Pancake Rocks and Blowholes

Halfway between Westport and Greymouth on the coastal highway, there's a remarkable ‘cemetery’. About 30 million years ago, numerous dead marine creatures and plants settled down on the seabed where they were compressed into layers and layers of limestone that alternated with layers of mud. Geological movements eventually brought them to the surface where they now stand as spectacular geological formations on the coast named Pancake Rocks.

They do look a little like nibbled-at stacks of pancakes as they have been shaped by the wind, rain and the sea and, thanks to a colony of white-fronted terns, they even appearing dusted with icing sugar. The maple syrup is lacking though.

Chris and I took a break from our driving to explore these wonderful formations. Michelle, who we met at our last BnB, found them fascinating so we were highly motivated to see them. We were not disappointed.

The formations were awesome but there's action here too! Hi ocean waves send spray shooting out of blowholes with a sudden whoosh! that makes everyone on the walkways jump and laugh. And then there's a surge pool, called the Devil's Cauldron, where the ocean rushes in through a hole in the rock wall to seethe and churn in the enclosed space.

Chris was taking photos and videos at every bend in the walkway. We are only including 10.Read more