Destinations in New Zealand: Punakaiki

 Punakaiki...gateway to Paparoa National Park

I will be starting a new series of blog posts about destination & gateway towns here in New Zealand. These are places you will visit before, during or after some type of trip around the country. 

The dramatic coastline at Punakaiki

You often start your outdoor adventures at a gateway town which is the usually the closest large town or city to a scenic holiday spot. Visitors travel from the gateway town to some nearby attraction or point of interest. Some well known examples might be Taupo in the North Island, Takaka and Motueka in Tasman District, Hokitika, Queenstown, Wanaka and Te Anau. 

Te Anau is a scenic gateway to Fiordland NP

Destination towns are slightly different...the town or settlement is the center and focal point of your trip. The settlement you start from is surrounded by the attractions drawing you there. Good examples of destination towns are Mt Cook Village, Tekapo, Hanmer Springs, Arthurs Pass, St Arnaud and of course Punakaiki...

Mt Cook Village is a destination settlement

In this post I will be looking at Punakaiki...

Introducing Punakaiki:

Punakaiki is the gateway to Paparoa National Park and a destination in its own right and lies on the West Coast of the South Island. From here you can easily access many rivers, shorelines, mountains, tracks and points of interest from the Fox River all the way south to Barrytown and the Croesus Track terminus. 

Crossing the Punakaiki River on SH 6 bridge

Punakaiki lies in Buller District between Greymouth and Westport

Limestone cliffs and pounding seas...Punakaiki Beach

Punakaiki will become increasingly important as a gateway as the draft document on reassigning stewardship land has recommended folding huge amounts of territory into Paparoa National Park. The park will increase in size by nearly 100 % if the recommendation is actually carried through! 

Where is Punakaiki?

Punakaiki is on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 46 km's north of Greymouth and 49 km's south of Westport which makes it more or less halfway between the two points. 

Map: Upper South Island, New Zealand

Punakaiki can be accessed on State Highway 6 between Greymouth and Westport and the highway goes right through the center of the settlement. Half of the settlement is on the southern side of Dolomite Point while the rest is located just north of the same location.

Punakaiki south of Dolomite Point

Punakaiki north of Dolomite Point

The terrain around Punakaiki is unique with high limestone cliffs rising almost from the sea, deeply incised river valleys and dense Podocarp and Lowland Coastal Forest.

Why visit Punakaiki?

Punakaiki is a Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts...it has an abundance of scenic wild lands to explore. Punakaiki is also the home of the Pancake Rocks and as a base for exploring nearby Paparoa National Park. It has luxuriant coastal forest, massive limestone cliffs and canyons, caves, pristine rivers and spectacular coastline. 

It is the western terminus of the Paparoa Great Walk Track which is a dual walking/MTB route across the tops of the nearby mountain ranges. Thousands of people a year will ride or walk the Paparoa Track going forward and it is one of the real drawcards for the region. 

Western terminus of the Paparoa Great Walk

Beside the Great Walk there is a wealth of excellent tramping tracks and routes in the area with the Fox River Cave Track, Inland Pack Track, Pororairi River Track and Punakaiki Loop Track being some of the most well known. 

Pororari River Bridge...start of the Inland Track

There are also some shorter tracks like the Truman Track and Cave Creek Track but perhaps the most famous is the Pancake Rocks Walk which received over 250 000 visitors a year pre Covid. 

World famous Pancake Rocks at Dolomite Point

Beside walking and tramping there are opportunities for sea kayaking, river rafting, hunting, fishing, MTB rides, rock climbing, paddle boarding and swimming in the many pristine rivers. 

Accommodation at Punakaiki:

Punakaiki has a full range of accommodation options available ranging from basic hostels right up to high end resorts and motels. There is basically something on offer for every price range and taste...

There are a full range of accommodation providers in Punakaiki

There are two YHA style hostels at Punakaiki and camping facilities at the Punakaiki Beach Park. The Punakaiki Beach Park has tent sites, caravan/campervan sites, cabins and chalets for hire. I have stayed here a number of times and while the facilities are basic they are all that is required for the budget conscious traveler. 

Cabin at Punakaiki Beach Holiday Park

There are only a couple of holiday homes available in the area as the settlement is quite small. These can be found online and would favor larger family groups as they have multiple bedrooms, living areas, outdoor spaces etc. 

A bookable holiday home is also an option....

The Punakaiki Tavern has motel style units available right next to the tavern itself. The Tavern is literally 200 meters from the end of the Paparoa Great Walk track and 30 meters from the shuttle stop for the Paparoa GW shuttle van. It is moderately priced but is usually the first motel to book out over busy periods. 

