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94-695: The Pancake Rocks and Blowholes are a coastal rock formation at Punakaiki on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. They are a popular visitor attraction. The Pancake Rocks and Blowholes are located at Dolomite Point, immediately adjacent to the village of Punakaiki, in an area that is protected and forms part of the Paparoa National Park . The limestone of the Pancake Rocks has been uplifted and then eroded into

188-479: A control system to augment or replace user control . Its purpose is to reduce or eliminate the user's task of driving a powerchair. Usually, a smart wheelchair is controlled via a computer , has a suite of sensors and applies techniques in mobile robotics , but this is not necessary. The type of sensors most frequently used by smart wheelchairs are the ultrasonic acoustic range finder (i.e. sonar ) and infrared red (IR) range finder. The interface may consist of

282-666: A treadmill or bicycle trainer . Some devices have been created that could be used in conjunction with virtual travel and interactive gaming similar to an omnidirectional treadmill . This convergence of virtual reality and a treadmill have been used for pediatric and adult rehabilitation to regain walking skills. In 2011, British inventor Andrew Slorance developed Carbon Black the first wheelchair to be made almost entirely out of carbon fibre Recently, EPFL 's CNBI project has succeeded in making wheelchairs that can be controlled by brain impulses. Interest in electric-powered wheelchairs that are able to climb stairs has increased over

376-525: A ban on freedom camping in the town, but this appeal was not successful. On 19 March 2020, all New Zealand's borders and entry ports were closed to non-residents in response to the pandemic. Staged re-opening of the borders did not begin until February 2022. With New Zealand's borders being closed for such an extended period, local tourism operators in Punakaiki had to adjust to lower volumes, and to refocus on attracting domestic visitors. In January 2022,

470-622: A button at the centre of the wheel. All major varieties of wheelchairs can be highly customized for the user's needs. Such customization may encompass the seat dimensions, height, seat angle, footplates, leg rests, front caster outriggers, adjustable backrests and controls. Various optional accessories are available, such as anti-tip bars or wheels, safety belts, adjustable backrests, tilt and/or recline features, extra support for limbs or head and neck, holders for crutches , walkers or oxygen tanks, drink holders, and mud and wheel-guards as clothing protectors. Light weight and high costs are related to

564-551: A convenient place to wait, and became known as the "Post Office", because diggers would leave messages and carve their names into the walls. As late as 1931, graffiti like "Sandy 1866" and "Hamilton Nov 20/65" were still visible. After crossing what is now the site of Punakaiki, the path continued over the Dolomite Point headland and descended to the Punakaiki River. Early travellers did not record or comment on

658-499: A conventional wheelchair joystick, a " sip-and-puff " device or a touch-sensitive display. This differs from a conventional powerchair, in which the user exerts manual control over speed and direction without intervention by the wheelchair's control system. Smart wheelchairs are designed for a variety of user types. Some are designed for users with cognitive impairments , such as dementia , these typically apply collision-avoidance techniques to ensure that users do not accidentally select

752-592: A different market segment, people with a limited ability to walk, but who might not otherwise consider themselves disabled. Smaller mobility scooters are typically three wheeled, with a base on which is mounted a basic seat at the rear, with a control tiller at the front. Larger scooters are frequently four-wheeled, with a much more substantial seat. Opinions are often polarized as to whether mobility scooters should be considered wheelchairs or not, and negative stereotyping of scooter users can be worse than for some manual or power-chair users. Some commercial organisations draw

846-422: A distinction between power-chairs and scooters when making access provisions due to a lack of clarity in the law as to whether scooters fall under the same equality legislation as wheelchairs. One-arm or single arm drive enables a user to self-propel a manual wheelchair using only a single arm. The large wheel on the same side as the arm to be used is fitted with two concentric handrims, one of smaller diameter than

940-486: A drive command that results in a collision. Others focus on users living with severe motor disabilities, such as cerebral palsy , or with quadriplegia , and the role of the smart wheelchair is to interpret small muscular activations as high-level commands and execute them. Such wheelchairs typically employ techniques from artificial intelligence , such as path-planning . Recent technological advances are slowly improving wheelchair and powerchair technology. A variation on

1034-469: A manual chair while providing motorised assistance for rough/uneven terrain and steep slopes that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to navigate, especially by those with limited upper-body function. As the wheels necessarily come at a weight penalty it is often possible to exchange them with standard wheels to match the capabilities of the wheelchair to the current activity. Mobility scooters share some features with powerchairs, but primarily address

