New Zealand > To the Pancake Rocks

We take it easy this morning. At half past eight, the owner comes by. He asks if we slept well, if we’ve filled in the guest book, and if we might want to book a tour to Abel Tasman Park through him. We politely decline. As we say our goodbyes, he gives us a tip: to walk the Truman Track just before Punakaiki — a must-do, he says. We thank him and drive to Kaiteriteri Beach for breakfast. The waitress turns out to be Dutch. She seems just as surprised to hear Dutch spoken among the many German tourists walking around here. She has been away from home for two months and has been working at this restaurant for a week. We leave Kaiteriteri and take a back road to State Highway 6. From there, we follow the route to Westport. After about two hours of driving, we arrive at the Buller Gorge River. At the Swingbridge Adventure Park, there is the longest suspension bridge in New Zealand, spanning 110 meters. We cross the river via the bridge. Gold used to be mined here on the peninsula. In 1929, this place was the epicenter of a severe earthquake. We follow the walking trail and view the Giant Kahikatea tree. The tree stands 55 meters tall. From Buller Gorge, it’s still more than an hour’s drive to Westport. Just outside Westport, on the coast, lies Foulwind Bay. At Foulwind, there is a seal colony. The closer we get to the coast, the greyer the sky becomes. It’s clear it won’t stay dry. As we turn onto the road to Foulwind, raindrops begin to hit the windshield. We stop at the lighthouse. There has been a lighthouse here since 1876, but the current nine-meter-high stone tower was only built in 1926. The seals are on the other side of the bay, so we drive there by car. It’s still drizzling. From a platform, we can see the rocks. Below us, we spot a few seals lying with their pups. There aren’t that many — perhaps we saw more seals at Kaikoura. From Westport, we follow the coastline south. Along the way, we enjoy beautiful views of the beaches, rock formations, and bays. Unfortunately, because of the cloudy weather, the views are not very clear.

New Zealand - The rocks at Truman Track

We stop several times to take pictures. Just before Punakaiki, we reach the Truman Track, a 15-minute walk to the rock formations. The first part runs through dense forest, much like a tropical rainforest. The advantage is that the leaves overhead keep off the rain. At the end, we reach the beach, surrounded by rocks. The water has carved deep grooves into the stone. Rock formations lean over the beach — you wonder if they never collapse. Because of the wind and rain, we don’t stay long. We go in search of our accommodation. The navigation shows we’ve already passed it, so we turn back a few hundred meters. We arrive at The Treehouse — a house on stilts in the middle of the tropical forest. Via email, we received the code for the key safe, so we can let ourselves in. Punakaiki turns out to be small — it seems there’s only one restaurant. We have no choice but to eat there. The restaurant is located by the Pancake Rocks, two kilometers away. The simple meal tastes just fine.

New Zealand - The Treehouse at Panukaiki