The tourist Mecca of Punakaiki is bursting at the seams

Thursday, 28 December 2017

A rainbow above a blow hole at full tide at the Pancake Rocks, a West Coast tourist attraction.

With 450,000 visitors a year, the West Coast's Punakaiki is one of New Zealand's most attractive tourist destinations – but the small community is struggling to cope. Now, they're coming together to ensure their little town remains a pristine paradise for all. Sam Strong pays a visit.

Known as the 'jewel in the crown' of the West Coast, the mountainous landscape of Punakaiki has enough natural wonder to amaze any visitor.

Tourists file through the 30 minute walk at the Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki.

Once a hideaway for craftspeople, artists, hippies and those escaping retribution from the law, the small village of around 100 permanent residents now welcomes about 450,000 people a year, with many drawn to the wild coastal vistas and the area's best known feature, the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes.

And with a new Great Walk expected to open in 2019, it's expected to see visitor numbers soar.

Karel Jadrnicek of Christchurch had noticed improved signage when he had visited Punakaiki during his recent travels.

Hydrangea Cottages owner Karen Dickson believes the increased tourists attracted by the Great Walk will be a good thing for the region, but is unsure how they'll cope.

'Me and other people are thinking, 'are there enough services and facilities to cope?'

More car park space is a necessity to cope with staggering tourist numbers.

All sorts of native vegetation surrounds and dwarfs visitors who walk the brief Truman Track, north of the Punakaiki village.

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'Certainly there's an issue about parking and too many people going through the Pancake Rocks at certain times when all the buses are there. It's too much, that's probably a numbers management issue,' she says.

Given its remote location about a 45 minutes drive south of Westport, or north of Greymouth, catering for huge numbers of travellers from all over the world is not without its challenges.

There's no general store, so stocks like milk or bread can't be bought in the village, and there is an increasing need for more parking and public toilet facilities to cope with the staggering numbers of tourists who visit.

Its two eateries, the Punakaiki Tavern and Pancake Rocks Cafe, punch well above their weight catering for busloads of visitors, backpackers or locals on road trips during the peak season from October to May.

And the small collection of guest houses and the village's backpackers cram in guests from all over the world. Many more park up in their cars and campervans for the night, in what's become known as 'freedom camping'.

The explosion in visitors, and the preference for spending a penny without dropping a dime, has stirred resentment between locals and their half million or so annual guests.

Concerns came to the fore a year ago when 95 per cent of Punakaiki's residents signed a petition to ban the activity in the area.

The petition was presented to both the Grey and Buller District Councils and both rejected the call to ban campers whether they were self-contained or not.

The well-used walking tracks were continually being abused by freedom campers, petitioners said.

Instead, each council promised to work together with the Department of Conservation [DOC] and the community to come up with a solution to the residents' concerns.

There has been no further progress since the decision was deferred, but all West Coast councils identified that they should work together on the freedom camping issue.

Some business owners have spent the past two decades quietly building their operations, now stand to reap the rewards of increased visitor numbers in the quieter winter months.

A lack of rental properties and enough employable locals have also created challenges.

Beach Hostel owner and Pancake Rocks Cafe manager Patrick Volk says most New Zealanders don't want to do the dirty work.

'I would love [to employ locals], but who wants to do those dishes, clean toilets, sell sausages, be on the coffee machine all day, who wants to be on the till?' he says.

Volk says Punakaiki and the wider West Coast region needs incentives to attract workers due to its isolation.

Mobile phone reception also drops off outside the village and south of the Pancake Rocks.

While some visitors may relish the chance to be disconnected from their workplace, tourists have come to expect these services, Punakaiki Tavern owner Lorraine Ryder says.

'Visitors expect cell phone coverage, wi-fi. They have to look at services in the village,' Ryder says.

Ryder is also proud to report the tavern has had success employing locals – 13 in summer and five through winter.

'It's a fantastic place to live. It's a lifestyle for us, it's not always money that makes a life,' she says.

Boil water notices have also plagued residents in the small village. Last year residents were on boil water notices for 60 per cent of the year – 221 days.

