This handy reference guide will help you recognize and make sense of common (and some rare) rocks and minerals found on beaches and hillsides, in streams and elsewhere around the country.

This is the first field guide written for the general public and beginners in geology in New Zealand. Now fully revised and updated, it shows travellers in New Zealand something of the tremendous variety of our rocks, minerals and fossils and describes what to look for in many areas where rock formations are prominent. It covers the history of New Zealand from its beginnings on the sea floor some 600 million years ago to its present patchwork landscape of volcano, range and plain. This land was formed from many different layers of rock - volcanic flows, forest debris, ocean mud. All these have special characteristics, which are explained and illustrated to enable readers to find the layers and understand their origins and what they can tell us about the landscapes of the past. The crystals that grew in the rocks and the remains of living creatures that were preserved are also illustrated and described. Written in simplified terms, it includes an introductory chapter on general geology, A geological time chart and quick reference maps of the North Island and the South Island for travellers.

In this book, the natural history of New Zealand's North Island, from Lake Taupo up, is described, including geology, soils, climate, flora and fauna. Chapters on different habitats are included, including forests, shrublands, wetlands and the coast.

This book is a guide for those people who want to go out and collect New Zealand minerals. It will help you identify a lot of the minerals, which identification tests are the most useful, where to look for certain minerals, which minerals are common and which ones you are unlikely to find as good specimens. You will also learn about fluorescent minerals, gold, cleaning up and preserving specimens, carving and how to cut and polish some types of minerals. There is also a chapter on the history of the company that first started off the majority of rock and mineral clubs in New Zealand in the 1960s.