Exploring Paparoa National Park

We enjoyed great weather and beautiful scenery when we visited Paparoa National Park on New Zealand’s South Island. We only had a few hours but it was plenty of time to explore Truman Track, Pancake Rocks Blowholes, and Punakaiki Cavern.

Visiting Truman Track

Truman Track is a scenic trail that passes through a lush rainforest to a beautiful beach. Walking the trail itself only takes about 30 minutes out and back. However we enjoyed another 30 minutes wandering on the gravel beach and exploring the rocks and waterfall. We could have easily spent more time soaking up the sun in the protected cove but we had more to see in Paparoa National Park.

Visiting Pancake Rocks Blowholes

Pancake Rocks Blowholes are just a short drive from Truman Track. A beautiful trail leads from the highway through a lush rainforest to the rugged coast with a variety of rock formations including the flat stacks of Pancake Rocks. All those pancakes made me hungry but we had one more site to visit in Paparoa National Park.

Visiting Punakaiki Cavern

The last stop on our visit to Paparoa National Park was th Punakaiki Cavern. The entrance to the cavern is obscured by lush vegitation. But, once inside, its nothing but rocks and darkness! We were happy to have headlamps as we navigated the dark cavern. When we reached the back of the cavern, we turned off our lights in hopes of seeing glowworms. However, the ellusive worms must have been on holiday!

You can view the Wheels Up for New Zealand 2026 trip page to see all my blog posts, photos, and Wanderlog info.