Ōmarama Clay Cliffs are breathtakingly beautiful! It feels like you’re in a Western movie setting, and you expect to see cowboys and Indigenous people appearing at any moment. The tall peaks and narrow ravines create a distinctive and stunning landscape that pictures cannot capture.
Witnessing it in person is an incredible experience and something that everyone should do at least once.
The Ōmarama Clay Cliffs Park
Ao Entering The Park
The Clay Cliffs are situated on private property, and to gain entry, visitors are required to pay a fee of NZD$5 per car or NZD$20 per bus. A donation box is available near the gate, where visitors can deposit the fee in cash. The collected funds are utilized for road maintenance, and it is highly recommended that you pay the fee to witness such a stunning location.
The Walk To The Cliffs
When you get to the parking lot, you can stroll on the wide, flat path that gives you an incredible view of Ōmarama town and the valley. The path runs about 500 meters each way and takes you along the outer edge of the Ōmarama clay cliffs.
The view is out of this world – you get to see the jagged cliff walls that remind me of some geological formations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or the Vermillion Cliffs in Arizona and Utah. Though they are all unique in their own way, they all have this one thing in common. We were lucky enough to visit in December and see the colorful lupins in full bloom, which made the scenery even more stunning.
What caused these cliffs?
The Ōmarama Clay Cliffs are a super cool geological wonder made up of layers of gravel and silt. The flow from ancient glaciers formed these layers over a million years ago. Then, an active fault uplifted and tilted them, making them look super dramatic. The erosion and weathering processes happen when natural events, like wind or rain, break up pieces of rock. It’s nature at its best!
Is Omarama worth a visit?
A visit to the Omarama Clay Cliffs is an excellent place to make quick stops on road trips to stretch your legs and see some unique views. Yes, it is definitely well worth the short detour to visit them.
I was surprised they are not more publicized; I hadn’t heard of them before, but when my husband and I visited, many people were there!