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Who knows where Okarito is ?
Well it seems that more people than I thought do now, the last time I visited here was about 20 years ago and it was the remoteness that attracted me to Okarito then.
Even though it is only 10 km's or so from the main State Highway to the Lagoon and Beach at Okarito it's attraction has always been over shadowed by the better known Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers which are on the Main road.
The purpose of my visit nany years back then was to stay at the Okarito YHA, I have always been a Life Member of YHA and I enjoyed travelling around staying at the smaller more remote hostels . It was then, New Zealand's smallest Youth Hostel and I recall it only had 4 bunk beds in the lounge, an open fireplace for cooking and heating and no electricity. The door was open to all callers and a warden lived nearby in a beach house.
The building had previously been the Okarito one roomed school and also I believe the school house at one time, YHA had been involved with it for many years but due
to lack of use and fact that there were no permeant reidents to supervise it, It fell into a poor state from time to time. Thank goodness it is now well funded and looked after and hopefully will remain an example of an early New Zealand building, but that is able to be used by everyone rather than set up as a museum or something similar. There was no hostellers there when we called but we did take a look around, it was real cosey and I bet many a backpacker would have fond memories of staying there and walking on the wild, rugged and lonely beach just 100 meters down the track.
Okarito also has another claim to fame former Booker Prize-winning author, Kerry Hulme lives there.
Okarito owes it's existence to Gold like many other of the smaller towns
on the West Coast The former goldmining boomtown boasted a population of 1500 in its 1866 heyday as well as a further 2500 at the adjoining Three and Five Mile Beaches. The town supported one of the busiest ports on the West Coast, boasted 33 stores, considerably more pubs and it contemplated building a University.
Today many visitors to the area are hoping to see the native bird, Kotuku also know as the White Heron, the Kotuku breed on the Waitanituna Stream just near the Okarito lagoon. The breeding season is from September to December - January, after breeding they leave for various areas around New Zealand so unfortunately we were too late to see them this time
In New zealand the Kotuku is a rare bird, it was nearly exterminated in 1865 when its only breeding site on the banks of the Waitangituna Stream at Okarito was discovered and the feathers were used in the craft of decorating womens hats.
In 1941 there were only 4 breeding pairs left at Okarito, however today with protection and conservation measures there is now around 100 birds that breed there.
In Maori oratory, the most telling compliment is to liken someone to Kotuku. It symbolizes everything rare and beautiful.
As I mentioned earlier we didn't see any birds at the lagoon, but my last picture is of a solitary bird way off in the distance in a farmers paddock.
I have include it only to prove we did see one
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