Interesting facts about the Moeraki Boulders

• There are over 50 boulders on the beach. The biggest weigh 7 tons and are 2-3 metres wide.
• It took about 4 million years for the Moeraki Boulders to form their current size.
• Maori call them “eel pots”. Some locals call them “hooligans gallstones”. Other names that have been bestowed upon the boulders include “giant gobstoppers”, “alien’s brains”, “the bowling balls of giants” and the “Stonehenge of New Zealand”!
• There were many more boulders on the beach back in the 19th century, based on old photos. People took the smaller boulders to use as garden ornaments, or simply as souveniors.
• There is one very large Moeraki Boulder at Otago Museum – it was taken there by truck.
• The Moeraki Boulders have legal protection and it is prohibited to damage, graffiti or remove them.