Photo: Elephant Rocks Waitaki Valley NZ

Unusual limestone formations are known as elephant rocks in the Waitaki Valley in North Otago on the South Island of NZ.

Walking through the Waitaki Valley in NZ you will come across many limestone formations in a natural, grassy amphitheater which are called elephant rocks. These huge boulders cover the landscape of the Waitaki Valley of NZ and are some of the strangest shapes of rocks that you will ever come across.The Elephant Rocks of Waitaki Valley in NZ started out as limey sand on the sea floor probably 24 million years ago. The sand was buried and gradually turned into rock, but probably within the last million years the limestone was uplifted and the water and the wind weathered the limestone into the shapes that the elephant rocks are today. If you use your imagination while visiting the Waitaki Valley in NZ, some of the surfaces of the elephant rocks strangely remind you of elephants. Two of the geographical formation features in the Waitaki Valley of NZ are the "Earthquakes" and the "Elephant Rocks" and both are on private land. ... continue below the picture...

... When touring through the elephant rocks show extreme courtesy and respect to the people who own the land."The Chronicles of Narnia" movie was filmed in this area if you find this picture of the elephant rocks to be familiar looking. You may still come across some film props left standing around the area, slowly crumbling away.Elephant Rocks, Waitaki Valley, North Otago, South Island, New Zealand