19/01/2026
Ōkārito lagoon -
The tiny South Westland settlement of Ōkārito sits on a lagoon which is one of New Zealand's most significant ecological treasures. The remote community of Ōkārito on the South Island's West Coast, 30km north of Franz Josef, is home to just 30 people.
But this beautiful settlement situated in one of New Zealand's most significant ecosystems has a thriving campground, a restored community centre and attracts visitors from around the world.
For many years, it was also home to Booker Prize-winning author Keri Hulme.
It’s unspoilt and a "wonderful place to live," says Barry Hughes owner of Ōkārito Kayaks.
"People live here by choice and the visitors who come here will often comment on the simplicity and the quintessentially Kiwi feel to the place."
He's the third local to own the business that was established 35 years ago.
"It's a very, very simple place, Ōkārito. The kayaking business, there's a boat tour business here, there's a Kiwi tour business.
"All of them are really simple, small businesses that are focused on nature in what's essentially a very simple town that hasn't changed much over generations.
The restored Donovan's Store hosts town meetings, music in the summer and is also HQ for the settlement's annual gorse busting events.
"There's a few more houses here, but there's still no shop and no restaurant."
Ōkārito lagoon is New Zealand's largest, unmodified coastal wetland.
Annual gorse busting events where volunteers come from all over the country to help eradicate the shrub has seen the environment further flourish, Hughes says.
"It’s effectively predator-free, the bird life here has always been outstanding, but in recent years, with the huge conservation work that's been done, it's become, I'd suggest, one of the most significant sites in the world for biodiversity."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/people/the-remote-west-coast-settlement-attracting-visitors-from-around-the-world
