Timing

The blowholes are most impressive at high tide with a big swell. For that National Geographic shot, make sure you are here for a West Coast sunset and an exploding blowhole.

Access

Well signposted and unmissable in Punakaiki.

Several parking areas are signposted. Campervans make sure you use the one to the south, otherwise the place ends up like Calcutta central station at rush hour.

Be careful crossing the road. A hotspot for oblivious drivers.

Track

The sealed track passes several lookouts, which become ever-more impressive. Admire the handy-work of the track builders on the bridges and platforms, which give the best vantage over the blowholes. Some are given names like the Chimney Pot, Surge Pool and Putai.

The angular limestone blocks have been placed into dry stone walls alongside the track and steps weave a sinuous path through the convoluted landscape/seascape. Wheelchair access ends at the steps.

As the track weaves around, more viewpoints of the bizarre formations open up until you rejoin the tar seal through the flax and nikau back to the road.

Geology

Pancake Rocks are still contentious among geomorphologists. No single theory is agreed upon for their formation.

The most likely scenario starts around 30 million years ago when the base rocks were laid down in shallow warm seas. Inter-bedded layers of calcareous marine creatures and softer mud and sand layers were built up, compressed and cooked. The fancy term is ‘stylobedding’ Later tectonic uplift brought these lasagne-like layers to the surface.

Wind, rain, salt and wave then combined in a weathering and erosion frenzy to preferentially erode the weaker mud and sand layers, leaving the more resistant limestone layers intact. Given the exposed nature of this coastline and prevalence of westerly winds and swells, the patterns of nature now etched onto the rock have created such a sight that they are on the must-do list of New Zealand visitors.

When arches collapse, they form blow holes and surge pools, exploited by the waves and constantly enlarged and re-modelled. Dolomite Point is one of the rawest places you can easily get to in NZ.

Feature

When the BBC filmed ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’, they chose this location for one of the habitats.