The blowhole at Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki. Photo / David Wall
The blowhole at Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki. Photo / David Wall
Punakaiki's pancake rocks are enough to make Elisabeth Easther flip out.
Origin of name: One interpretation says it's a Ngai Tahu word to describe the neck and throat. Another says it is from "puna" for spring and "kaike" meaning to lie in a heap.
Population: The township is home to fewer than 100 souls, yet up to a million visitors pass through each year, making Punakaiki one of New Zealand's most visited natural attractions.
Town slogan: Unofficially it's "There's More to Punakaiki Than Pancakes".
Town mascot: Those pancake rocks. Made up of sandstone, limestone and marine creatures, shaken by earthquakes and created over 30 million years, this is nature on nature heaped on nature. Additional magic comes courtesy of the gushing blowholes.
Nice work: Tourism keeps this little town afloat, with DoC employing a fair few people too.
Source of pride: It's just so beautiful and the people who choose to stay here do so because it's one of the places where kids can still have an old fashioned Kiwi upbringing in the great outdoors.
The essence of Punakaiki: If you stay a night or two, you can do all sorts of amazing things without getting back in your vehicle - give those legs a proper stretch.
Town fiestas: The Return of the Black Petrel Festival (first weekend in May) is an annual event that celebrates this mighty sea bird coming home to nest. It starts on the Friday night with a beach walk, people watch the birds come in overhead en masse, which is simply spectacular. On the Saturday there are markets and entertainment, people are also invited to help plant as part of a restoration project and on the Saturday night there's a band.
Best reason to stop: You have to see the Pancake Rocks on the tip of the Paparoa National Park, when the sea is rough from the south: at high tide those blowholes go off. Also being limestone country, the area is also famous for the plentiful holes in the ground.
Best place to take kids: Punakaiki Cavern is a very short walk and there you'll see glow-worms and stalactites. Torches essential. Or in summer, the Punakaiki river mouth is heaven at high tide, with waterfalls and safe swimming. Sometimes a small eatery establishes itself there where they do the most amazing fish and chips. Or take a stroll along Punakaiki Beach where the river comes out, lots of smooth washed pebbles to collect.
But wait there's more: Rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard and explore the lagoon. Or visit the local surf school and have a lesson or just hire a board.
Best park: The community have the use of the camping ground for recreational purposes.
Tourists admire Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks. Photo / Jim Eagles
Best playground: There's no playground with swings and slides but the Pororari Lagoon has amazing gorge scenery and shallow waters for playing in.
Spend a penny: DoC maintains the loos at pancake rocks, adjacent to the visitors' centre.
Best walks: The Punakaiki Pancake Walk Loop Track is an hour of awesome, suitable for decent pushchairs too. The Truman Track is another great short walk to the sea, past scalloped cliffs it's about 15 minutes each way. The Pororari River Loop Track is being upgraded, and will soon be known as one of the country's great half-day walks.
Best view: Perpendicular Point, accessible by car with views back to Punakaiki to the south and Fox River to the north.
Best place to pull over: North of Punakaiki there are lots of little beaches including Maybille Bay and Woodpecker Bay, all with little lay-bys for parking and walking on the beach.
Drive on: The coast road between Greymouth and Westport is rated by Lonely Planet as one of the world's top 10 drives.
Look Up: Star gazing at Punakaiki is stellar and visitors can either take an organised tour with one of a few operators, or simply make your own sense of the heavens.
Best swims: The rivers and ocean with the sea to the north of pancake rocks are the safest for dipping.
Nice arts: Try your hand at making glass beads at Te Miko Glass Bead Studio, 3.5km north of Punakaiki. Or simply admire the gleaming orbs in the gallery. Or visit the local arts and craft co-op, next to the DoC centre: this collective of local artists sell and show their goods here with everything from pottery, glass, woodwork, pounamu and stone. In Barrytown you can learn to carve stone and jade and even make your own knife.
Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks. Photo / File
Top shop: There's no mall here, that's for sure.
Cream of the coffee: Pancake Rocks Cafe makes fine coffee, funnily enough they also make great pancakes.
Best food: There are two cafes opposite the pancake rocks entrance for when you're feeling peckish.
Wet your whistle: Punakaiki Tavern has a darling garden bar, a welcoming family atmosphere and an old-time feel. The local musicians jam there every Wednesday night from 7pm-10pm, well supported and lots of fun. Good food too.
Best place to stay:Punakaiki Beach Camp has cabins of various sizes, tent sites and powered sites. Fronting up to the beach on one side and the river on the other it's so lovely and a nice size with a maximum of 250 in the height of summer. And they have wi-fi.
Best mountain biking: Head up Bullock Creek, it's not fully developed but you can still have a really good ride.
Wildlife: Petrels, fur seals, weka and hectors dolphins are just some of the fabulous creatures you can encounter down here. And native birds love it here: one spring a visitor took a picture on the riverbank and there were six different native birds in that single frame. When the kowhai trees are blossoming by the river the place is paradise for birds.
The verdict: Punakaiki is like Jurassic Park, prehistoric, rugged and primeval, like no place on Earth.
Thanks to Craig and Sue from Punakaiki Beach Camp for spilling the beans.
