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There are lots of places that people rave about but here is my recipe for what I call a natural wonder.
A big dollop of limestone - guarantees great volume and structure
A large quantity of sea - essential for producing a bit of drama
A big handful of interesting native flora and fauna - adds spice and flavour to the whole scene
A sprinkling of tourists - great for creating some unusual reactions
All presented in bright sunshine with a backdrop of blue sky.
All of this we found at the amazing Punkaikai rocks along highway 6, west coast,new zealand. Mike had been raving about this place since we arrived in the south island and now I understand why.
The pancake rocks are approached through a shaded walk in west coast woodland. We popped out of the trees to a see stunnung views of some great limstone rocks sticking out into the ocean. Basically they are limestone pavements with sea or the equivalent of Malham cove in the Tasman sea. The waves hit the rocks with a great force and splash up through blow holes. The tops of the limestone rock are covered in ferns and new zealand flax like scruffy hair. All of the rock is layered hence the name, but geologists don't know why.
Unbelievably there were very few people at this amazing place perhaps a reflection on how remote we are here on the dramatic west coast. To get here we had a stunning 90 minute drive along the coast, which according to the camp site receptionist is one of the top 10 coastal drives in the world. She couldn't tell us what the other 9 are!
The few tourists that do make it here come from all over the world. We've met a few dutch, perhaps following Ablel Tasmans footsteps? There are also germans, russians, chinese,french and a few brits.
The road to Fox Glacier beckoned so we had to leave this truly awesome spot. Highway 6 continued to provide dramatic views and interesting passes but if I was lucky enough to come back to New Zealand I would make a return visit to Punkaikai rocks.
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