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1128-411: A mining accident. Everest and Jennings saw the business potential of the invention and went on to become the first mass-market manufacturer of wheelchairs. Their "X-brace" design is still in common use, albeit with updated materials and other improvements. The X-brace idea came to Jennings from the men's folding "camp chairs/stools", rotated 90 degrees, used in the outdoors and at the mines. There are

1222-455: A motor). The two-gear wheels offer two speed ratios- 1:1 (no help, no extra torque) and 2:1, providing 100% more hill climbing force. The low gear incorporates an automatic "hill hold" function which holds the wheelchair in place on a hill between pushes, but will allow the user to override the hill hold to roll the wheels backward if needed. The low gear also provides downhill control when descending. A recent development related to wheelchairs

1316-512: A person standing at the rear and pushing on handles incorporated into the frame. Braking is supplied directly by the attendant who will usually also be provided with a foot- or hand-operated parking brake. These chairs are common in institutional settings and as loaner-chairs in large public venues. They are usually constructed from steel as light weight is less of a concern when the user is not required to self-propel. Specially designed transfer chairs are now required features at airports in much of

1410-407: A process known as grain boundary diffusion . This leads to regular bands of stronger rock separated by weaker and more erodable mudstone rock. Thousands of years of rain, wind and spray have mechanically weathered away the surface of the mudstone layers, leaving the limestone layers in relief. Uplift of the crust is continuing and its recent effects can be seen at Dolomite Point. The flat surface of

1504-422: A pronounced negative camber for the wheels (which provides stability and is helpful for making sharp turns), and often are made of composite, lightweight materials. Even seating positions may be radically different, with racing wheelchairs generally used in a kneeling position. Sport wheelchairs are rarely suited for everyday use, and are often a 'second' chair specifically for sports use, although some users prefer

1598-436: A similar design, this method of transportation did not exist until 1595 when an unknown inventor from Spain built one for King Phillip II . Although it was an elaborate chair having both armrests and leg rests, the design still had shortcomings since it did not feature an efficient propulsion mechanism and thus required assistance to propel it. This makes the design more comparable to a modern-day highchair or portable throne for

1692-457: A similar function by linking both wheels rigidly together and using one of the footplates to control steering via a linkage to the front caster. Reclining or tilt-in-space wheelchairs have seating surfaces that can be tilted to various angles. The original concept was developed by an orthotist, Hugh Barclay, who worked with disabled children and observed that postural deformities such as scoliosis could be supported or partially corrected by allowing

1786-470: A simple joystick. Adapting the built environment to make it more accessible to wheelchair users is one of the key campaigns of disability rights movements and local equality legislation such the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The social model of disability defines 'disability' as the discrimination experienced by people with impairments as a result of the failure of society to provide

1880-466: A sitting patient, or be adjusted to lie flat to help in the lateral (or supine) transfer of a patient from a bed to the chair or back. Once transferred, the stretcher can be adjusted to allow the patient to assume a sitting position. All-terrain wheelchairs can allow users to access terrain otherwise completely inaccessible to a wheelchair user. Two different formats have been developed. One hybridises wheelchair and mountain bike technology, generally taking

1974-640: A small joystick mounted on the armrest, or on the upper rear of the frame. Alternatives exist for the traditional manual joystick, including head switches, chin-operated joysticks, sip-and-puff controllers or other specialist controls, which may allow independent operation of the wheelchair for a wider population of users with varying motor impairments. Ranges of over 10 miles/15 km are commonly available from standard batteries. Powerchairs are commonly divided by their access capabilities. An indoor-chair may only reliably be able to cross completely flat surfaces, limiting them to household use. An indoor-outdoor chair

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2068-449: A straight line while moving across a slope. Sport wheelchairs often have large camber angles to improve stability. Rigid-framed chairs are generally made to measure, to suit both the specific size of the user and their needs and preferences around areas such as the "tippyness" of the chair - determined by the distance between the center of gravity and the rear axle. Experienced users with sufficient upper-body strength can generally balance

2162-822: A wheelchair and a standing frame , allowing the user to sit or stand in the wheelchair as they wish. Some versions are entirely manual, others have a powered stand on an otherwise manual chair, while others have full power, tilt, recline and variations of powered stand functions available. The benefits of such a device include, but are not limited to: aiding independence and productivity, raising self-esteem and psychological well-being, heightening social status, extending access, relief of pressure, reduction of pressure sores, improved functional reach, improved respiration, reduced occurrence of UTI , improved flexibility, help in maintaining bone mineral density, improved passive range motion, reduction in abnormal muscle tone and spasticity, and skeletal deformities. Other wheelchairs provide some of

