Punakaiki “Pancake Rocks”

Total Miles Traveled: 59,733

The drive up to Punakaiki was a bit ho-hum until we got close to it and started driving along the coastline.

And when you reach Punakaiki, you see scenes reminiscent of the California coastline (and LOST — doesn’t the rock below remind you of the four-toed statue?).

I liked this photo because of the sheer size of the cliffs compared to the little boy playing on the beach.

So, the big attraction in Punakaiki are the blowholes and “pancake” rocks.

Here are the rocks again.  They’re limestone eroded by years of rain, wind, and surf, so that they look like stacks of pancakes.  Quite an unusual sight and a neat stop if you are passing through.  It’s only a 20 minute walk from the road.

Along the way, you’ll see little flightless birds like this one.   We thought it might be a kiwi at first, but were then told that kiwis only come out at night and are super rare.  This here is a “weka”.  They’re very inquisitive and, like chickens, they’ll eat anything.

The sunset at Punakaiki:

Next, we drive up to the north of the South Island to Kaiteriteri, and visit the Abel Tasman National Park for some hiking and kayaking!

Here’s a slideshow of all of our photos from driving up the West Coast and Punakaiki Rocks:

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