Split Apple Rock

Split Apple Rock, known in Maori as Tokangawha, is a granite rock formation in Tasman Bay off the northern coast of New Zealand's South Island, roughly 50 meters off the coast between Kaiteriteri and Marahau, accessible by wading at low tide or by tour boat. Its granite dates from the Cretaceous period, and its distinctive appearance of an apple cleanly divided into two halves was not artificial: the split follows a naturally occurring joint, a plane of weakness in the granite, that rain and waves gradually enlarged over time. Traditional Maori accounts offer an alternative story, attributing the split to two gods breaking the rock apart. The formation's official name was established in 1988 and updated in August 2014 to include its Maori name. This entity documents Split Apple Rock specifically as a geological formation, a Cretaceous granite boulder divided along a natural joint widened by rain and wave action.