Australia Expedition

18th of April, 2019

As owners of the oldest manufacturing rock and crystal shop in New Zealand (Hettie's Rock & Crystal shop), Andrew and Craig make regular trips to buy, and also to collect raw stock to process.

At the writing of this they are currently in Australia, and this week have been collecting fossil coral and fossil shells.

Collecting raw stock is a boots on, out in the field, job! But they still manage to take the time to appreciate  the plant-life and trees around them. (For anyone who has visited Inspirations in Akaroa, you will have seen the pots of plants outside the shop, this is all Andrew and Craig’s work!)

It is many years of experience here that guides them to what they are looking for. Most of us would not recognise anything of value!

The collection and preparation of fossils for the avid buyer (and we have some amazing collectors amongst our customers), is an important part of the business. Hettie’s, being purely rock, crystal and fossil, will always have more of a selection, but Inspirations in no way misses out on getting some of this stock in store!

When you look at the pictures of fossil shell and coral, do you recognise something of value?

It is amazing what the processing of these, the cleaning and even partial polishing transforms something that appears unattractive, to something that is spectacular!

And seriously, have you ever seen fossil snake before—personally Robyn prefers the fossil kind to the alive kind!

When you think about it … fossil snake, fossil shell, and fossil coral, all in the same area, it certainly does go to show the vast change the land has been through to allow such varied forms of life.

As well as collecting and working, they took time to appreciate the scenery, and the beautiful amphitheatre, and unique rocks.  (That's in the next blog entry!!!) And it is important that no matter how hard we work, that we always take time to rest, and to appreciate that which is around us.