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I decided to remove the tiles in my front courtyard and turn it into a garden of succulents. After removing a couple of rows of tiles then digging into the soil, I started seeing a strange thick white clay like substance like melted marshmallows. I figured it was obviously clay. But the deeper I dug, I started to see lots of very vivid colours: very dark red, almost purple, yellows, oranges greys, pinks, blood reds + some dark green. I know sandstones have all sorts of colours due to its make-up of quartz etc - but this was very different.

I started to think there was some sort of large animal buried there as that's what it looked like especially with all the reds and pinks and the white substance which there was loads of.

I kept seeing long stringy "fibres" thinking it was from a tarpaulin or plastic bag. BUT.. no. then I thought it was very fine roots from old plants. NO. there also appears to be 100s if not 1000s of tiny microscopic "white worm" things.

What could do this to sandstones or any rock? Turning big sandstones into a very thick stretchy heavy substance which is almost impossible to get off your shovel or gloves or any tool? And there's an enormous amount of this.

There's also a large number of tiny black things embedded into the gooey sandstone.

I am very concerned about what's happening. I bought my place in June 2019. Moved in December 2019. So been here just on a year.

I live very close to the city of Sydney. I don't think its the Rock Eating Worm/Shipworm- but I don't know.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank You

Miss Fifi Jones

***Shame you can't add a video. that shows it all best.

Sandstone now marshmallow diff colours white soft + gooey:

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    $\begingroup$ what makes you think that is sandstone, nothing in that image looks like sandstone. $\endgroup$
    – John
    Dec 16, 2020 at 20:10
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    $\begingroup$ John.. Thanks for your comment. I know it doesn't look like sandstone now. But it was sandstone. thats what it looks like now due to whatever it is turning it into what looks more lime a "trifle" - a type of dessert. Ive pulled out sandstone rocks that are 1/2 sandstone and half what was sandstone. I attached more fotos, but they didn't appear fr some reason. $\endgroup$
    – Fifi
    Dec 16, 2020 at 22:40
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    $\begingroup$ Is there a way to add more photos? If so. please advise and I will. Thank You $\endgroup$
    – Fifi
    Dec 16, 2020 at 22:43
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    $\begingroup$ To add pictures, select a place in your text, i.e. end, and then press the small picture icon at the top, which will bring up an upload dialogue. I can't see very much from that picture. no worms or colors or stringy gooey things. i can just see small non-specific darker zone. $\endgroup$
    – bandybabboon
    Dec 17, 2020 at 1:55
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    $\begingroup$ Thank you Aliential + Jeopardy Tempest for your help. I greatly appreciate it as a Newbie. will see how I go. $\endgroup$
    – Fifi
    Dec 18, 2020 at 6:14

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