Parapara Spit is composed of three belts of dune sand, each exhibiting a different stage of soil profile development, which overlie fluvio-glacial outwash gravels. The oldest sand (Division 1), upon which soil formation began about 700 years ago, predates Maori occupation of the spit, and possibly began accumulating less than 1800 years ago. Further sand (Division 2), on which a soil began to form about 300 years ago, started to accumulate about 400 years ago, and overlies archaeological remains. These remains include a garden soil, with which a shell midden containing abundant bone is possibly contemporary. The most recent sand (Division 3), a continuing accumulation which began about 150 years ago, overlies the earlier soil (2) in which are shell middens containing little or no bone.