Punakaiki is a tiny village on the wild West Coast, wedged between the Tasman Sea and the rainforest of Paparoa National Park. It is best known for the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, but the village is more than a quick coach stop if you give it a few hours.
The appeal here is the compression of coast, limestone, river, and bush. You can watch surf blast through sculpted rock at Dolomite Point, then walk north into the Pororari River valley, where cliffs rise over dark water and nikau palms. The short Truman Track adds a wilder beach and a good taste of the coastal forest.
Punakaiki is small, wet, and weather-dependent. That is part of the bargain. Come with a rain jacket, check the tide for the blowholes, and do not rush off after the boardwalk.