Are they for real?

Stones with names such as hoodoos, tent rocks and fairy towers have become tourist attractions in many deserts around the world. The wonderful news is that New Zealand has its own wacky rocks – and they, too, are attracting tourists.

At Omarama, in the semi-arid Mackenzie Basin, stand the pinnacles of Clay Cliffs. From a distance they look ordinary, but as you get closer, individual pointed towers emerge. (Morning is a good time to visit, when shadowing highlights the cliffs’ features.)

The pinnacles are shaped like elongated stalagmites. The sculpturing processes began millions of years ago when water and rain attacked weaknesses in gravel and silt deposits. Nature whittled away at the deposits to produce, voilà, the tapered shapes seen today.

For most of the one-kilometre walk below the cliffs, rosehips and other brambles act as a natural barrier to anyone who might want to climb the crumbling towers.

Other examples of pinnacles in the South Island include an impressive set at the Harper River near Lake Coleridge.