Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes in the West Coast of New Zealand is a unique limestone landscape by the ocean. The easy paved track provides a relaxing short walk to the lookout of the pancake rocks and blowholes.
A natural arch with surge pools below the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes walkway.
The pancake rocks are called that way due to the formations that looked like pancakes stacked together into many layers. These rocks were formed from minute fragments of dead marine creatures and plants landed on the seabed about 2 km deep 30 million years ago. Deep water pressure solidified the fragments into hard and soft limestone layers. Then, seismic actions lifted these limestone from the seabed to above the sea level. Eventually, the mildly acidic rain, wind and seawater sculpted these limestones into what you are seeing here.
Look and hear out for the blowholes as the waves crash into the rock cliffs. The caverns below with air holes running up the rock surfaces create natural blowholes. These blowholes shoot compressed air and water upwards as the waves push into the caverns.
There are also plenty of birdlife you could observe resting or even nesting on the rocks. You might also find marine mammals around.
Along the track, I stumbled upon a cheeky weka with its cute chick still furry without feathers. They bounced into the bush before I could take a good photo of them.
Preparing for my upcoming Paparao Great Walk, I stayed at Te Nikau Retreat surrounded by natural coastal forest with beaches within a few minutes. Lotsa cheeky weka around!
*Captain Planet passing by* Remember, please take care of our environment, and please don’t destroy the Nature. Leave no trash behind and take back only photos and memories (and also some trash if you can). Walk on the designated path and stay in the middle as much as you can, so that the exposed soil doesn’t spread/corrode further. BE ONE WITH NATURE *flies away*
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