2256-413: A wide variety of formats to meet the specific needs of their users. They may include specialized seating adaptions, and individualized controls, and may be specific to particular activities, as with sports wheelchairs and beach wheelchairs. The most widely recognized distinction is between motorized wheelchairs , where propulsion is provided by batteries and electric motors, and manual wheelchairs , where

2350-461: A wide variety of types of wheelchairs, differing by propulsion method, mechanisms of control, and technology used. Some wheelchairs are designed for general everyday use, others for single activities, or to address specific access needs. Innovation within the wheelchair industry is relatively common, but many innovations ultimately fall by the wayside, either from over-specialization or from failing to come to market at an accessible price point. The iBOT

2444-673: Is Dolomite Point, site of the Pancake Rocks , and Razorback Point at the mouth of the Punakaiki River . A feature of this part of the West Coast are the steep forested bluffs and cliffs of the Paparoa Range , descending several hundred metres to small beaches and sheer headlands, with occasional flats and terraces in between. The coastal caves and overhangs of the area bear traces of seasonal Māori occupation, and by

2538-478: Is a breeding colony located on private land, where guided tours of the colony are available. Limestone caves in the Punakaiki area preserved animal fossils dating back 25,000 years which help us visualize the fauna of the Otira Glaciation period. This fauna includes a variety of large and smalls (including moas ), amphibians, reptiles, and potentially bats and kiwi. Local conservation efforts include

2632-412: Is a recent development that uses the frame and seating of a typical rigid manual chair while replacing the standard rear wheels with wheels of similar size which incorporate batteries and battery-powered motors in the hubs. A floating rim design senses the pressure applied by the user's push and activates the motors proportionately to provide a power assist. This results in the convenience, and small size of

2726-525: Is fully electrical wheelchair power add-ons that use lithium-ion battery , brushless DC electric motor and light-weight aluminium frames with easy to attach clamps to convert almost any manual wheelchair into electrical trike in seconds. That makes long-distance journeys and everyday tasks much easier and keeps wheelchair users hands clean. There have been significant efforts over the past 20 years to develop stationary wheelchair trainer platforms that could enable wheelchair users to exercise as one would on

2820-496: Is in forest-covered coastal foothills in an 8 kilometre wide strip between Barrytown and Punakaiki, specifically between the Punakaiki River and Waiwhero (Lawson) Creek. These colonies were established in the middle of the 18th century. The Department of Conservation designated the colony area as the Westland Petrel Special Protected Area in 1999 and access by the public is restricted. There

2914-425: Is less limited, but may have restricted range or ability to deal with slopes or uneven surfaces. An outdoor chair is more capable, but will still have a very restricted ability to deal with rough terrain. A very few specialist designs offer a true cross-country capability. Powerchairs have access to the full range of wheelchair options, including ones that are difficult to provide in an unpowered manual chair, but have

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3008-527: Is located just off State Highway 6, around 500 metres (1,600 ft) north of the visitor centre. Popular local walks in the Punakaiki area include: Punakaiki also provides access to the Paparoa Track , a 55 kilometres (34 mi), 2–3 day mountain bike or tramping track that crosses the Paparoa Range . The track is the tenth New Zealand Great Walk to be created, and has been fully open since 1 March 2020. Wheelchair Wheelchairs come in

3102-427: Is particularly common among people with spinal cord injuries such as quadriplegia. In the case of tilting wheelchairs , the seat-back, seat base, and leg rests tilt back as one unit, somewhat similar to the way a person might tip a four-legged chair backward to balance it on the back legs. While fully reclining spreads the person's weight over the entire back side of the body, tilting wheelchairs transfer it from only

3196-402: Is perhaps the best-known example of this in recent years. A self-propelled manual wheelchair incorporates a frame, seat, one or two footplates (footrests), and four wheels: usually two caster wheels at the front and two large wheels at the back. There will generally also be a separate seat cushion. The larger rear wheels usually have push-rims of slightly smaller diameter projecting just beyond

