The Moeraki Boulders are one of the features of the now UNESCO-accredited Waitaki Whitestone Geopark. Photo: 123RF
Waitaki Whitestone Geopark has become New Zealand's first and Australasia's only UNESCO accredited Global Geopark.
The North Otago geopark is now one of just 195 with the designation.
UNESCO's executive board endorsed the nomination yesterday after years of work by locals to see the park recognised.
Waitaki Whitestone Geopark Trust chair Helen Jansen said it was well-deserved recognition.
"We have always believed that this is a very special area, telling the story of the eighth continent. Despite interruptions we kept the dream alive and kept working at it and were prepared to be adaptable," she said.
"It is the collective wisdom of many contributors over the years that has brought the Waitaki and New Zealand to this exciting and historic moment. We are making a significant contribution to the global understanding of the land and its cultures."
Waitaki Whitestone UNESCO Global Geopark covers an area of 7200 square kilometres and is home to many diverse geological features, including limestone cliffs, glacial valleys, and ancient marine fossils.
The trust initially submitted its application to UNESCO in November 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic led to a two-year wait until last year when an evaluation mission took place and the park was nominated for UNESCO status alongside 17 others.
The designation would be a boon for the area, the trust said, with tourism set to increase.
"This has been a long time coming - some would say it's been 25 million years," Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher said.
"But thanks to the work of many volunteers, we have succeeded in becoming New Zealand's first UNESCO Global Geopark.
"The opportunities this creates for us now need to be built on, to make Waitaki the best Global Geopark in the Southern Hemisphere, sharing our stories with the world."
Mana whenua partnership was key to the success of the application.
Te Rūnanga o Moeraki Upoko David Higgins said the geopark was a way of telling the story of the people of the land.
"We welcome the announcement and support from UNESCO Global Geoparks in the recognition of our ancestral landscape and cultural sites and their significance to Kāi Tahu whānui. We see this as a positive step forward to support our aspirations to protect these sites for visitors and future generations to enjoy."
A celebration is being planned for October.
