Visiting Okarito Lagoon
Don’t miss a visit to beautiful, coastal Okarito Lagoon, just a 13-km (8-mile) detour off the highway, 15 km (9.3 miles) north of Franz Josef township. An immense forest-fringed coastal lagoon, nestled in scenic splendor beneath the Southern Alps, Okarito is arguably one of the largest, most pristine wetlands remaining in New Zealand. It is home to thousands of sea and wading birds and is backed by the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary, 27,000 acres of lowland forest and home of the Rowi, a rare species of kiwi. Back in 1866 Okarito was a thriving town of more than 1,200 people, with three theaters and 25 hotels. People came for the gold and for many years there was a working port inside the bar at the entrance to the lagoon. Things have changed dramatically and Okarito is now known for its natural values. A tiny settlement remains, most people just visit to kayak or cruise on the lagoon, watch the birds, walk the short forest and coastal trails, or head out at night for a kiwi-spotting expedition.
Okarito Boat Tours. Relax as this open-air, shallow-draught boat glides quietly across the lagoon, nosing into narrow channels lined with ancient rain forest. Watch the feeding birds, possibly a white heron visiting from its nearby breeding colony, or a godwit, one of thousands that fly here each summer from Arctic Siberia. Look up to the majestic backdrop of Aoraki/Mt. Cook and Franz Josef Glacier. Your host Swade runs three daily tours. Trips leave from Okarito Wharf; bookings are recommended. Okarito Wharf, Okarito, West Coast, 7886. 03/753–4223; okaritoboattours.co.nz. From NZ$150.
Okarito Kiwi Tours. Ian Cooper holds the only concession here to take visitors to see kiwi in their natural habitat. He is absolutely passionate about the Okarito kiwi. He'll have you walking softly through the bush, listening for their scuffles and calls, before catching a glimpse of these elusive flightless birds. It's an incredibly rare experience and Mr. Cooper promises a 98% chance of seeing one on a night tour; all you need to bring is patience and some warm, quiet clothes (no nylon windbreakers). Tours last three to five hours, depending on how shy the kiwi are. 53 The Strand, Okarito, West Coast, 7886. 03/753–4330; www.okaritokiwitours.co.nz. NZ$75. Evenings only.
Okarito Nature Tours. Explore the lagoon, the largest and possibly least modified coastal wetland in New Zealand, in a rented kayak or on a guided kayak. The lagoon is renowned for its birdlife. Look for the plucky godwits and other migrants that fly here all the way from Siberia each spring (and back in autumn). It's also a great spot to see white herons, who pop over here to feed from their sole New Zealand nesting ground in the Waitangiroto River, close by. Enjoy the views—dense rain forest backed by the Southern Alps—then nose your way into a tiny inlet, where the vegetation on each bank almost touches across the water. 1 The Strand, Okarito, West Coast, 7889. 03/753–4014; www.okarito.co.nz; www.birdingwestcoast.co.nz. From NZ$50 unguided and NZ$90 guided (minimum of 2 people).
