Pancake rocks & Motukiekie Beach

The hard winds and salty waters really batter the West coast. The relentless "Roaring Forties" are strong winds blowing from the West. And the Tasman Sea is known for its rough waters. When you walk along the coast you really notice how the weather carves the land like butter.

For the most part we got lucky and enjoyed great weather. But this day, we were disappointed that the weather was "too nice"! We were going to Punakaiki, or "Pancake Rocks". Beautifully layered rocks have been eroded to expose well defined horizontal lines, like a stack of pancakes.

Caves and tunnels have bored into the soft rock. And at high tide, waves roll through the narrow channels and their echos rumble up the rock walls. Ideally, the occasional large wave will have so much momentum that the water is forced up through a blowhole! During our visit the weather was "too nice" because even though it was high tide, the sea was too calm to create the explosive water spouts. We could only imagine. We did admire the large bunches of kelp that clung to the rocks, swaying back and forth with each wave. The walk was educational, teaching about different native trees and shrubs. In particular, the NZ flax plant is a key part of the ecosystem and has provided the Maori with an invaluable resource for weaving baskets and clothes, and for creating rope.

We continued our drive and got out for a long walk along Motukiekie Beach. It's hidden under a large cliff from the main road above. It's a gem. The beach is very flat and wide, causing long, rolling waves. The rock plateaus are a haven for sealife. They're completely covered in mussles. Water flows back and forth, with the waves and the tides, through small channels. Huge starfish huddle together on the water's edge. And squishy anemones wave their little tentacles in shallow pools.

All sorts of rock statues have survived the elements and we explored more tunnels and arches all along the walk. In particular, a large archway with a big "window" above it was most memorable. These smoothed out boulders, covered in moss should be recognized as "most comfortable rocks in the world". And a rope hanging out of a rock tunnel let us explore a hidden waterfall coming down the cliff. Incredible, what a day!Read more