We drove down the coast from Collingwood to Punakaiki, a 5 hour drive overall. The first 4 hours are through the middle of a mostly unpopulated section of the South Island. We are again reminded of Hawaii as the vegetation along the route is very dense with ferns, trees and palms. We are getting seriously spoiled by green. The last hour is along the west coast, and has some gorgeous spots to stop and take in the view.
We stayed at the Punakaiki Resort, which is optimally situated, as in walking distance, to the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Here is the view from our balcony. Lovely place, and very quiet.
Definitely a nice spot for a night, but there is very little here, so I couldn’t see spending more than one night. The unusual Pancake Rocks are the big draw.
The pancake layering of the limestone is caused by immense pressure on alternating hard and soft layers of sea creatures and plant sediments.
There is a well maintained walk among the rocks and what they say are blowholes. We were there at near high tide, but we saw no blowhole activity, just churning water. It likely needs to be a very high tide combined with rough seas to get the blowhole effect.
If you are suddenly hungry for pancakes, the cafe across the street from the entrance has them available! It’s actually a decent cafe, and a good spot for breakfast.
Next up, Hokitika Gorge and Franz Josef/Fox Glaciers.