Boulder Bank explanation

The Nelson Boulder Bank


The Nelson Boulder Bank is one of only two of its kind in the world. It is located in Nelson New Zealand in the top of the South Island. It measures 13 Kilometres in length and stretches into Tasman Bay.

A bank like this is formed when cliffs and mountains are eroded by either environmental or elemental forces, such as extreme weather like wind and rain or even wild goats. The rocks that fall down then create the material needed to form the bank.

The prevailing waves and wind carry the rocks down the beach. Over a long period of time a build up of this material creates the bank, this process is known as long shore drift.

This is a very rare event of nature that needs all the right elements at all the right times to create this wonderful natural structure.

By Sacha