The place we slept on the top of Takaka hill, as well as a whole area around it is full of big strange black formations, that we found out are marble. They looked really interesting like miniature mountain peaks with valleys and grooves.







There is an interesting Maori legend behind them:

There was once a huge lizzard-like creature named Ngararahuarau that lived in the Wainui Bay (a small bay between the Golden Bay and Abel Tasman National Park). He was horrible and vicious and was devouring men and snaring women. He captured and enslaved a beautiful girl named Ruru, but she was too clever for him. She managed to lull him to sleep by using powerful Maori spells and prayers and managed to escape from his cave. The people of Wakatu (today's Nelson) helped her set a trap, luring him and setting him on fire. Ngararahuarau fled and at the top of the Takaka Hill tried frantically to dig his way home. But he was consumed by the flames. His charred scales turned to stone and were strewn around the hills. And these sales are what can be seen today.