Omarama clay cliffs are a natural rock formation; a type of badlands located 10km west of Omarama, Waitaki in South Canterbury. It’s a spectacular sight to behold. Very otherworldly.
This geological wonder is just over one hour drive from Aoraki/Mt Cook national park, three hours’ drive from Queenstown (from its south) and four hours away from Christchurch (from its North). It is also close to Twizel and Lake Tekapo.
The clay cliffs are similar to the Putangirua pinnacles, which are also hoodoos formed as a result badlands erosion. The latter is found in North Island, near the outlet of Putangirua stream.
According to Wikipedia, the cliffs are made up of layers of silt and gravel that were formed during glacial erosion around two million years ago, and are part of the Hawkdun Group of sediments.
I dunno how they come up with these numbers but that’s not the topic for this post.
After exploring Aoraki/Cook National Park, during my Easter trip – where we spent the night at the Aoraki Alpine Lodge, my travel buddies and I set out the next day to Omarama Clay Cliffs.
As normal with NZ road trips, the view didn’t disappoint.
You turn off on SH8 to Quailburn Rd, then turn to Henburn Rd. The road changes from sealed to gravel (untarred) as you drive to the clay cliffs.
Omarama clay cliffs are on private land and there’s a donation box (honesty box) at the gate where you put your vehicle admission fee ($5 for cars and $20 for buses, cash only). It’s a 5-min drive to the car park. The walking takes between 10-15 min, one way from the car park. That’s about 30 min in total (excluding viewing and photo sessions).