Punakaiki Tavern...drinks, meals and accommodation available!!!

There are a number of motels at Punakaiki equally distributed on both side of Dolomite Point and these are a fine option for small groups, couples and smaller families. I can recommend both Punakaiki Beach Motel and Paparoa Park Motel. 

Punakaiki Beachfront Motel at Punakaiki Beach

Karen and I have stayed at both and found them to be excellent. We stayed at the Punakaiki Beach motel on our last stay and it is in an excellent location, clean and well appointed. This would be my go to location if I visit Punakaiki again. 

Paparoa Park Motel overlooks the Punakaiki River

There is actually a beach resort at Punakaiki near the mouth of the Punakaiki River. Ocean View Resort is amongst the best accommodation in the area and has excellent views out to the Tasman Sea and a nearby sandy beach. It has its own restaurant and bar but is currently closed for renovations as it gears up to reopen now tourists are allowed back into New Zealand. 

Ocean View Resort at Punakaiki

If you have a camper van your only option is the Punakaiki Beach Park with powered and non-powered sites available. There is a kitchen area, full laundry and cleaning facilities and a shower block. Karen and I stayed here on our second Campervan holiday and it is a picturesque location right next to the ocean. 

Camper van at Punakaiki Beach Holiday Park

The best place Karen and I have stayed in Punakaiki was in a cottage at the Paparoa Park Motel. Normally these are very expensive but we got a deal for a weekend over winter and it is honestly one of the nicest motel locations I have ever stayed at. It was big enough for a family of four and would be an excellent place if price is not such an concern.  

Fine accommodations at the Paparoa Park Motel cottages

There are many other options available including farm stays, B and B's, eco lodges and cottages. Try looking online to see a full range of options or check one of the accommodation sites like Wotif, Expedia, Booking.com or Trivago...

Note: there is no DOC campsite anywhere near Punakaiki and hefty fines for freedom campers so take that into consideration when planning your trip. 

Attractions around Punakaiki:

So...what is there to do while visiting Punakaiki? 

Obviously the outdoors and enjoyment of them plays a leading role in most peoples decision to pass through or stay at Punakaiki. As I have previously mentioned it is a Mecca for the outdoor enthusiast with many different activities on offer. In particular there are great walking, tramping and MTB riding locations here or within 15 minutes of the center of the settlement.

The Pororari River is stunning...

If you are not an outdoor person your options are a bit more limited but there is still plenty to do and see. Here is a short list of other activities you can enjoy at Punakaiki...

Shopping at Punakaiki Crafts and Pancake Rocks Café

A visit to the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre

Petrel Colony visits from October to March

A meal at Pancake Rocks Café or Punakaiki Tavern

A visit to Punakaiki Beach

Punakaiki Cavern

Horse trekking

Jade Carving studio at Barrytown

At a minimum I would rate a visit to the famous Pancake Rocks, a coffee or meal at one of the eateries and a quick browse at the shops. 

At the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki

Go for a walk along Punakaiki Beach

If you are here for more than a couple of hours I recommend a visit to Truman Track and a walk up the Pororari River Track to the first suspension bridge. 

What amenities are available in Punakaiki?

Punakaiki is a very small settlement with less than 150 permeant residents between the Fox River and Barrytown. Because of these small numbers there are very few services available in the local area. Here are the ones that do exist:

Shopping: 

There are no food/convenience shops in Punakaiki and all food supplies MUST be brought with you. Some of the local accommodation providers can supply some supplies like milk, soft drinks, water, snack food etc. but they are very limited.

The office for Punakaiki Beach Camp had some food items for sale...

There are two shops opposite the entrance to the Pancake Rocks Track which sell craft materials, souvenirs, gifts and a limited supply of clothing. The Paparoa National Park Visitor Centre and Pancakes Rock Café both have gift shops attached. Note...there are plans to build a new $70 million visitor centre and DOC office at Punakaiki with work starting in the summer 2022. 

The DOC Visitor Centre at Punakaiki

The main retail outlet at Punakaiki is Punakaiki Crafts with a good range of craft goods, gifts, souvenirs, outdoor clothing and an impressive array of outdoor footwear. They have an excellent selection of Hi-Tec shoes and boots here. 

Pancake Rocks Café and Punakaiki Crafts

The place is a treasure trove and the owner was very cheery and helpful. It is well worth a look...

Petrol and auto services:

There are no petrol stations or fuel stops at Punakaiki and no garages if you have trouble with your vehicle. The closest petrol station is in Greymouth over 40 kilometers away and there is a 90 kilometer section of the coast from Westport to Greymouth with no place to refuel. Fill your tank in Westport or Greymouth!!!

