Cape Wanbrow | |
|---|---|
 Cliff adjacent to Cape Wanbrow | |
| Offshore water bodies | South Pacific Ocean |
| Age | |
| Formed by | Erosion and volcanism |
| Geology | basaltic tephra deposits, tholeiitic pillow lavas, limestone,mudstone and siltstone [1] |
| Highest elevation | 133 m (436 ft) [2] |
Cape Wanbrow is a rocky headland overlooking Oamaru Harbour, New Zealand. Although it has been a commercial forestry area for a number of decades, the cape is now primarily a Council controlled reserve, and is gradually being replanted with native trees and shrubs. [3] It has a network of walking tracks and mountain bike tracks, and is popular with the public.
Cape Wanbrow was an important lookout point during the Second World War and hosts a gun emplacement and remains of the original magazine which served the fortified gun. [4] Below the cape on its north side is a protected area which is home to a blue penguin colony, and rare yellow-eyed penguins are to the south of the cape. [5] New Zealand fur seals and occasionally elephant seals are found resting on the rocks. [6]
The geology of the rock making up the cape is complex as layered within the sedimentary rocks are no less than 6 Surtseyan volcanoes of the monogenetic Waiareka-Deborah volcanic field. [1]
