Porarari Riverside: Photograph by Will Tenney

Porarari Riverside

The terrain on the west coast of the South Island is quite rough. The mountains thrust up just inland from the coast to form the long chain of the backbone of the island. Cutting deep into these mountains are glaciers and rivers, constantly eroding the rock and carrying it to the sea. Near Punakaiki, the famous “pancake” rocks, the Porarari River flows out of Paparoa National Park. Steep nearly vertical sided chasms flank the river, home to a lush semi-tropical jungle near the river’s edge. We hiked a couple of miles along the river bank in awe of the natural beauty all around us.