On the Tuesday, we had the whole day at Punakaiki to do whatever we pleased, so after breakfast Helene, Rebekka and I set off for the Pancake Rocks just up the hill, the main tourist attraction in the area. As far as I understand, no-one quite knows why the rocks there form in a way that makes them appear to be like a stack of pancakes, but they're equally interesting and scenic nonetheless.
After our walk to the rocks, we came back down the hill and had a drink in the local pub's nice garden, before heading off for the Truman Track up the road, which ultimately leads to a beach. The great weather, the presence of the rainforest and absence of cars made it feel more like a Caribbean island than New Zealand. You won't see this part of the country and this type of landscape in The Lord Of The Rings, so it doesn't always feature prominently in tourist material, but it should really be promoted more.
After a 20 minute walk through the rainforest of the Truman Track, you're rewarded with a narrow and secluded beach set in along the coastline. There only about six other people there and we had almost as long as we wanted, so Helene, Rebekka and I just spent an hour or two relaxing at the beach, taking a welcome break from our usually packed Flying Kiwi schedule.
We walked back for lunch at the pub, then went back to the campsite and helped to clean the bus. After another hour at the more immediate of the beaches, we had dinner and then went off to see a glow-worm cave, although the three luminous animals that we could find weren't that amazing.
Every now and then you need a day off, even from a bus tour, and that day was ours. It was just nice not to have to sit in the bus for hours or put up tents, things like that. The weather and company were great, so all in all, a very enjoyable day.
