Dunedin
Map No 144, J44, Land information 50,000 series
LONG BEACH, some 14k north of DUNEDIN. (Directly north of Port Chalmers
The car park area behind the sand dunes is the site of visible ramparts of a 45m x 40m
Barrack block. (45d, 45`,16S – 170d, 38`, 51E). Whilst the grassed area was generally parched, three pools of water were noted. MAS indicated that the water was emanating from three aqueducts, one a metre wide, supplying the walled barrack block area. The other two, each 6m wide (the actual duct is c0.75m) supplied a 10m x 10m area. This had originally housed a double wheel ore crusher. A paved road was followed with the aid of MAS; this lead to the rock face of a quarry to the west end of the bay, which appeared to be the source of their ore. Above is the site of a Maori Pa, Puakauni.
The quarry appeared to have been exploited for magnetite iron ore. Samples of rock examined also revealed odd specks of what appear to be gold. These are being submitted to a UK geologist for examination. Adjacent to the rock-face a series of smelter ramps were noted. The site of the crusher adjacent to the barrack blocks, instead of by the smelters, was odd: unless the creek, which had been navigated, and alongside the camp, was also being used to transport ore to the site, in which case one crusher served both sites. There was certainly evidence of a road connecting the camp to the creek. It was interesting to note that the only difference between the Chinese and Roman linear navigation islands was the Chinese use of four gates, in their byepass lock, (45d, 45`,22S, – 170d,38` 49E) each enclosing a lock 6m x 2m. This indicates that they had used a 5m x 1.5m punt type boat to navigate the creek. Roman navigation islands tended to operate on the flash lock principle, using only one lock, with the upstream boat being hauled through the open gate. On the beach to the seaward side of the barrack blocks MAS indicated the outline of a standard 47m x 11m Junk, within it’s own stone-walled harbour, with an 11.5m channel to the sea, indicating that the site had been trading. (45d, 45`, 16S, – 170d, 38`, 51E)
COMMENT
Whilst a modern geologist may consider small iron (and possibly gold) deposits such as found in this and similar areas as not commercially viable, or even worth recording on a modern geological map, in ancient days if the only iron you can locate was in small pockets, you exploited it, (bearing in mind that the usage was also smaller than in modern times.) Fortunes have been made by individuals (Fossickers) panning for gold.
