GEOLOGY OF NEW ZEALAND. 209 



Pareora System. 



In the Noj'th Island this system is widely distributed in the 

 north from Cape Rodney, Kawau, and Kaipara Harbour to 

 Auckland, where it forms the cliflPs round Waitemata Harbour, and 

 at Orakei Bay (Waitemata Series) ; and extends south to the 

 Waikato. Its only other occurrence on the west coast is at the 

 White Cliffs in Taranaki. On the east coast it covers a large 

 district between East Cape and Poverty Bay (Tawhiti Series) ; and 

 commencing again at jN^apier, it is largely developed all down the 

 coast to Cook's Straits (Ahuriri Series). In the centre of the island 

 it is found in the upper parts of the E,angitiki, Wanganui, and 

 Waitotara Elvers. In the South Island it is found on the west 

 coast at Nelson (the cliffs), and from Eeefton to Hokitika (Xanieri 

 Series). It is much better developed on the east coast; in the 

 Awatere valley in Marlborough (Awatere Series), between the 

 Hurinui and Waipara rivers, in the Trelissick basin, and again in 

 S. Canterbury and Otago from the Eangitata to Moeraki. A few 

 patches occur in S. Otago and in Southland, and it is extensively 

 developed on the east side of Lake Te Anau. It also occurs at the 

 Chatham Islands. 



In the South Island the upper part of the system is often formed 

 by thick beds of gravel. This is best seen near ISTelson, where, in 

 the Port Hills, gravels are distinctly interbedded with sandstone 

 containing Pareora fossils ; and these gravels, sometimes cemented 

 into conglomerates, pass inland to Lake Eotoiti, attaining, in the 

 Moutere and Wai-iti hiUs, an elevation of 2334 feet *. The same 

 may be seen in the railway-cutting on the north side of Weka Pass 

 in Canterbury. 



This system attains, in the South Island, an elevation of 3000 

 feet at Mt. Pleasant, near Lake Te Anau, and also in several 

 valleys in the centre of the i^ew-Zealand Alps. In the jN'orth 

 Island it goes to 4000 feet between jN'apier and the Mohaka Eiver. 

 The rocks, although thrown into rolling curves, are not violently 

 disturbed except locally, and especially in the neighbourhood of 

 volcanic rocks. There is a remarkable instance in the cliffs near 

 Auckland. This section is hard to understand, but it is quite 

 clear. The Pareora System has been shown by myself t and by lEr. 

 Cox X, to lie quite unconformably on the Oamaru System in the 

 Auckland Province (fig. 4, h and g). In the East-Cape district, 

 Dr. Hector and Mr. M'^Kay show it unconformable to the Turan- 

 ganui Series §. In N. Canterbury no unconformity has been made 

 out. In S. Canterbury Dr. von Haast reports unconformity between 

 the two II, and in Otago the unconformity is usually well 

 marked %. 



* Eeports of Geological Survey, 1873-74, p. 49. 



t Trans. N. Z. Inst. iii. p. 244. | Eep. Geol. Surv. 1879-80, p. 17. 



§ Rep. Geol. Surr. 1873-74, sections. 



II Geology of Canterbury and Westland, p. 318. 



*[\ Geology of Otago, p. 58. 



