The Pancake Rocks are one of the most popular tourist attractions on the whole New Zealand southern island. They can be seen with a very easy 20 minute walk next to Punakaiki.
These are sedimentary layers overlaid in a regular manner, so that rocks look like a pancake. The strangest element of these rocks is that scientist are not sure about the way layers had overlapped in this way. there is only some hypothesis, but in reality it is an inexplicable phenomenon.
Pancake Rocks should be visited during high tide, even better at the sunset, although these is not always possible. Ask for high tide timetable at the Department Of Conservation office or ask where you stay overnight.

Short description of the path: leave the car in the parking lot in front of the area and enter ther walk. You can look at the perfectly layered rocks and listen to the roar of the sea crashing against the cliff.
During the day, the panorama allows you to observe the whole coast and also plants inside the small park, whereas at sunset time there are some astonishing sunsets. At the sunset there are very few tourist, so you could meet some unexpected inhabitants of the park, like this Weka!

More info:

• Pancake Rocks
• 7 day high tide timetable

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