Punakaiki

Punakaiki is a small community on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, between Westport and Greymouth. The community lies on the edge of the Paparoa National Park.

The "Pancake Rocks" are a popular tourist goal at Dolomite Point south of the main village. The Pancake Rocks are a heavily eroded limestone area where the sea bursts though a number of vertical blowholes during high tides. Together with the 'pancake'-layering of the limestone (created by immense pressure on alternating hard and soft layers of marine creatures and plant sediments), [http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/PlaceProfile.aspx?id=35270 Punakaiki Pancake Rocks & Blowholes] (from the New Zealand Department of Conservation website)] these form the main attraction of the area.

The Pancake Rocks are presently explorable by a number of walkways winding through the rock formations, parts of these wheelchair-accessible and others carved into stairways up and down the rock faces. State Highway 6, the only through road on the West Coast, passes through the town.

References

External links

* [http://www.punakaiki.co.nz/ Punakaiki - West Coast, New Zealand] (tourism information from the Punakaiki Promotions Group)
* [http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/MineralResources/RockLimestoneAndClay/4/ENZ-Resources/Standard/2/mi Limestone, Punakaiki (1st of 3)] (entry on Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand)
* [http://travel.webshots.com/album/547644776xEzBLk Photo gallery - Pancake Rocks and Blowholes of Punakaiki]
* [http://www.pbase.com/kayjaynz/punakaiki Punakaiki, New Zealand] (free private photo gallery website)