The main dune system has created a rich deposit of fossils and here the remains of the now extinct coastal moa have been found.
Over the years Ocean Beach has regularly thrown up the secrets of the past from its shifting sands.
A series of depressions behind the main dune system has created a rich deposit of fossils. Here the remains of the now extinct coastal moa have been found. In addition, fossils of tuatara lizards, bats and Huia have been found indicating that this was once a forested area.
The dune systme is the largest of its type on the East Coast of the North Island. The build up of sand is delivered from sources to the south and offshore by a northerly longshore drift driven by a persistent southerly swell.