Orokonui Ecosanctuary/Geology

=GEOLOGY=
 * 1) 170 million years ago was part of Gondwana the sedimentary rock was heated (350 degrees) and compressed and became metamorphic rock = schist
 * 2) *All of the Silverpeaks have a flattish top of schist with younger basalt on top
 * 3) Aotearoa separates from Gondwana 60-85 Million years ago
 * 4) 65 million years ago a comet hit earth and made the dinosaurs extinct
 * 5) *First marine sediments (sandstone, mudstone and limestone) appear on top of the schist
 * 6) **The sea came in from east of coast and zealandia separated off
 * 7) 14 million years ago there was a volcanic period with hundreds of vents all around Dunedin and thousands of eruptions = basalt (the whole sea floor is made of basalt)
 * 8) *The points that we see, eg Double Hill, Mopanui and Mihiwaka, are the roots of the volcanoes that haven’t yet eroded
 * 9) *The rocks under Orokonui are from lava flows of phonolite
 * 10) *Volcanic rocks often have sediments in them which have fossils
 * 11) *Fossils show that in this period the flora was much lusher than now
 * 12) 2 million years ago was an ice age with 9-10 advances during that time and interglacials in between which were even warmer than now
 * 13) *Glaciers never reached coastal Otago but very cold long winters with lots of freezing and thawing
 * 14) *The habitat was similar to sub-alpine
 * 15) **15,000 years ago was the last ice age

Kōkōwai - Red ochre

 * Maori mixed kōkōwai with fish oil.
 * The predominant colouring agent and was used to paint large waka taua (war canoe)
 * Ochre prevented the drying out of the wood in canoes and the carvings of meeting houses
 * Estimated to last for 30 years
 * Roughly smeared over the face, especially by women, to keep off insects
 * Solid chunks of ochre were ground on a flat but rough surfaced rock to produce the powder
 * Specialist people within a hapū would be in charge of preparing the tūpāpaku (dead body)
 * They would smear the body with kōkōwai and oil, then sit it up with the knees tucked under the chin and the arms wrapped tightly around the legs
 * The crouched body was wrapped in whāriki (mats), cloaks and other finery