Ōkārito

Ōkārito is a cobbly beach break with a variable river mouth beside it, and the honest truth is that it is rarely good and rarely surfed. The open beach seldom organises into anything worth the drive, while the river mouth shifts with the flow and the cobble banks beneath it, occasionally lining up an OK wave when everything happens to agree. It wants a west to southwest swell with an easterly or northeasterly wind grooming it offshore, and works across all tides depending on how the mouth is sitting that day. Further river mouth and point options down the coast to the south are rarely, if ever, surfed, which tells you most of what you need to know about how marginal this stretch is. Come for the place and treat a good wave as a happy accident.

And the place is extraordinary. Ōkārito sits at the southern end of Ōkārito Lagoon, the largest unmodified wetland on the West Coast and a feeding ground for over seventy bird species, including the kōtuku white heron, whose only New Zealand nesting colony lies on the Waitangiroto River just to the north. The surrounding forest shelters the rowi, the rarest of the five kiwi species, with only around six hundred birds left. Fewer than thirty people live here year round, in a settlement that boomed past a thousand in the 1860s gold rush and still holds Donovan's Store, reckoned the oldest building on the coast, and the old wharf on the lagoon edge. The Booker Prize winning author Keri Hulme lived and wrote here for decades.

• Time any session for the river mouth on a clean west to southwest swell with a light easterly, and watch the mouth first: the cobble banks move with every flood, so the one OK wave is wherever the bank has set up that week rather than a fixed peak.
• Treat this as a place to explore with a board in the car, not a destination to chase: realistically you will surf a handful of marginal sessions a year here, so come for the wilderness and let a wave be the bonus.
• Paddle the lagoon, which is the genuine drawcard: Ōkārito Kayaks and Ōkārito Boat Tours run guided trips and rentals across New Zealand's largest unmodified wetland, drifting within metres of feeding kōtuku, godwits and other wading birds.
• Join a night tour with Ōkārito Kiwi Tours to spot the rowi in the wild, the rarest kiwi in the country, on a small group walk that leaves the village around dusk and runs three to five hours.
• Walk the Ōkārito Trig, which climbs gently off the Three Mile Pack Track and Wetland Walk to a lookout over the lagoon, the coast and the snow capped Southern Alps, with Aoraki / Mount Cook visible on a clear day.

• The bottom here is cobble and rock rather than forgiving sand, so expect a lumpy, awkward takeoff and a real risk of turned ankles and dinged fins, and pick your way in and out carefully over the stones.
• The river mouth runs strong, shifting currents that change with the tide and the freshwater flow, so read the water and understand which way it is pulling before you paddle out anywhere near the mouth.
• This is cold, exposed South Westland water with no surf club and no patrol of any kind, so wear enough rubber, surf with someone and treat the long, lonely paddle with respect.
• Ōkārito is genuinely isolated, the nearest help is twenty five minutes away at Franz Josef and cell coverage is patchy, so do not count on a quick rescue or a phone signal if something goes wrong.
• The lagoon community warns of dangerous currents in the river and channels even for swimmers, so the same water that occasionally shapes a wave can sweep you off your feet if you misjudge it.
• South of here the coast becomes truly exploratory toward Jackson Bay, powerful and remote with no local knowledge to lean on, country for experienced surfers with a 4WD and a self contained setup only.

Getting there

Ōkārito sits at the end of Ōkārito Road, about 13 km off State Highway 6, around 25 minutes (25 km) north of Franz Josef and roughly 90 minutes (140 km) south of Hokitika. Turn off SH6 a little north of Franz Josef and follow the sealed road out to the lagoon and the settlement on the coast.

Parking

There is informal roadside and grass parking in the settlement near the lagoon, the wharf and the start of the walking tracks. It is a tiny place with no formal car park or marked bays, so park considerately and clear of residents' access.

Toilets & showers

The community run Ōkārito Camping Ground across the dunes from the beach has clean public toilets, including an accessible toilet, and coin operated showers (about a dollar for four minutes). There is no dedicated surf rinse, so the camp showers are your option here.

Shops, cafes & fuel

There is no shop, cafe or fuel in Ōkārito, so arrive self sufficient. The nearest fuel is the Whataroa Service Station about 25 minutes north on SH6, and the nearest supermarket is the 4 Square in Franz Josef, the only supermarket on the coast between Hokitika and Haast. Stock up and fill the tank before you turn off the highway.

Accommodation

For its size Ōkārito has a decent spread, with the YHA backpackers, motel style units, homestays and a number of holiday houses rented out in the village. Beds are limited, so book ahead, especially over summer. Franz Josef, 25 minutes away, is the obvious larger base with motels, hotels and lodges.

Camping

The community run Ōkārito Camping Ground on Russell Street, across the dunes from the beach, has grassed sites for tents and campervans, toilets, coin showers, a sheltered cooking and dining area and a ten day stay limit, with revenue going to local predator control. Pay the modest nightly fee rather than freedom camping: Westland District's bylaw restricts roadside camping, and the village campground is the place to stay.