Pancake Rocks

Day 179 – Punakaiki, New Zealand

Today’s bus was early, like 7:15 am early. Fortunately, I had my trusty travel pillow with me.

The bus driver, from his accent, was Canadian, and I must have been the last one to arrive because he called me by name. (Everybody knows me!) He kindly gave us the minimal usual prater about the scenery because so many of us were sleeping. He caught us up later on.

We drove to the West Coast, known for his rainfalls and stunning scenery -and stunning is right. My hostel is right by the beach, but it’s not a place to swim. The waves here come from far away (in a straight line, apparently, the first landmass is Argentina) and are huge and booming.

There is a permanent haze above the coastline that I attribute to spray staying in suspension in the air.

The driver dropped me off at the hostel instead of a kilometre farther, at the official stop, for which I am thankful. I dropped my bags, went for a scone and a pot of tea, and thus fortified, made my way to the Pancake Rocks.

Punakaiki Beach Hostel – Tea and scone by the sea

A 20-min loop takes the visitors on top of the cliffs, looking at the rocks and, at high tide, at display of giant waves crashing into the cliffs with massive plumes of spray. There is a blowhole, a hole like a well, reached at its bottom by the occasional wave, giving a massive sound and a fine spray.

Pancake rocks – Surge pool

There is a surge pool, there are stacks of rocks, there are seagulls of course, and a place where the occasional wave send a plume of spray backwards -and touched by the sunlight, gives a rainbow.

Pancake rocks – Spray and rainbow

I would have missed this place if a friend hadn’t told me about it, and it would have been a shame! Thank you Rampi!

I’m trying to upload a couple of videos, if it works I’ll add them to this article.

Pancake rocks – Surge pool

Pancake rocks – Spray and rainbow