A great way to explore Okarito is on the Okarito Lagoon Cruise. The small village is home to New Zealand’s largest unmodified wetlands covering over 3000 hectares. Experience the magic of this special place and the big landscapes that surround it on a memorable boat tour.

Okarito sits on the South Island’s West Coast, a 25-minute drive from Franz Josef Glacier. The lagoon offers a stunning environment ranging from wetlands to rainforest and mountain landscapes.  And there is so much more to see.

Birdlife abounds — white herons and royal spoonbills can be seen year round and many other birds make the lagoon home. The boat will cruise along at slow speeds and often drift alongside feeding white herons, godwits, oystercatchers and dotterels.

And the surrounding landscape is simply breath-taking. There is plenty of opportunity for photos of birds and landscapes. On a clear day you can see Mount Cook, the Tasman Sea and Franz Josef Glacier. Landmarks that provide an amazing backdrop to the ancient kahikatea forest and wetland rushes in the foreground.