Karekare Beach, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

West Auckland is hemmed by stretching beaches of black ironsand, garnished with the green of local ferns and the distinctive orange of the pōhutukawa flower. At Karekare, cliffs loom above, staring down at the tiny particles of sand they’ll one day become.

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GEOLOGICAL PROFILE: A black ironsand beach on Auckland’s west coast, beneath steep cliffs formed from the eroded remains of the ancient Waitākere Volcano.

DATA SET USED: 1m Digital Elevation Models (LINZ Auckland LiDAR datasets)