3290-427: Is the handcycle . They come in a variety of forms, from the road and track racing models to off-road types modelled after mountain bikes . While dedicated handcycle designs are manufactured, clip-on versions are available that can convert a manual wheelchair to a handcycle in seconds. The general concept is a clip-on front-fork with hand-pedals, usually attaching to a mounting on the footplate. A somewhat related concept

3384-544: Is the Freewheel, a large dolley wheel attaching to the front of a manual wheelchair, again generally to the footplate mounting, which improves wheelchair performance over rough terrain. Unlike a handcycle, a wheelchair with a Freewheel continues to be propelled via the rear wheels. There are several types of hybrid-powered handcycles where hand-pedals and used along with the electrical motor that helps on hills and large distances. The most recent generation of clip-on handcycles

3478-437: Is the installation of shock absorbers, such as "Frog Legs", which cushion the bumps over which the chair rolls. These shock absorbers may be added to the front wheels, to the rear wheels, or both. Rigid chairs also have the option for their rear wheels to have a camber, or tilt, which angles the tops of the wheels in toward the chair. This allows for more mechanically efficient propulsion by the user and also makes it easier to hold

3572-458: Is under development, and has been tested in Kenya and India so far. The addition of geared, all-mechanical wheels for manual wheelchairs is a new development incorporating a hypocycloidal reduction gear into the wheel design. The 2-gear wheels can be added to a manual wheelchair. The geared wheels provide a user with additional assistance by providing leverage through gearing (like a bicycle, not

3666-545: The COVID-19 pandemic , around 500,000 visitors each year passed through Punakaiki, and most stopped at Dolomite Point to walk out and view the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. The peak visitor numbers were around 6,000 a day. Overseas visitors made up 92% of the business at the local Punakaiki tavern, and 85% at the Punakaiki campground. The large number of visitors to the small village has put a strain on local infrastructure, and requires levels of investment that cannot be funded by

3760-563: The Pancake Rocks & Blowholes. In September 2020, as part of an economic stimulus in response to the pandemic, the Government announced a grant from the Provincial Growth Fund for redevelopment of visitor facilities at Punakaiki. The $ 26 million project included a new visitor centre, Department of Conservation (DOC) information centre, community meeting room, and offices for the local hapū , Ngāti Waewae . There

3854-586: The Pliocene , a few million years ago, the Kaikoura Orogeny led to slow folding and faulting of sedimentary layers in the Paparoa region, raising them above sea level. Following this uplift, erosion processes stripped away most of the sedimentary rocks which covered the region. However, at Punakaiki, a downwarping of the crust preserved much of the sedimentary layers. Where the limestone now appears at

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3948-482: The omniwheel or the Mecanum wheel . These allow for a broader spectrum of movement, but have made no mass-market penetration. The electric wheelchair shown on the right is fitted with Mecanum wheels (sometimes known as Ilon wheels) which give it complete freedom of movement. It can be driven forwards, backward, sideways, and diagonally, and also turned around on the spot or turned around while moving, all operated from

4042-670: The "Razorback Road", now known as the Inland Pack Track , to avoid the coast completely, heading up the Fox River, south through rough hill country, and emerging at the mouth of the Punakaiki River. The route which linked Cobden , north of Greymouth , with the gold workings at Brighton on the mouth of the Fox River , cost perhaps £10,000 and was completed by October 1867, but was not a success: it required too many river crossings that were difficult in times of flood, and after

4136-581: The 6th and 5th century BC. The first records of wheeled seats being used for transporting disabled people date to three centuries later in China; the Chinese used early wheelbarrows to move people as well as heavy objects. A distinction between the two functions was not made for another several hundred years, until around AD 525, when images of wheeled chairs made specifically to carry people began to occur in Chinese art. Although Europeans eventually developed

4230-457: The Boardwalk. Soon, many healthy tourists also rented the decorated "rolling chairs" and servants to push them as a show of decadence and treatment they could never experience at home. In 1933 Harry C. Jennings Sr. and his disabled friend Herbert Everest, both mechanical engineers , invented the first lightweight, steel, folding, portable wheelchair. Everest had previously broken his back in

4324-561: The Pancake Rock formations, which are just 15 minutes from the track, and Māori did not appear to have highlighted them to early European explorers. Those heading south to the diggings at Canoe Creek still had to navigate the Razorback, navigating a narrow path between a deep chasm on one side and a sheer drop to the beach on the other. A vehicular road was not built here until 1929, finally connecting Greymouth and Westport. In 2018,

