A small village on the West Coast of the South Island, home to the Paparoa Park Visitor Center and Dolomite Point (directly opposite), the entrance to the Pancake Rocks.

Pancake Rocks are limestone formations that began 30 million years ago when the lime-rich fragments of marine creatures were deposited on the seabed. These were later overlaid by layers of soft mud and clay, separated from the next layer by layers of siltstone. Earthquakes raised them from the seabed to the level they are today.

Over thousands of years, rain, wind, and sea spray have etched the softer siltstone layers, forming what looks like layers of pancakes. The area is a maze of underground passages and caverns, creating spectacular blowholes. An easy walk with well-formed paths and good viewing points will take you around this amazing and interesting area.

How to get there:

From Greymouth drive 46.3km north on SH6 but don’t rush there is plenty of great scenery long the way.