Punakaiki lies halfway between Greymouth and Westport on the West Coast of New Zealand, on the edge of Paparoa National Park. This scenic landmark is best known for its spectacular Pancake Rocks and Blowholes.br/br/These spectacular pancake formations began forming 30 million years ago, created when layers of soft mud and clay settled on the lime-rich fragments of dead marine creatures on the seabed, over time becoming limestone. Earthquakes then raised the seabed above sea level and this limestone was continually being shaped and eroded by wind, rain and sea, etching out the softer layers to create pancake-like layers. br/br/During high tides and particularly where there are strong ocean swells rolling in from the Tasman Sea, you may see the water blasting through the blowholes, sending a spectacular spray of water skywards.