A rugged and wild coastline next to a lovely beach provides the setting for a Petrified Forest, a Living forest, and a chance to see some amazing wildlife.

Curio Bay is of international significance for its Petrified Forest dating back to the Jurassic period. The tree fossils you see here, similar to Kauri and Matai, are approximately 170 million years old. The forest was alive when New Zealand was part of Gondwanaland.

Curio Bay’s Petrified Forest is best viewed at low tide from the viewing platform. Please do not damage or remove any fossils and to protect the wildlife, no dogs are permitted in the area. You can also walk through the Living Forest walkway and see how the Petrified Forest may have looked millions of years ago. This is a special occurrence in the world to see a fossil forest so close to its living counterpart.

You may also see protected Yellow-eyed Penguins at Curio Bay in the late afternoon as they come ashore after a day at sea. Please be sure to read the Department of Conservation information on these protected birds.

From Curio Bay, you could take a short walk to Porpoise Bay a beautiful beach for walking, and swimming, and where you may see the endangered Hector’s dolphins playing in the surf during the summer months.

The recently opened Curio Scape has a café and interactive museum.

Walk from the car park to Petrified Forest – 5 minutes.

Living Forest Walkway - 15 minutes return.