One Super Fun Echinoid Hunt In New Zealand! Woooohooooo!

[RJB]

Ok, On our 4th day in new zealand we had actually rented a car and drove to the west side of the south island to a place called Rapahoey. It took about 4 and 1/2 hours, but it was one heck of a scenic tour with one hell of a snow storm over the pass!!! Absolutly BEAUTIFUL!!! When I was checkin out this guys fossil collection I had noticed some rather nice echy's sittin on a shelf and asked about them. Thats why we rented the car and took off for the other side of the island. My eldest son and I were not sure how to find them, but once we got there and walked the mile or so to get to the limestone cliffs it didnt take long. The hardest part was gettng them out of the limestone. Some blocks of limestone were smaller than a basketball and some were as big as a small house!! But a few times we had to sit back and look at the turqoius ocean and think how we are finding super cool fossils in New Zealand!!! Wow!!! We had sooooooooooo much fun on that day that we had to come back the next day and get another packfull! YeeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaaa!!! We also had a bunch of fun at the local motel and pub there too. First time Ive ever ordered beer by the pint. I think we may have put down quite a few pints? Burp! Ha! Here are some photos. All these still need some prep.

Oh, these things are known as Corystus dysasteroides, come from a place called point elisabeth and are Oligocene in age.

RB

Also, the one in the last photo is very very large and we did get it out in one piece which really make my entire day on that day, WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

[tracer]

ok, i'm giving you points for this one. pints and echies in new zealand is fairly progressive.

[RJB]

ok, i'm giving you points for this one. pints and echies in new zealand is fairly progressive.

You one funny dude tracer. But hey, I did forget one photo. If anyone can tell me how to go about prepping these things, that would be great. Im hopeing to bypass all the experimentation. Im guessing either some sort of media with my air abrasive or maybe some kind of weak acid? I do have several I can experiment with if need be. Here is a photo of one that is covered in a thin sheeth of limestone.

RB

[Guest Nicholas]

Glad you had fun firstly, I wish I were there.

[Gatorman]

Super nice! Glad you enjoyed your many pints i know i would have

[Auspex]

Lucky Bugger!

I'll bet the pub was even serving Dos Echies.

[tracer]

if there's anything worse than always having to listen to a cat snore, it's listening to a cat snore whilst reading a vile pun. that is, however, a good one to remember for when you have a fossilers' get together. print out some wrappers with a couple of urchins on each one to wrap the beer in. but if they don't have sam adams, try negra modelo.

ok, now, on to prepping. acid, you say? and my reply would be, yipes. i think you should trying candling them like they were eggs. or maybe freeze and thaw them until they split along party lines. sorry, election-year thinking. umm, put them in front of the tv with one of those jewelry channel shows on non-stop until they just give in and crack. ok, ok, i've got it. get your air scribe, paint a grid on the nodule, and just jackhammer a bit at random in each sector like you were playing minesweeper or battleship. just don't accidentally cut the green wire. remember, a hundred years from now, it won't matter. why'd you have to go halfway around the world to find these darn easter eggs and put all this pressure on us for anyway, huh?! sheesh, did you ever see that picture of an EOD tech in full blastsuit trying to disarm something and some lame-o is behind him getting ready to pop a paper bag? it's like that. i gotta go find that picture. it has to be on the net somewhere...

[tracer]

boom

[mommabetts]

Great finds and good pictures.........

[tracer]

i've actually decided i like crab nodules. wonder where all they're found, and how many different species of crabs have been found in them?

[bone digger]

Great pics RB, sure looks beautiful, and warm too you lucky bugger! Never prepped fossils with acid so I cant really help ya there, maybe try it on one you don't like or just on a little spotof one, good luck.

[MB]

Ok, On our 4th day in new zealand we had actually rented a car and drove to the west side of the south island to a place called Rapahoey. It took about 4 and 1/2 hours, but it was one heck of a scenic tour with one hell of a snow storm over the pass!!! Absolutly BEAUTIFUL!!! When I was checkin out this guys fossil collection I had noticed some rather nice echy's sittin on a shelf and asked about them. Thats why we rented the car and took off for the other side of the island. My eldest son and I were not sure how to find them, but once we got there and walked the mile or so to get to the limestone cliffs it didnt take long. The hardest part was gettng them out of the limestone. Some blocks of limestone were smaller than a basketball and some were as big as a small house!! But a few times we had to sit back and look at the turqoius ocean and think how we are finding super cool fossils in New Zealand!!! Wow!!! We had sooooooooooo much fun on that day that we had to come back the next day and get another packfull! YeeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaaa!!! We also had a bunch of fun at the local motel and pub there too. First time Ive ever ordered beer by the pint. I think we may have put down quite a few pints? Burp! Ha! Here are some photos. All these still need some prep.

Oh, these things are known as Corystus dysasteroides, come from a place called point elisabeth and are Oligocene in age.

RB

Also, the one in the last photo is very very large and we did get it out in one piece which really make my entire day on that day, WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Hey RB, those ones echinoides are interesting, show pictures when preppeds, please

[kauffy]

STOP IT! im very envious Ron! i gotta get down there some time! that place looks wicked....

Your prepping problem..... i dont know, try abrasive... seems like they are harder than the surrounding rock by the way they are weathering out.

Thanks for posting!

[RJB]

Well, its Christmas day and I actually did a small bit of prepping today. At least until my toes got soooo cold I had to quit!!! Plus I have plenty to do inside geting xmas dinner prepped and ready. But here are some photos of one of those Echiniods from NZ. My eldest son found ths one, but it broke off from the rock leaving the bottom of the echinoid on the rock. I figured I could take it home and glue it back together and at least have one specimen thats sittin in situ. I think its purty cool, but the best part was my son being there. Im going ot have to give it back to him once he gets his own place. Ive done all the airabrasive work that this will take. Now ive got to figure out how to clean the rest of it? Also, a picture of what I get to look at when I glance out my garage. WoooooHoooooooo!!!! Just one of the many reasons I dont mind being broke.

RB