4418-518: The Pancake Rocks are the most photographed rock formations in New Zealand. The site is accessible by a number of walkways winding through the rock formations. Parts of these are wheelchair -accessible and others are carved into stairways up and down the rock faces. Punakaiki Punakaiki is a small village on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located between Westport and Greymouth on State Highway 6 ,

4512-536: The Paparoa National Park, Punakaiki has a diverse range of birdlife and marine wildlife. Fur seals are seen on the rocks and Hector's dolphins close to the shore. Birds seen in the area include blue penguin , blue shag , black shag , Australasian gannet , white-faced heron , weka , kererū , tūī , bellbird , fantail , grey warbler , and tomtit . The Westland petrel has its only known breeding colonies close to Punakaiki. The breeding range

4606-798: The Punakaiki Coastal Restoration Project which was started by the Department of Conservation , aluminum production company Rio Tinto, and Conservation Volunteers in 2009. The project covers 40 ha and is 4 km south of Punakaiki. The intention is to restore the Sand Forest Flats and provide a forest to sea corridor. The land is owned by the Department of Conservation. Located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, Punakaiki has an oceanic climate with prevailing westerlies, which accounts for

4700-533: The West Coast, a large number of visitors pass through the town. The village is on the southern border of Buller District , where it meets Grey District , and lies on the edge of Paparoa National Park . To the north is the sheer bluff Perpendicular Point , known as Te Miko. The settlement sits to the south, by the Pororari Lagoon at the mouth of the Porarari River . To the south of the village

4794-402: The adaptions needed for them to participate in society as equals. This includes both physical adaptions of the built environment and adaption of organizational and social structures and attitudes. A core principle of access is universal design - that all people regardless of disability are entitled to equal access to all parts of society like public transportation and buildings. A wheelchair user

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4888-431: The buttocks and thighs (in the seated position) to partially on the back and head (in the tilted position). Tilting wheelchairs are preferred for people who use molded or contoured seats, who need to maintain a particular posture, who adversely affected by sheer forces (reclining causes the body to slide slightly every time), or who need to keep a communication device, powered wheelchair controls, or other attached device in

4982-523: The campground operators reported that they had been fully booked over the Christmas holiday season, with most of the visitors from the South Island, and many coming to do the Paparoa Track . However, tourism operators reported major reductions in bookings for the period after the summer school holidays. The Paparoa National Park visitor centre is located at Dolomite Point, opposite the entrance to

5076-401: The caverns. The best conditions for viewing the blowholes are at high tide when there is a large incoming ocean swell. State Highway 6 is the only through-road on the West Coast, and a large number of visitors pass through Punakaiki. In 2017, it was estimated that there were 450,000 visitors, and many of these take the short walk to view the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. It has been claimed that

5170-404: The chains instead or jammed sticks into the links. There was, however, an inland trail crossing a higher terrace through rātā forest; prospector William Smart was guided through it by local Māori to avoid the "rotten" ladders. By October 1866, the authorities had cut a track to avoid the ladders, but it soon degenerated into a morass. In 1867, under-employed "diggers"(prospectors) were used to cut

5264-657: The chair on its rear wheels, a "wheelie", and the "tippyness" of the chair controls the ease with which this can be initiated. The wheelie allows an independent wheelchair user to climb and descend curbs and move more easily over small obstacles and irregular ground such as cobbles. The rear wheels of self-propelled wheelchairs typically range from 20–24 in (510–610 mm) in diameter, and commonly resemble bicycle wheels. Wheels are rubber-tired and may be solid, pneumatic or gel-filled. The wheels of folding chairs may be permanently attached, but those for rigid chairs are commonly fitted with quick-release axles activated by depressing

5358-692: The chair. Rigid chairs typically feature instant-release rear wheels and backrests that fold down flat, allowing the user to dismantle the chair quickly for storage in a car. A few wheelchairs attempt to combine the features of both designs by providing a fold-to-rigid mechanism in which the joints are mechanically locked when the wheelchair is in use. Many rigid models are made with light materials such as aluminium and titanium , and wheelchairs of composite materials such as carbon-fibre have started to appear. Ultra lightweight rigid wheelchairs are commonly known as 'active user chairs' as they are ideally suited to independent use. Another innovation in rigid chair design

5452-410: The creation of caverns that become sea caves. When the sea cave erodes upwards and towards the land, it can create an opening to the surface. Incoming waves trap air in the sea cave and the air inside the cave becomes compressed, leading to the ejection of air and water upwards from the top of the blowhole. The activity level of the blowhole depends on factors like tide, sea conditions and the geometry of