Eateries:

There are currently only two places to eat out in Punakaiki at either the Punakaiki Tavern or the Pancake Rocks Café.

The Punakaiki Tavern is on the north outskirts of the settlement and they have a full range of alcohol, bar snacks and meals. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and are open from 7 am to 9pm seven days of the week.

Interior of Punakaiki Tavern...classic Coaster pub!!!

The Tavern was the first place I stopped when walking off the Paparoa Great Walk and I polished off two Monteith's Golden Ales (...a nice drop...) and an excellent Caesar Salad with chicken as a celebratory lunch. Karen and I had lunch and dinner here recently and all of the meals were delicious. 

My post Great Walk lunch at the Punakaiki Tavern

I suggest you sit outside in the beer garden, take in the surroundings and watch the goldfish in the pond...

Beer garden at Punakaiki Tavern

The other place to eat is the Pancake Rocks Café up on the main road running past the entrance to the Pancake Rocks Track. The café is the largest in the area and they do breakfast and lunch from 7 am to 4 pm each day. 

Pancake Rocks Café at Punakaiki

The café serves cabinet food, snacks, pies, pizzas and meals and their specialty is the stack of pancakes with banana and bacon which is excellent. They have really good coffee here and they also sell cold drinks, ice-cream's and snacks like nuts, chips etc. 

Interior of the Pancake Rocks Café at Punakaiki

There is a café in the Ocean View Resort called Jacobs Grill with an attached bar. The resort is currently closed for renovations as they gear up for the return of tourists later this year. It is accessed from the main entrance to the Resort and I would imagine it needs to be booked as it services all the guests staying in the resort. 

Ocean View Resort at Punakaiki...Jacobs Grill is located here

There is also a coffee cart at Punakaiki called the Rusty Cup Café but it is only open during the summer season when visitor numbers make it worth opening. I have not sampled their product as they have always been closed when I have visited the area. 

Coffee cart based at Punakaiki near the Pancake Rocks

Postal services:

There is no Post Office at Punakaiki but there is a mail box which is cleared daily so post can be sent from here. It is located outside the DOC Visitor Centre. Punakaiki Crafts used to sell stamps but I am not sure if this service is still available...

The closest larger towns are Greymouth and Westport both over 40 kilometers away and both have a full range of retail outlets, petrol stations, accommodation and café/restaurants. 

Final thoughts...

Over 500 000 people used to pass through Punakaiki every year pre Covid and it is likely that less than 10% of those people stopped and stayed for a night. They were really missing out as the settlement has so much to offer the traveler from scenic splendor to great outdoor adventures, food, wine, women...... 

Truman Beach just north of the Pororari River

Wither you are passing through en-route to Westport or Greymouth or staying for a night or two there is so much to see and do here. You should definitely think about spending some time in Punakaiki and enjoying the many treasures it has to share. 

Sunset over the West Coast at Punakaiki Beach

I am sure to return here some time in the future...

Winter Series 2022: Punakaiki Cavern

 A dip into caving at Punakaiki

The whole of the coastline around Punakaiki is limestone karst country so it is riddled with caves, caverns, overhangs and sinkholes. There is a large cavern just before Punakaiki Settlement which goes back into the hillside for around 50 meters and is big enough to stand up inside. 

Heading along SH6 to the Punakaiki Cavern

Map: Punakaiki Cavern is about 300 meters south of the settlement

Punakaiki Cavern on SH 6 at Punakaiki

Karen and I visited the cavern during our recent trip to Punakaiki and the surrounding area. We parked at the motel we were staying at and walked the 300 odd meters along SH6 to get to the cave. There is a small parking bay near the cavern...it will only hold 3-4 cars so it will usually be full.

Descend the stairs to access Punakaiki Cavern

The Punakaiki Cavern has a flat area to its front

Once you get down on the flat ground in front of the cave you climb another set of stairs to gain access to the cavern portal.

Karen climbs up to the portal of Punakaiki Cavern

There are fossils in the surrounding limestone, Punakaiki Cavern

Nikau Palms in front of the Punakaiki Cavern

Note that once you get past the portal it is hellishly dark in the cave system so you need to bring a torch with you so you can see where you are going. Boots and a jacket can also be useful...it is muddy and a good 10 degrees colder in the cavern than outside.

Portal into the Punakaiki Cavern at Punakaiki

 

Looking out of the portal at Punakaiki Cavern

You can stand once past the initial portal at Punakaiki Cavern

There are two arms to the cavern at Punakaiki...the right one is short at around 20 meters and peters out at a small tunnel too small for a person to fit through. 

