Just below the Buller District service town of Westport, Cape Foulwind juts out defiantly into the winds that were its namesake. A coastal walkway from here leads to a seal colony, but it was further down the coast—on the Nile River of all places—where we discovered a lesser known (semi-secret) walk that truly ticked all the boxes. Unfortunately, at Fox River we had confirmation of a secret stowaway, but still managed visits to the Sunday morning market and popular Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki, before dashing to Greymouth for eviction supplies.
Coordinates
Omau Cliffs
We arrived at the Omau Cliffs near Cape Foulwind (foul for Captain Cook; not so for us) in the evening and from our park-up there watched the sun drop behind the lighthouse, which made it look especially powerful! All the while we maintained a safe distance from the cliff edge under the watchful gaze of Gull Security Services:
The cliffs impress from afar; likewise when you peer over the edge of them. Waking to a sunny day, we limbered up for the day’s short walks by taking the track at the end of Domain Road down to the beach, at close to low tide. Rock arches (one small, one large) that divide the beach awaited climbing. You can pass through them at low tide—if you’re up for a little wading. It’s slippery, so take care if trying to peek over the parapets to the next beach:
Cape Foulwind
Cape Foulwind Lighthouse isn’t much to look at, but the same can’t be said of the coastal scenery. After coffee we set out on the track (Cape Foulwind Walkway) from the lighthouse car park to the seal colony (1 hour to the viewing platform). The path meanders through hills along a coastline with attractive beaches—somewhat similar to the UK coast path—but also uniquely New Zealand, being covered in harakeke (flax):
Captain Cook wasn’t the first European at these shores (although his name for the area happened to stick). Abel Tasman had named it Rocky Cape some 130 years earlier. An astrolabe, the device Tasman would have navigated by, is located near the track with an explanation of its importance to seafarers before the sextant, which Cook would have used.
It felt quite busy, as young international tourists from a hop-on-hop-off bus arrived to view the seals as we did. It is good to see tourism making a comeback; many areas rely on it. It was also good to see that there are options for getting people to places that are less accessible without a car. The seals didn’t mind an audience: youngsters played in a tidal pool and chased each other over the rocks, under the watchful eyes of sunbathing mothers:
A short distance further on (just 10 minutes) is the wide beach of Tauranga Bay, good for walking on at low tide and seemingly a popular spot for surfing:
We returned to the vanship for lunch before food shopping in Westport; it would be 100km until the next supermarket. On a Saturday, just after 1pm, the town was closed with the exception of the supermarket and petrol station. Clearly not a tourist destination!
Charleston on the Nile
Charleston is south of Westport and beside the Nile (Waitakere) River; it was the epicentre of the West Coast gold rush in the 1860s. Thanks to advice from a person working in the adventure centre café, we first enjoyed a short walk along the newly created Kawatiri Coastal Trail to the river mouth. Here, a pebble shore meets the tannin-stained waters from the mountains:
Having heard about a cave entrance nearby, we then followed Darkies Terrace Road to access the Nile further upstream, within Paparoa National Park. Another 40 minute (2.8km) one-way walk at this hour? Despite the conspicuous absence of pyramids, our expectations were exceeded even before we left the car park. Dramatic limestone cliffs, tall trees and riverside meadows with surrounding bush and clear waters running over large pebbles were amazing. The walk to the Metro (Ananui) Cave entrance (access by permit/ tour only) was out of this world—and indeed was used as a location in the 2001 BBC production of Arthur Conan Doyles “Lost World”). The Nile River Valley Track followed the river and ran past the terminus for a little railway track used for Rainforest Train tours, which somehow fitted into the bush without distracting from its natural beauty:
As we keep finding, there were also things of interest on a much smaller scale, such as this deep-red rata leaf, giant lichen (we think!) and shelf fungus:
The Metro (Ananui) Cave Track begins just beyond the tourist train terminal. After crossing the suspension bridge, we climbed the carpeted track to the cave entrance (yes, it was laid with actual carpet—possibly for the benefit of cavers in wetsuits?):
The cave entrance afforded views over the forest and it was possible to go in a short way, until the point where the passage was blocked by a metal gate:
We were lucky to see this landscape in the sun, although suspect it works its magic in the rain as well. It was no less stunning on the return leg:
This walk is a true gem—why had we not heard of it? There was enough warmth left on the pebble beach to invite us in for a numbing river dip. Unfortunately, our doing so was a dinner invitation to resident sandflies, so we did not linger.
Fox River
A five star West Coast day ended with a rainbow at the Fox River freedom camping site, where a number of vans had congregated in readiness for the following day’s market (9am–3pm every Sunday):
We had not expected what came next: not a (sand)fly in the ointment, but a mouse in the van, at three in the morning. A camper has many nooks and crannies, conduits, double floor, and other compartments—ideal thoroughfares for little travelling companions. While we would be happy to share our New Zealand experience with other guests, this one was not welcome. We had to give up the hunt, however, as the mouse managed to escape our attempts at catching it with bleary eyes and plastic tubs.
After attending the market a little later than anticipated due to poor sleep, we contemplated a local walk (Fox River is the trailhead for the Inland Pack Track, c1867). However, that track got off to a muddy start and it would involve wading a river, so we decided to take advantage of the good weather and go for pancakes instead!
Pancakes of stone
The sea mist-shrouded coast along SH6 to Punakaiki was dramatic (the Coast Road has apparently been voted one of the best drives in the world):
It didn’t take long to get to the Pancake Rocks on Dolomite Point at Punakaiki, perhaps the most visited spot on the West Coast:
A recipe for making pancakes
The Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki were formed over millions of years by a combination of sedimentation, erosion, and uplift. The rocks are made up of alternating layers of hard limestone and soft sandstone, which were formed from the remains of marine organisms and other sediment deposited on the ocean floor. Over time, pressure from tectonic activity caused the layers to tilt and lift, and the softer sandstone eroded away faster than the harder limestone, resulting in the distinctive pancake-like layers visible today. Erosion from the sea and wind has also played a role in shaping the rocks, creating blowholes and tunnels that spray water and mist during high tides and stormy weather.
🧭 Exploring
The Dolomite Point contains more than rocks imitating pancakes; there are also blowholes, arches, sea caves, sea stacks and battered beaches to take in:
Pororari River Track
Also in Paparoa National Park, we decided on a short return walk along the Pororari River Track (3.6 km/ 45 min one way to suspension bridge, excluding photo stops). Nīkau and ferns gave way to beech forest, and waxeyes/ silvereyes or tauhou (Zosterops lateralis) gorged on red berries:
Our final task of the day was to reach Greymouth before shops that might sell mousetraps closed.
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