A huge cache of moa bones has been discovered in farmland near Taihape in the central North Island.
The bones are up to 4,000 years old and were found by a farm worker exploring an underground river.
Taylor Ihaia Brown had been working on a fenceline when he decided to use his lunch break to explore one of several ptomo, or sink holes, in the paddock.
He climbed down, found an underground stream and began to follow it. As he walked and crawled more than 300 metres underground he stumbled on a pile of bones.
He handed a bone to his boss Rudi Lewis who immediately realised it might be from a moa.
The bones and pieces of moa egg shell are now under lock and key at Whanganui Museum.
Curator Michelle Horward says it is a fantastic find.
The bones have been identified as four different species of medium to small moa, after which the Moawhango area is still named today.
Scientists say it is the first major fossil find in the central North Island.
Latest Breakfast Video
-
te-karere-121111-fri - te-karere-121111-fri (0:22:30)
-
Marae Investigates - Series 2012, Episode 13
-
Marae Investigates - Series 2011, Episode 15 (0:29:10)
