West Coast

Okarito Is the One

The standout sea kayaking on the West Coast is at Okarito, and it's genuinely unlike most kayaking experiences I've had in New Zealand. You're paddling through shallow lagoon channels that motorised boats can't access, in near-total quiet, surrounded by a regenerating bird population. Kotuku (white heron), Kiwi calls at night, Kea overhead during the day. If you go early morning, the mirror reflections on the water are something else entirely.

Leave the Highway to Everyone Else

Most people drive straight past the Okarito turnoff and head to Franz Josef township. That's their loss. The sea kayaking here is run by people who've deliberately kept things small to maintain genuine contact with their guests, which shows in the experience. The whole journey stays within the lagoon and the water is rarely over head height, so it's very safe too. Worth noting that if the weather is grim, Okarito loses a lot of its magic, so pick a decent day.

Further north near Punakaiki, you can also hire kayaks to explore up the Pororari River, which is a more adventurous, scrappier kind of paddle. You'll need to drag the boat over the odd shallow section, but push through and you get into some really good country.