Abstract Arthur Bloom once wrote, in a statement of posthumous appreciation of Sir Charles Cotton, that no New Zealand geomorphologist could ever really be away from the coast ( Bloom 1974 ). It is true to that sentiment that, despite being few in number, geomorphologists working in New Zealand have made a significant and enduring contribution to our understanding of rocky coasts. In large part that contribution can be traced to the countries’ spectacular geographical setting and associated variety of rock coast landforms. In this chapter we summarize the geographical setting in which New Zealand's rocky landscape is situated and describe the various lithological and process controls on landscape evolution. The remainder of the chapter provides a perspective on the contribution made by geomorphologists studying New Zealand's rocky coast. That review is centred on three methodological epochs: (a) explanatory description; (b) emerging emphasis on measurement; and (c) process-based studies.