Okarito Overview

On the edge of the 3200-hectare Okarito Lagoon, this tiny seaside community offers serenity unparalleled along the coast. Certainly not known for its size (pop. 35), Okarito is famous instead as a habitat for a vast array of bird species, including the white heron and endangered brown kiwi. Some travelers use the town—just 28km north of Franz Josef Glacier and 13km off SH6—as a retreat from the over-touristed glaciers and their rainy weather. The town is certainly worth a visit for those who have their own transportation.

Okarito’s primary attraction is its lagoon and the wildlife that goes with it, and the best way to experience both is by getting out on the water.  Okarito Nature Tours can supply kayaks, a map, and even a bird guide to help you explore their well-marked routes in the beautiful lagoon. (☎753 4014; www.okarito.co.nz. Kayaks $35 for 2hr., half-day $45, full-day $55. Guided trips from $65, overnight trips from $80. The best time to go is early in the morning when the water is calm and the most birds are out. Min. 2 people. Book ahead.) Using a team approach to locate kiwis, Okarito Kiwi Tours has a high success rate for finding the elusive brown kiwi in the wild. (☎753 4330; www.okaritokiwitours.co.nz. 2-3hr. tours depart 30min. before sunset. From $45. Max. 8 people.) Okarito Experience runs informative bird-watching tours into the lagoon. Aside from white herons, spoonbills, kingfishers, and paradise ducks all take shelter here. (☎753 4223. 2 trips per day. From $70; group discounts available.) White Heron Sanctuary Tours jetboats from the town of Whataroa to see the white herons.

Okarito also has several beautiful hikes. Trailheads are at the far end of the village. The Okarito Trig Walk (1hr. round-trip) climbs through kahikatea and rimu rainforest to a lookout point with views of Aoraki/Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman on one side and the ocean and lagoon on the other. The Okarito Coastal Walk (a.k.a. the Three Mile Pack Track; 2hr. round-trip) follows an old pack track through coastal forest. If the tide is low, take the beach route to the sheltered Three Mile Lagoon. This route is only safe within 2hr. of low tide; a tide table is posted at the trailhead, or check with the DOC.

Kotuku Lodge and Cottage (BBH) , is a chill hostel with welcoming bedrooms and a resident whitebait fisherman who sometimes sells cheap fresh fish to backpackers. (☎753 4330. Laundry wash $2. Doubles and twins $30 per person.) The Royal Okarito (BBH) has a new eco-friendly building with bamboo floors and a large kitchen, but the older portions of the hostel are rather plain with cramped common facilities. (☎753 4080; www.okaritohostel.com. Laundry wash $2, dry $2. Dorms $23. Ensuite doubles and twins $60-70. Self-contained cottage $80. $3 BBH discount.) Community-run Okarito Historic Hostel (YHA) , runs on a self-check-in system and sleeps guests in bunks stacked three high in a small and very rustic 1870s schoolhouse. (☎753 4151. Showers at the campsite $1 per 6min. Dorms $18.) The Okarito Campground only has unpowered sites, plus shelter, water, toilets, a shower, and the village’s only public phone. (☎753 4151. Tent sites $7.50 per person, children free.) Though back in the gold rush days there were as many as 33 stores in town, there are currently no shops or gas stations; bring food, insect repellent, gas, and other necessities with you.

Buses stop (by request) at “The Forks,” the turn-off to Okarito on SH6; it’s a common place to hitch (not recommended by Let’s Go) and hitchers report a high success rate. Otherwise, it is a 13km walk into town. Glacier Valley Eco Tours in Franz Josef runs daytrips to Okarito. (☎752 0699; $45.)