The Paparoa National Park lies on the western coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Established in 1987, this park covers a total land area of 306 km2 and offers some great coastal walks. This park is best known for the incredible Pancake Rocks and the blowholes that can be found in the area. Located halfway between Westport and Greymouth, the Paparoa National Park also offers some of the finest scenery along New Zealand’s western coast.

Administered by the Department of Conservation, there is a visitor’s center in the town of Punakaiki, which lies just a kilometer south of Pancake Rocks. These rocks are a fascinating sight to see with their blowholes, as when the tides are high, the sea water here rises into the caverns of the rocks to spurt the salty water upwards and out like a spectacular geyser.

Some other activities to enjoy in this area include tramping, hunting, bird watching, abseiling/rappelling, caving, canoeing, rock climbing and fishing. The coastal walks in this park are easy and excellent, as there are a number of interesting places to tramp out here. Here you can also visit the only nesting area in the world for the rare Westland black petrel. If you are looking to go caving here, there are many accessible caves behind Punakaiki, however don’t forget to tour the deeper caves systems like Aranui.

The two most popular overnight tramp trails are the two-day Inland Pack Track that was established by miners in 1867, and the Croesus Track, which goes deep into the historic gold mining areas between Blackball and Barrytown. Inland, this park has some lovely lush lowland forestation and is home to many birds including the tui and the bellbird.

Canoe trips and Horseback riding treks are also on hand in this national park, along with caving, bouldering and heli-hiking.