Pancake Rocks

May 29th
On May 29th, we left the University of Canterbury research station in West Port and headed to Cass, another UC research station. On our way we made an interesting stop at the Punakaiki Resort, a unique tourism complex located on Punakaiki Beach near the world's famous Pancake Rocks on the West Coast of the South Island. The natural history of the Pancake Rocks is that they are greatly eroded sandstone that erupt though a number of straight up blowholes during high tides. The greatest attractions of the pancake are the layering of the limestone. They were shaped about 30 million years ago from microscopic fragments of dead marine creatures and plants that landed on the ocean floor about 2 km beneath the surface of the earth. The gigantic pressure of the water created the fragments to coagulate in rigid and bendable layers. Step by step segregated activities pushed up the limestone above the ocean floor. Gently acidic rain, wind and seawater carved the rocks into peculiar structures. The shapes of the pancake rock are unlike any thing I have ever seen before. These stone attract not only humans but also a lot of biodiversity of plants and animals. The vegetations along the tracks provide a unique sheltering opportunity for a variety of bird species such as the Weka, a flightless bird, and other animals. The thickness of the native bush also serves as a protective shield for endangered species such as blue penguins and coastal herb plants. This scenic area also provides great economic benefits to the residents of the town. There are number of coffee and clothing shops as well as backpackers and motels accommodations along the way for both national and international travelers that go through the major highway from West Port.