has been exposed. The shingle is current-bedded, the layers dipping SSW [south southwest] at angles of from 3° to 4°. Opposite the small gully in the old sea-cliff the succession is as follows: – On top, fine gravel, brown in colour and cemented; Coarse shingle + boulders, blue colour; medium shingle + gravel, blue. The whole is capped by a layer of brown sand. Made a panoramic sketch of the old sea-cliffs, dunes + gravel beds. This old storm beach is no doubt similar in form + origin to the barrier beach or shingle spit which was thrown across the mouth of Tapu Creek valley; in both cases the material was derived from the
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north + was drifted down the coast by the prevailing NW [north-west] wind. At the foot of the old sea-cliff there is a small projecting spur with a perfectly flat top – about 50f[ee]t. above high tide level – may have some significance. Returned to beach + proceeded southwards. At the south end of the sandy bay and at the spot where the sand dunes run inland, there is a rounded cape + the sandy beach is replaced by one of rather heavy sea-worn shingle. The shingle beach is a typical barrier-beach + inside it there are three other barrier beaches of identical form but standing at successively higher levels, the innermost being the highest @[?] 11 ft. above high tide. The two lower beaches are bare shingle, the others grassy. Measured a section across these beaches + the shingle + sand flats inside, up the old sea-cliff which is partly covered with blown sand. The shingle flat inside the beaches is covered with a veneer of blown sand which thickens out in places to small dunes. East of the rly. the dunes are larger. Returned to beach – the shingle continues to the point where the shore bends east; + except for one small section the rest of the beach, past the rly. bridge + up to the vicinity of Walker trig. st[atio]n, is sandy. Visited the ruined fort used by the British against the natives in the Maori Wars – it is built of beach boulders, the angles[?] of brick + the walls are 2½ ft. thick. Returned home
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via outward route. Plimmerton full of holiday makers – a big school picnic from Palmerston North – photo (32) ½ pl Tapu beach from old native burial place – After dinner Maud + I walked to Tapu Beach to see the crowd + very comical some of the trippers were – photo (33) ¼ pl. snapshot of children racing on beach. – returned to house laden with stores. Then Maud, Gertie, Nancy + I went for a bathe in the usual place leaving Clyde to crawl about beach. Photos (34)¼ Maud, Gertie + Nancy in water, Gertie with water-wings (35)+(36) ¼ pl[ate]s. my party + other people bathing. Spent rest of pm shrimping + took it easy after tea in hammock. Another lovely moonlit evening.