Pancake Rocks

My next stop was in Punakaiki which is one of my favourite places I have visited in New Zealand. The weather was gorgeous, my cabin hostel was luxurious and set in the rainforest and the surrounding landscape was jaw dropping - this combination would result in even the most un-enthusiastic person to walk round with a camera stuck to their face. This resulted in too many photos to chose from....

However Punakaiki is famous for it's Pancake Rocks so I though best to include a photo of them.

Formed about 30 million years ago from dead marine creatures and plants which landed on the seabed. Immense water pressure caused the fragments to solidify in hard and soft layers - resulting in the 'pancake' look. Throw in seismic action, uplifting of the limstone sediments, acidic rain, wind and seawater and we now have these rock features sculpted into bizarre shapes.