5546-441: The current landforms by a combination of two processes – karst erosion (a slow process where chemical erosion of the limestone occurs through the action of water flowing in joints and caverns), and coastal erosion (including the collapse of caverns). The Pancake Rocks are a heavily eroded limestone formation where the sea bursts through several vertical blowholes during incoming swells, particularly at high tide. The limestone

5640-408: The developed world in order to allow access down narrow airliner aisles and facilitate the transfer of wheelchair-using passengers to and from their seats on the aircraft. An electric-powered wheelchair, commonly called a "powerchair" is a wheelchair that additionally incorporates batteries and electric motors into the frame and that is controlled by either the user or an attendant, most commonly via

5734-464: The different designs is that they have extra-wide balloon wheels or tires, to increase stability and decrease ground pressure on uneven or unsteady terrain. Different models are available, both manual and battery-driven. In some countries in Europe, where accessible tourism is well established, many beaches have wheelchairs of this type available for loan/hire. A smart wheelchair is any powerchair using

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5828-424: The disadvantage of significant extra weight. Where an ultra-lightweight manual chair may weigh under 10 kg, the largest outdoor power-chairs may weigh 200 kg or more. Smaller power chairs often have four wheels, with front or rear wheel drive, but large outdoor designs commonly have six wheels, with small wheels at front and rear and somewhat larger powered wheels in the centre. A power-assisted wheelchair

5922-402: The form of a frame within which the user sits and with four mountain bike wheels at the corners. In general, there are no push-rims and propulsion/braking is by pushing directly on the tyres. A more common variant is the beach wheelchair (beach-going wheelchair) which can allow better mobility on beach sand, including in the water, on uneven terrain, and even on snow. The common adaptation among

6016-554: The formation of the Southern Alps . Large amounts of sand and mud were eroded from the emerging land and deposited on the sea floor, on top of the shell debris. Over the following 20 million years, as the uplift of the crust continued, the older shell debris became buried under a great thickness of accumulated sand and mud. The high pressures created by the new layers expelled water from the shelly sediment, and this gradually became cemented and lithified to form limestone rock. In

6110-531: The gold rush ended and the diggers moved on it fell into disrepair. In January 1873, the Grey River Argus called the road "perfectly useless" and it was little-used after the 1870s. Travellers who crossed Te Miko plateau stopped at the Pororari River lagoon, and waited for low tide to cross the mudflats (while avoiding quicksand). A dry limestone overhang on the north side of the lagoon was

6204-404: The headland is in fact an old beach surface, formed at sea level 100,000 years ago and since uplifted by around 35 metres (115 ft). Patches of beach gravel and sand can be found on the headland. The blowholes at Dolomite Point, Punakaiki have been formed through combined processes of erosion. The action of waves, combined with karst erosion in joints and faults in the limestone rock, leads to

6298-407: The main village. From a visitor centre and cafe a wheelchair-navigable path leads to the stylobedded pancake rock formations and central Putai Blowhole, which spouts spectacularly at high tide and during a south-westerly swell. One of the nearby attractions in Punakaiki is an easily accessible cavern. There is around 130 metres (430 ft) of passageways, with stalactites and glow worms. The cavern

6392-444: The manual wheelchair market. At the low-cost end, heavy, folding steel chairs with sling seats and little adaptability dominate. Users may be temporarily disabled, or using such a chair as a loaner, or simply unable to afford better. These chairs are common as "loaners" at large facilities such as airports, amusement parks and shopping centers. A slightly higher price band sees the same folding design produced in aluminium. The high end of

6486-627: The manually-propelled wheelchair is the Leveraged Freedom Chair (LFC), designed by the MIT Mobility Lab. This wheelchair is designed to be low-cost, constructed with local materials, for users in developing countries. Engineering modifications have added hand-controlled levers to the LFC, to enable users to move the chair over uneven ground and minor obstacles, such as bumpy dirt roads, that are common in developing countries. It

6580-425: The market contains ultra-light models, extensive seating options and accessories, all-terrain features, and so forth. The most expensive manual chairs may rival the cost of a small car. An attendant-propelled wheelchair (also known as a companion or transfer chair) is generally similar to a self-propelled manual wheelchair, but with small diameter wheels at both front and rear. The chair is maneuvered and controlled by

