People visiting Punakaiki, on the West Coast of the South Island this summer are discovering new ways to get naturing in this coastal destination.
Two new tracks – a nature walk to a scenic viewpoint behind the Ngāti Waewae Punangairi Experience Centre, which houses the DOC visitor centre, and a link pathway leading to the southern end of the village, cutting out a dangerous section of the highway, are now complete.
The two tracks are the final parts of the Dolomite Point Redevelopment Project, which broke ground in November 2020 with the goal of upgrading the visitor infrastructure in Punakaiki to reflect its status as a world class destination.
The Provincial Growth Fund funded project, which has been a multi-agency initiative led by the Department of Conservation, has seen the building of the multi award winning Punangairi Experience Centre, development of a carpark, landscaping around the village centre, and construction of a 4.2 km-long shared cycle/walkway connecting the Punakaiki River in the south to the entry of the Truman Track at the northern end of Punakaiki.
As well as being an entry and exit point for the popular multi-day Paparoa Track and home of the world-famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes Walk, Punakaiki is important culturally for local hapū Ngāti Waewae, who now own and manage the Punangairi Visitor Experience Centre.
Chairman Francois Tumahai says the new nature walk has been named 'Te Korowai o Punangairi' which translates to 'A journey through the natural world of Punangairi'.
"The walk takes manuhiri through the nikau forest to a viewing area where the Pancake Rocks and the Paparoa coastline can be viewed and is a great addition to this place."
Phil Rossiter, who led the project for DOC, says the tracks add to the nature experience people come to Punakaiki for, enable more slow-paced access between Punakaiki attractions, and are the final elements in a project that will future proof the destination for many years to come.
NATURE LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM HERE
Nature isn't scenery. Nature is a society that we rely on for everything, every day. It's behind our identity and our way of life.