Little light enters Punakaiki Cavern from outside

The cavern has been carved out of the rock by water...over the eons rain water has eroded channels through the rock which have enlarged into caverns, caves and tunnels. This cavern might well have been developing for tens of thousands of years...it is probably not older than this as it has only the barest beginning of stalactites growing in it.

Limestone accretions on the wall of Punakaiki Cavern

The interior surface of the cave is damp clay and it can be quite slippery and will easily mark your clothing with patches of soil. We both had to dust ourselves down after being in the cave and our hands were covered with clay dust. 

View to the back of the shorter passage...Punakaiki Cavern

Pool of water in the front of Punakaiki Cavern

Limestone accumulations inside Punakaiki Cavern

In times of heavy rain there is a small stream which runs along the floor of the cavern...you can still enter but it will probably be wet and muddy. Karst stone is absolutely full of holes, cracks and passages ...water can still be percolating down weeks after any rain. It was a wet week when we visited and there was about 3 cm of water constantly flowing along the stream bed. 

The small stream inside Punakaiki Cavern

Stream in Punakaiki Cavern...3 cm deep!!!

The left hand arm is much longer and can be navigated almost to its furthest reach about 50 meters into the hillside. Both are large enough to stand in although you have to squeeze through a tight point on the left hand arm to reach the back.

You climb over a hillock to the second passage

There is a second much smaller portal at the front end of the second passage. You can climb up to look outside but as it exits higher up on a bluff you cannot reach the road this way. Take care climbing to the top as it is wet, muddy and slippery as hell...

Portal at front of second passage...Punakaiki Cavern

Punakaiki Cavern...the second portal

Some cretins have scratched their names etc. on the limestone walls in the cavern. Please don't do this...it is vandalism and will take literally hundreds to thousands of years to disappear!!!

Graffiti inside Punakaiki Cavern...bad children!!!

Strange limestone feature inside Punakaiki Cavern

The cavern is free to access and there are a set of stairs at the portal to make it easier to get into the cavern. DOC have placed reflective markers in the cavern so you can follow them to the end of the two navigable arms and back to the entrance. 

Heading to the rear of the second passage...Punakaiki Cavern

There are two small curtain waterfalls inside the second of the passages...they were running hard as it had been raining for several days before we arrived. The water slowly seeps down through cracks in the rock so it might conceivably have been rain water from weeks ago...

Curtain waterfall inside Punakaiki Cavern

There is a very narrow crack to squeeze through to get to the back of the second passage...I joked to Karen that it was like being born once again!

Tight squeeze into second passage at Punakaiki Cavern

Another curtain waterfall inside Punakaiki Cavern

View back from end of second passage...Punakaiki Cavern

We headed back to the entrance after checking out the cavern and headed down to the road to head for our accommodation. 

Heading out the portal at Punakaiki Cavern

A visit to the cave is a great filler exercise, you can explore the whole cavern system in under 15-20 minutes so this is a great experience if you are travelling through the area. We visited on the way back from visiting Truman's Track. 

Back down the stairs outside Punakaiki Cavern

Verdant growth outside Punakaiki Cavern

...I like the little caver at the top...

There are a number of fossils visible in the rock at the bottom of the stairs into Punakaiki Cavern so we had a look as we left. There are lots of shells and aquatic crustaceans embedded in the rock and clearly visible...

Fossils in the limestone outside Punakaiki Cavern

Please note that the flat bowl in front of Punakaiki Cavern will flood after very heavy rain in which case it will probably be impossible to enter the cave. 

The flat in front of Punakaiki Cavern can sometimes flood

Last look at the Punakaiki Cavern portal

We walked back to the motel along the seawall they have constructed along Punakaiki Beach. There is a sidewalk alongside SH6 and then an old access road on the top of the seawall. This lead right back to our motel....

View to Punakaiki Settlement from near the Cavern

If you are ever spending a few days around Punakaiki go down and have an explore in the cavern. It is worth a visit and is one of the easier cave systems you can visit here in New Zealand. 

Access: Punakaiki Cavern is on SH6 approximately 200 meters south of the Punakaiki Tavern on the inland side of the road. It is well sign posted and visible from the highway. 

Track Times: It only takes 15 minutes to fully explore Punakaiki Cavern, it takes 5-10 minutes to walk from the Pancake Rocks car park to the cavern entrance.

Miscellaneous: Some slippery rocks inside the cavern so boots or grippy shoes are the best thing to wear when visiting. It is significantly colder inside the cavern so bring a warm top. There are stairs at the entrance to the portal.

You Tube: Punakaiki Cavern