6674-407: The only through-road on the West Coast. Punakaiki is immediately adjacent to Paparoa National Park , and is also the access point for a popular visitor attraction, the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes . Punakaiki is located on State Highway 6, and is 46.3 kilometres (28.8 mi) north of Greymouth and 56.3 kilometres (35.0 mi) south of Westport. Because State Highway 6 is the only through-road on

6768-437: The other. On most models the outer, smaller rim, is connected to the wheel on the opposite side by an inner concentric axle. When both handrims are grasped together, the chair may be propelled forward or backward in a straight line. When either handrim is moved independently, only a single wheel is used and the chair will turn left or right in response to the handrim used. Some wheelchairs, designed for use by hemiplegics , provide

6862-597: The past twenty years. Therefore, many electric wheelchairs with the ability to climb stairs have been developed. Electric-powered wheelchairs with climbing ability need to be stronger and have greater movement in comparison to an electric-powered wheelchair that cannot climb stairs. They must also be stable in order to prevent injury to the wheelchair user. There are currently a number of electric powered wheelchairs that are able to climb stairs available to purchase. Technical developments are continuing in this area. Experiments have also been made with unusual variant wheels, like

6956-425: The propulsive force is provided either by the wheelchair user or occupant pushing the wheelchair by hand (self-propelled), by an attendant pushing from the rear using the handle(s), or by an attendant pushing from the side use a handle attachment. The earliest records of wheeled furniture are an inscription found on a stone slate in China and a child's bed depicted in a frieze on a Greek vase , both dating between

7050-400: The remnants of Cyclone Fehi caused severe damage to the road immediately north of Dolomite point. Improvements costing $ 7.8 million were completed by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to provide more resilience to this section of State Highway 6. There are fewer than 100 permanent residents, but the village has been host to at least 500,000 visitors in some years. Located on the edge of

7144-399: The roof of the building. There was controversy in 2021 about the decision to transfer the facility to Ngāti Waewae on completion, and plans for charging visitors for entry to the "Experience Centre". A ceremony to mark the start of construction on the new visitor cente was led by Ngāti Waewae on 28 May 2022. The Pancake Rocks are a very popular tourist destination at Dolomite Point south of

7238-420: The rotten steps gave way under our feet, our position was far from being pleasant. A number of cormorants and other marine birds, too, that had their nests in the crevices of the rock were screaming and wheeling about us at the intrusion." During the gold rush of the 1860s these were replaced by chain ladders, soon known as " Jacob's Ladder ", but the wooden rungs were destroyed by overuse, and travellers slid down

7332-432: The same benefits by raising the entire seat to lift the user to standing height. A range of disabled sports have been developed for disabled athletes, including basketball , rugby , tennis , racing and dancing . The wheelchairs used for each sport have evolved to suit the specific needs of that sport and often no longer resemble their everyday cousins. They are usually non-folding (in order to increase rigidity), with

7426-433: The same relative position throughout the day. Tilting wheelchairs are commonly used by people with cerebral palsy, people with some muscle diseases, and people with limited range of motion in the hip or knee joints. Tilting options are more common than reclining options in wheelchairs designed for use by children. A standing wheelchair is one that supports the user in a nearly standing position. They can be used as both

7520-581: The sea floor along with small amounts of sand and mud eroded from nearby islands. Over millions of years, vast quantities of shell debris accumulated on the sea floor, eventually forming a thick deposit of nearly pure calcium carbonate . About 25 million years ago, at the beginning of the Miocene , there was a phase of upward movement of the Earth's crust (known as the Kaikoura Orogeny ), that led to

7614-513: The small number of ratepayers. Some of the main concerns were the inadequate provision of car parks and toilet facilities to meet demand at peak times. There had also been concerns from the local community about the behaviour and impact of "freedom campers" – those who stay the night in their cars or campervans in a public place, rather than the campground. In 2016, residents petitioned the Buller District and Grey District councils for

7708-419: The sports options for everyday use. Some disabled people, specifically lower-limb amputees, may use a wheelchair for sports, but not for everyday activities. While most wheelchair sports use manual chairs, some power chair sports, such as powerchair football , exist. Hockey can also be played from electrical wheelchairs. Wheelchair stretchers are a variant of wheeled stretchers/gurneys that can accommodate

