The Tranzalpine dropped us off at Graymouth. The big highlight for the family was a walk in Paparoa National Park to see the famous Pancake Rocks. Here's the science of it all as I understand it: They were formed 30 million years ago from tiny pieces of dead marine life which had landed on the seabed roughly 1.5 miles below sea level. Big time pressure from the overlying water caused the fragments to solidify in alternately laying layers of hard and limestone. In short, they look like stacks of pancakes served horizontally and vertically. Cool stuff. Enclosed is a picture of the pancake rocks with images that one might see within the rocks aka "Old Man of the Mountain". Alden, our resident pancake eater, sits on a smaller set of pancakes. Yes, he was served pancakes on this trip at least once. Not an easy task on the road.
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