Paparoa National Park

Paparoa National Park is a protected area on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island that conserves coastal karst landscapes, temperate rainforest and the Paparoa Range. The park was established in 1987 and is noted for its dramatic coastal features and accessible walking tracks.

The most visited attraction is the Pancake Rocks and blowholes at Punakaiki on the park’s western fringe, where layered limestone formations and sea-driven blowholes are reached by short boardwalks. Inland the park contains river gorges, caves and forested ranges with a network of day walks and multi-day tramping routes offering river scenery and native forest habitats.

Conservation efforts protect native bush, birdlife and unique limestone geomorphology while allowing managed visitor access on marked trails. The park’s mixture of easily reached coastal attractions and backcountry routes makes it popular with both day visitors and trampers.

Paparoa National Park lies along the central West Coast of the South Island, north of Greymouth and south of Westport, with road access from State Highway 6 and coastal settlements such as Punakaiki providing entry points.

• Establishment and purpose: Established as a national park in 1987, the park protects coastal karst landscapes, rainforest and ranges on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.
• Viewing tip: Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks are best seen at high tide when blowhole action is most dramatic; boardwalks provide safe viewing close to the formations.

What to See #

• Pancake Rocks and blowholes: Pancake Rocks and the Punakaiki blowholes form a concentrated coastal limestone spectacle at the park's western edge and are the park's most visited feature.
• Pororari and short walks: Pororari River valley and several short walking tracks provide rainforest gorge scenery and accessible day walks through the park.