7802-485: The strong maritime influence on the local climate and the high annual rainfall, amplified by the Paparoa Range immediately to the east. Mean minimum temperatures throughout the year are higher than any other West Coast location, giving the Punakaiki area a distinct lack of frost; no month has a mean temperature below 10 °C (50 °F), lending a subtropical note to the climate. In the period immediately before

7896-455: The surface at Dolomite Point, erosion has removed all the younger mudstones and sandstones. Subsequent erosion of the limestone headland has created the unusual karst landscape. The regular layering that can be observed in the Pancake Rocks results from a process called stylobedding . Under the influence of high pressure and compaction, small imperfections in the calcium carbonate that forms the limestone tend to aggregate in horizontal planes, in

7990-454: The time Europeans arrived the area was the home of the Ngāti Waewae people, a hapū of Kāi Tahu , who traded much-prized pounamu . Early European explorers navigating the coast encountered sheer cliffs at Te Miko, navigable only by climbing ladders totalling 46 feet high (or so Haast estimated) made of harakeke and rotting rātā vine . Charles Heaphy noted in 1846 that "…as several of

8084-414: The two sides together. This is an advantage for people who need to store the wheelchair frequently or to put it in a small vehicle. Rigid wheelchairs have permanently welded joints and many fewer moving parts. This reduces the energy required to push the chair by eliminating many points where the chair would flex and absorb energy as it moves. Welded rather than folding joints also reduce the overall weight of

8178-525: The tyre; these allow the user to manoeuvre the chair by pushing on them without requiring them to grasp the tyres. Manual wheelchairs generally have brakes that bear on the tyres of the rear wheels, however, these are solely a parking brakes and in-motion braking is provided by the user's palms bearing directly on the push-rims. As this causes friction and heat build-up, particularly on long downslopes, many wheelchair users will choose to wear padded wheelchair gloves. Manual wheelchairs often have two push handles at

8272-406: The upper rear of the frame to allow for manual propulsion by a second person, however many active wheelchair users will remove these to prevent unwanted pushing from people who believe they are being helpful. Everyday manual wheelchairs come in two major varieties, folding or rigid. Folding chairs are generally low-end designs, whose predominant advantage is being able to fold, generally by bringing

8366-463: The user can lie down completely flat. Reclining wheelchairs are preferred in some cases for some medical purposes, such as reducing the risk of pressure sores, providing passive movement of hip and knee joints, and making it easier to perform some nursing procedures, such as intermittent catheterization to empty the bladder and transfers to beds, and also for personal reasons, such as people who like using an attached tray. The use of reclining wheelchairs

8460-414: The wealthy than to a modern-day wheelchair for disabled people. In 1655, Stephan Farffler , a 22-year-old paraplegic watchmaker, built the world's first self-propelling chair on a three-wheel chassis using a system of cranks and cogwheels . However, the device resembled a hand bike more than a wheelchair since the design included hand cranks mounted at the front wheel. A self-propelled wheelchair

8554-418: The wheelchair user to relax in a tilted position. The feature is also of value to users who are unable to sit upright for extended periods for pain or other reasons. In the case of reclining wheelchairs , the seat-back tilts back, and the leg rests can be raised, while the seat base remains in the same position, somewhat similar to a common recliner chair. Some reclining wheelchairs lean back far enough that

8648-438: Was also funding for a highway crossing and car park, and a walking and cycling path to improve accessibility for visitors. One unusual aspect of the plans for the "Experience Centre" was a green roof . Seeds and seedlings of around a dozen species chosen for the roof were gathered from the local area and 11,000 plants were raised in a Conservation Volunteers New Zealand nursery at Barrytown Flats for subsequent establishment on

8742-539: Was formed in the Oligocene period (around 22–30 million years old), a period in the geological history of New Zealand where most of the continent of Zealandia was submerged beneath shallow seas. The limestone rocks of the Punakaiki region began forming on the sea floor in warm coastal waters, offshore from a group of low-lying islands. There was a great profusion and diversity of marine organisms growing in these waters, and when these animals died, their shells settled on

8836-809: Was made for the Parliamentarian commander-in-chief Sir Thomas Fairfax due to the many injuries he had received during the English Civil War , and he used it during the final years of his life. The wheelchair of Thomas Fairfax is currently on display at the National Civil War Centre in Newark-on-Trent . The invalid carriage or Bath chair brought the technology into more common use from around 1760. In 1887, wheelchairs ("rolling chairs") were introduced to Atlantic City so invalid tourists could rent them to enjoy

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