Yes – Kiwi’s Have Cowboy Country!

New Zealand is renowned for being a country that, geographically, contains a little bit of each part of the world. Our alps are as spectacular as any in Europe. Our lakes rival those in Italy and Switzerland. Central Otago’s desert landscapes are as remarkable as those in South America, and our geothermal wonderland wouldn’t be out of place in Iceland. But did you know New Zealand also boasts its very own Wild West cowboy Badlands!

The ‘Badlands’ we are most familiar with are located in South Dakota, and the reason we know about them is they are inextricably linked to cowboy culture. Today, the South Dakota Badland National Park is almost one million hectares of eroded pinnacles, crags, and spires. It also features grassland, and it was this grazing potential that attracted early European ranchers. The complexity of the landscape also made it a favourite hiding place for Wild West outlaws, and a scene for ambushes by settlers and local American Indians.

There are several places in New Zealand which have the appearance of Badlands (the most obvious can be found in Central Otago, and are the result of a high-powered sluicing technique used by early gold mining). However, our true, natural Badlands, can be found at Clay Cliffs in Omarama.

Clay Cliffs is the most astonishing Badlands collection of soaring, razor-sharp pinnacles, stone encrusted buttresses, and dramatically eroded cliffs. The features are separated by ravines so narrow (some are less than 2 metres wide) visitors almost need to sidle in order to fit between them. When walking on the easy track which runs along the front of the cliffs, it’s possible to feel as though you’re in the middle of a Wild West movie set. How this remarkable region was formed is as fascinating as the site itself.

Millions of years ago, a local lake left behind the easily eroded materials of claystone and sandstone. An ancient river system left behind silt and stones. The local Ostler Fault line went to work over millions of years, jostling all this material about until it was no longer lying flat, but warped this way and that. Over millions of years, floods, rain, and wind have worked their magic on all this material, carving and eroding it into the strange badlands features visible to day.

The Clay Cliffs aren’t difficult to find. They are just 10km west of Omarama, and are clearly sign posted off Highway 8. The last few kilometres of access is over unsealed road. Be sure to take $5 cash with you to pop into the honesty box as you go through the farm gate and onto private road (roads are costly to maintain so don’t begrudge this small contribution to the landowner).

Once you’re at the Clay Cliffs, there’s lots of potential for fun, as well as sight seeing. Whether or not you’re travelling with the grandies, it pays to pack a few cowboy hats and some toyshop guns. Pose beside pinnacles, hide in ravines, and snap away with your phone camera to record images that will look great in your holiday album or on home-made greetings cards. Cameras also have video capacity, so if you want to get creative, shoot a few scenes and edit them once you get home – the family will love it!

Top tips for a Clay Cliffs visit

•      Go early in the morning and watch the sun rise over the cliffs. It will light up the strange geographical features, and send eerie shadows across the landscape.

•      In summer, visit early morning or evening to avoid the heat of the day (there is not much in the way of shelter at the site). And take a sun hat!

•      Pack a picnic – there are no cafes on-site

•      Be sure to check if the site is open (it can experience temporary closures due to weather and road conditions).