Marlborough Sounds
Holiday park · South Island
Punakaiki Beach Camp
West Coast
Camping a two-minute walk from the Pancake Rocks, with the Tasman surf on your doorstep.
Punakaiki Beach Camp sits behind the dunes at the northern end of the village, close enough to the Pancake Rocks that you can walk to them before breakfast and have the boardwalk to yourself. Most people drive through Punakaiki in an afternoon; staying the night is what turns it into the highlight of the West Coast.
The sea here is not for swimming — the Tasman comes in hard against a steep shingle beach and the rips are serious. What it is good for is sitting outside with a coffee while the swell breaks, and for a sunset that regularly beats anything else on the coast.
Practical notes: fill up with fuel in Westport or Greymouth, because there is very little in between. Sandflies are present and persistent, so keep the fly screens shut in the evening. And the coast road either side of the village is one of the great drives in the country — narrow, cliff-hugging, and worth doing slowly.
Planning this area? West Coast camping guide →
