Mystery object pillaged in 'bizarre gold rush'

'... everyone in the office is pretty much grossed out by it'

ROBERT KITCHIN/The Dominion Post

GROSS: A variety of theories have been advanced for what a mysterious white lump that washed up on Wellington's south coast might be. A Wellington City Council spokesman said the material was 'disgusting'.

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Wellington City Council staff were not required to remove a large, unidentified lump of greasy substance from a south coast beach today - locals did it for them.

The lump apparently washed up at Breaker Bay during the weekend and once word got out that it could be valuable ambergris - an excretion from whales that is used to make perfume - locals started pillaging it.

Ambergris can sell for thousands of dollars per kilogram and Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said it was like "some sort of bizarre gold rush" on the beach today.

"We went out there this morning and there were people sort of lunging at it with spades and sharp implements trying to chop pieces off so they could make off with it and make their fortunes," he said.

"Whether people are now going to try and pass it off on TradeMe as highly valuable ambergris remains to be seen."

However, the lump was cylinder shaped as if it had been manufactured and the general consensus was that it was in fact lard or cooking fat.

Initial suggestions were that it might be a huge lump of cheese which had fallen off a boat, but either way, Mr MacLean said it was foul.

"It's disgusting. I've got a piece of it beside my desk and everyone in the office is pretty much grossed out by it."

He said there was probably no need to get it tested unless issues arose around people attempting to sell it.

The lump was originally about the size of a 44-gallon drum and estimated to weigh hundreds of kilograms.

- NZPA

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Joe   #4   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Ambergris?..........I threw up on Saturday night but no-one raced around to grab a sample.

Karl Webber   #3   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

We spotted and inspected three more of these floating and beached at Kapiti on Saturday, took a bit to test, apparently ambergris burns with a blue flame, it melted like lard and stunk like ransid fat / tallow.

Fiona   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

'The simplest way to confirm its identity is to heat a wire or needle in a flame and thrust it into the sample to a depth of about a centimetre; if the substance is really ambergris it will instantly melt into an opaque fluid the colour of dark chocolate. When the needle is withdrawn the ambergris will leave a tacky residue on it.'

peter murphy   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

There is a very similar object, about the size and shape of a 44 gallon drum, under the cliffs on the beach at Patea. It has been there for a few weeks and moves around with the tide.

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