by midtownmjd on May 26, 2010
Paparoa National Park’s Pancake Rocks and Blowholes are worth a stop when driving down the West Coast. Accessed from Punakaiki, where there’s also an information center and a few eateries, the famous rocks and blowholes line a 20-minute loop through a small section of the park. The paved route is lined with native flora and informative signs, but the stars of the area are the stacked limestone formations and the steamy show they put on as the sea shoots up through their "blowholes."The formations are aesthetically fascinating even if you know nothing about how they got there, but the fact that they were formed 30 million years ago is even more impressive. Drizzly weather and strong winds ended up being the perfect conditions in which to see the blowholes in action, but even in calm weather, the pancake rocks and surge pools would be well worth a stop.The walk is free with boxes for donations at the beginning and end.
http://www.igougo.com/review-r1373050-An_Outdoor_Show_Thats_Even_Better_in_the_Rain.html
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