Okarito Lagoon is the largest unmodified wetland in New Zealand, a vast tidal estuary on the coast north of Franz Josef where wetland, rainforest, and the open sea meet without any human interference in between. The lagoon is one of the only places in the world where kōkako can still be heard, and it is the sole stronghold of the rowi — the Ōkārito brown kiwi — the rarest subspecies of kiwi on earth. Guided night tours run from the small village of Okarito, and if conditions are right, you have a genuine chance of encountering one at close range.
By day, kayaking on the lagoon is the best way in. The water is sheltered and the reflections of the Southern Alps on the far side of the wetland are spectacular on clear mornings. The small settlement of Okarito itself is one of the quietest places on the West Coast — a handful of houses, no shops, and a beach where the Tasman surf rolls in uncrowded and unbranded.