Although ventifacts look like they have been shaped by hand, the word ventifact translates as "formed by the wind". The stones are sandblasted by winds from several directions to create their pyramid shape. Only a few places in the world have the right conditions to create ventifacts, including both South Taranaki and Antarctica. This rock was collected from the Wright Valley, Antarctica and makes an interesting comparison to the other South Taranaki ventifacts in the Puke Ariki Heritage collection. Like parts of Taranaki, ventifacts in Antarctica are now protected and you cannot remove them from their natural environment.