Buller Mayor Garry Howard has requested help from the Government, citing Punakaiki's 'national significance' because of its tourism and hospitality industries.

The local council has begun looking into options that ensure the town can cope with increasing tourism numbers.

A report to the Buller District Council tabled options to ensure the 81 ratepayers of Punakaiki had a stable supply, but it could cost up to $2.5 million.

The village's homeowners contributed about $61,000 in rates a year to their water scheme – an average of $753 each.

A new filtration membrane was forecast to cost $107,000 a year, while a new water supply would cost $316,000 annually – creating a funding shortfall of $255,000.

'I definitely hope they find a solution because there is no money and the small village of Punakaiki can't pay a water plant in the millions,' Volk says.

Protection against sea erosion at the village was completed in time for Christmas. West Coast Regional Council approved an extension of the new 180m sea wall that protects properties including a hostel, camp ground, the tavern and houses at the village.

A council spokeswoman says full costs were yet to come in but will be in the range of $450,000. The annual plan proposed the camping ground of which Buller District Council leases, pay 75 per cent of the capital costs.

It was further resolved that council paid 100 per cent of the camp's share of the rock wall by paying the West Coast Regional Council capital targeted rate, with the camp responsible for the maintenance rate.

While the decision to charge ratepayers who live in the village on a variable scale was contentious, Ryder says it had to be done to ensure the village was viable into the future.

'I think the sea wall is fantastic, it had to happen,' she says.

Regardless, the visitors will continue to stream in to Punakaiki.

THE TOURIST'S VIEW

Holidaymaker Karel Jadrnicek of Christchurch has been touring the West Coast with his wife and child this summer. The family had visited Punakaiki in the past and noticed improved signage on their latest visit.

'There's more designated parking, even Truman's Track, all brand new platform and marked up,' he says.

Road maintenance was another issue and he complimented crews who work to clear debris and slips.

'It's a beautiful stretch up the coast. To drive it is enjoyable.'

Annie and Marcus Meier from Germany have been on a working holiday.

They arrived about 2pm on December 27 at the Pancake Rocks and say it was the biggest crowd of people they had seen on their travels.

'Everyone was having ice cream,' Marcus Meier laughs.

Annie Meier suggests an extension to the public parking will alleviate the visitors' trouble finding space.

'Public parking was crowded…for some people it was hard to find a free space,' she says.

However, both are grateful for the clean facilities provided.

'The walkways, streets were well maintained and quite safe,' Marcus Meier says.

He also noted that it was smart to prepare for when cell phone coverage dropped out.

'If you have offline maps, that's alright.'

NZ'S NEXT GREAT WALK

The new Great Walk, currently under construction, may further stretch the ratepayers of Punakaiki.

Ten million dollars has been set aside for the construction of the country's first Great Walk since Kepler in 1987. It will also be the first DOC track to accommodate both mountain-bikers and walkers.

The Pike River Families' Committee chose the name Paparoa Track for the new Great Walk, while a 9km track from the Paparoa Track to the Pike River mine site will be called the Pike 29 Memorial Track.

The track will link Punakaiki to Blackball and the Pike River Mine.

Mountain-bikers and trampers should be brimming with excitement for the newest addition to the Great Walk network that will traverse the lush coastal vegetation and Paparoa Range alternating between rainforest, gorges and open alpine mountain terrain.

In July, when it was announced that construction was to begin, former Environment Minister Nick Smith said the track was expected to open in April 2019.

The Great Walk will be a centrepiece of the number of day walks that give visitors the option to immerse themselves among coastal vegetation, Nikau Palms and Rimu that blanket the steep hills.

A brief walk along the Truman track takes you through to a lookout where the view of patterned limestone cliff face meets wild, windswept waves rolling in off the Tasman Sea.

Other surrounding walks for people of all fitness levels include sections of the Inland Pack track, accessed adjacent to the Pororari River or near the Punakaiki River south of the township.

Tourism operators are excited as the Great Walk will offer tourists more reasons to stay in Punakaiki and it may help create a new business in the village.