Pancake Rocks & Blowholes - Dolomite Point - Punakaiki, New Zealand
Posted by: 
denben
S 42° 06.926 E 171° 19.777
59G E 527248 N 5337355
The entrance to Pancake Rocks & Blowholes is located opposite the Paparoa National Park Visitors Centre at Dolomite Point, Punakaiki, West Coast.
Waymark Code: WMN8WJ
Location: South Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 01/20/2015
Views: 9
The remarkable concentration of sculptured limestone at Dolomite Point has long been one of the West Coast’s best-known tourist attractions, famous for its blowholes and the Pancake Rocks. While the blowholes are only at high tide during rough seas, it is well worth a visit in all weather for the stunning views along the coast line and the unique pancake rocks.
The Pancake Rocks are a heavily eroded limestone area where the sea bursts through several 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), these form the main attraction of the area.
When the weather is stormy and the seas are high, the blowholes show off their name as the water surges up through the rock and out into the air creating a spectacular show. Unfortunately we were there at low tide so we missed the show.
The Pancake Rocks are peculiar rock formations with limestone layered like a stack of thin pancakes and forming huge columns. The rocks were formed 30 million years ago by intense pressure on alternating hard and soft layers of marine creatures and plant sediments.
The walkway is a short 20 minute loop track suitable for wheelchairs and buggies. It begins in native rainforest showing off the nikau palms, New Zealand’s only native palm tree, and then moves through dense flax as you get closer to the blowholes. There are interpretive panels at many of the look out points.
There are regular daily bus services to the area.
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