Click HERE for a map of Punakaiki and surrounding areas

The small community of Punakaiki, with less than 100 permanent residents, is located on the edge of Paparoa National Park, half way between Westport and Greymouth on the north-west coast of the South Island.

South of the village, a few miles along State Highway 6, is the Dolomite Point, where the Pancake Rocks are located.  This very popular tourist attraction is an area of stunning, heavily eroded limestone rock formations, which the sea bursts through the crevices and holes at high tide, creating huge vertical blowhole geysers.  There are a number of walkways which wind through the rock formations, which make interesting exploring at low tide.

Other activites in the area center mainly in the Paparoa National Park, and on the Pororari River. These include nature tours, horse trekking, canoeing, guided historical tours, swimming, surfing, rock climbing, caving, and exploring wide sandy beaches.

There are a number of artisans and crafters in the area and you can visit the studios of glassblowers, knifemakers and other craftworkers to watch them at work, or even make your own crafted item, even your own knife at the Barrytown Knifemaking studio, a few miles south of Punakaiki.

The small village has an i-SITE Visitors centre, a few shops, a cafe and a craft shop - and not a lot more!  On the outskirts of the village, and in the surrounding area, there are a few hotels, motels, B & B's, camp grounds and homestay properties, that are quite acceptable for a day or 2 stay.

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