Lion Rock (Piha)

Lion Rock is an eroded volcanic neck, about 16 million years old, that divides North and South Piha beaches on the west coast of Auckland, New Zealand. Seen from the shore side, its worn profile resembles a lying male lion, which gives the rock its name, and the landmark has become a symbol of Piha and of the wider Auckland west coast, appearing on postage stamps and in local publications. The rock was also the site of the Maori fortified village of Whakaari, whose platforms, midden and terraces are still traceable despite erosion, and it carries a 1919 memorial to local sawmillers who served in the First World War.