A geologist's paradise

Rising from smooth, shiny sands, the Glasshouse Rocks stand just a stone's throw from the town of Narooma, Australia. These sea stacks are a small remnant of tectonic plate movements that happened almost 500 million years ago, and they aren't the only ultra-ancient attractions here on Surf Beach. Pillowy stone beds also line the shore, evidence of volcanic flows flash-frozen in their tracks by the waves. Another remarkable formation (nicknamed Kangaroo Rock for its profile resembling the animal) bears distinctive chevron folds: zigzagging sediment layers buckled by incredible tectonic pressure.