Okarito Lagoon & Lake Mapourika

Okarito Lagoon and Lake Mapourika are in the Westland District on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island, 130 km / 2 hours south of Hokitika. They are about 20 km apart by road and are uniquely beautiful locations for landscape photography. Their shores are unspoiled and give spectacular views of the Southern Alps. The best views are from a small boat and there is a public launching ramp on both. Plus there is tour boat service by Okarito Boat Eco Tours for the Lagoon and Glacier Country Lake Tours for Mapourika.

Okarito is a small rural village that makes a good base for exploring the area with a camp ground and lodging, however the closest grocery stores are in Hokitika or Franz Josef. Okarito Lagoon is New Zealand’s largest wetland with 2340 ha and is world renowned for birdlife. Okarito it is the home of one of the world’s best landscape photographers, Andris Apse. He has a gallery at his home where you can view and purchase his magnificent photos.

Westland’s big attractions are Franz Josef and Fox glaciers but Okarito Lagoon, Lake Mapourika and Lake Matheson (just outside the village of Fox Glacier) are worthy of their own visits. Lake Matheson does not allow boat access but it is ringed by a well maintained, easy 2.6 km walking track with several good lake views.

Winter is a great time to photograph these waters with snow covered Alps and the southern hemisphere’s low-angle, raking light that is ideal for sunrises and sunsets.