Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki
As you travel through the country, the New Zealand government has provided funds to develop walking paths and informational signs for many of the more interesting coastal areas and geological features. The ones that we came across were well-signed, provided plenty of parking, had both paved and non-paved walking paths, and either had a series of informational placards or a full-on information center. There was no cost to you unless you gave at the donation box at the end of the walk.
One of the spots we stopped is a few kilometers north of Greymouth—Pancake Rocks. New Zealand is chock full of unusual geological formations and these limestone rocks are pretty cool. They appear to be layered and are quite stunning with a carpet of sea grass and local flora on the top layer of some, while others have pointed peaks that reach up into the sky. The path is on the top of the cliffs, so you are always looking down. There are some stunning views up and down the coastline.
It was a nice walk, a good break from riding in the car, and the weather was warm and sunny. In fact, surprisingly, we realized we should have put on sunscreen. I think we would have even enjoyed the outing more if we had been there at high tide. Apparently one of the big tourist pleasers are the blow holes. We saw where they would come up, but didn’t have the time to stay that long. I think we hit it right at low tide…just our luck.