RTW Trip Day #85: Pancake Rocks, and Driving the West Coast of New Zealand to Abel Tasman

22 December 2025

Steps: 8,471

The Pancake Rocks

This morning we started the day with a visit to the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki, which is one of the West Coast’s most famous natural attractions. There’s a 20-minute loop walk that takes you right along the cliffs, giving stunning views of the layered limestone formations that look just like stacks of giant pancakes.

The Pancake Rocks were formed over millions of years as layers of limestone and mudstone were compressed, uplifted, and then worn away by the ocean. It is a fascinating natural process and another great learning opportunity for the girls, as part of their world schooling.

After exploring the rocks and enjoying the fresh sea air, we called at the shops and visitor centre by the pancake rocks, and stopped for a quick coffee and pancakes - purely for educational purposes of course....

Barn Cabins & Camp, Abel Tasman

We started the drive inland, and as we ventured North, the scenery changed quickly from rugged coastline to rolling hills and farmland. We arrived at our accommodation, which was at the Abel Tasman Barn and Cabins in the early evening.

We got a family room which had one double and three single beds - perfect for us and Uncle Michael. The girls really enjoyed the 'campsite' feel, and spent some time playing on the slack line, relaxing in the hammocks, and even watching a movie with a load of other kids at the cinema.

For dinner, we decided to grab a quick bite at The Fat Tui Burger Bar, a local favourite. The burgers were delicious but the fries were so salty! Still, it hit the spot after a day of travelling.

In the evening we spent some time planning our adventures in Abel Tasman for the next day - including booking our taxi boat, ordering ahead our baguettes for lunch, and deciding which beaches we were planning to stop at along the hike back to our accommodation.

Previous Day #84: Driving Arthur's Pass: Castle Hill, Caves and Waterfalls

Next Day #86: Abel Tasman National Park

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