Parking for caravans and motor-homes was in short supply when we stopped to view the Punakaiki “Pancake” Rocks. Luckily we just managed to squeeze into a parking space right at the edge of the car park long enough to accommodate our rig. However, things didn’t go too for another driver who came barrelling in to the car park towing his large caravan behind him. Ooops, no parking spaces left, and hardly any room to manoeuvre – he got stuck fast while trying to turn the corner. The only way out of this predicament was to unhitch the caravan and carefully guide it past the parked cars. Once rehitched, he then carefully edged past all the other cars, and away from the owner of the car he scraped, and all the onlookers who were wondering why he was trying to park in such a small area in the first place.
Once all that drama was over, we joined the crowds across the road looking at the Pancake Rocks.
The outcrops on the Punakaiki Coast is made up of stratified (layered) limestone formed 30 millions years ago, made up of the remains of shellfish, was formed on the seabed, layer by layer. These layers gradually compressed and petrified into rock over time, before being uplifted from the sea. Over time, sea action has eroded the softer layers, giving the Pancake Rocks their distinctive appearance.
We followed the well formed path as it took us through dense bush, to arrive at one lookout after another along the path.
The sea boomed as it rushed through the rocks and has hollowed out holes and caves through the action of the sea. High tide is the best time to see the blowholes at their best, but that was hours away. We remembered some of the bigger “surge pools” from our last visit here many years ago.
Most of the pathway is very easy walking but there are a few areas of steep steps.
The Punakaiti Pancake Rocks are one of the West Coast’s most popular attractions, and it is easy to see why. The Interesting rock formations, the noise and spray of the sea, birdlife close by, this wild and wonderful place has been magnificently sculptured by nature.
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