Okarito there are plenty of things to do. An exquisite lagoon and heritage buildings is a match made in West Coast tourist heaven. The lagoon is home to more than 76 species of native birds including the k\u014dtuku\/white heron and royal spoonbills. Okarito is the location for the oldest identified building on the West Coast, Donovan\u2019s Store and the Okarito Memorial Obelisk. Originally a gold mining settlement with an estimated population of 1,500 now there are less than 25 residents. There is a passionate commitment to the environment and legacy of Okarito among the local residents. The white heron is the birding star of the place together with the extremely rare Okarito kiwi. The lagoon\u2019s bird life is a major drawcard along with the sense of peace, history and sheer beauty of the landscapes. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":12187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,18,68],"tags":[],"filter_destinations":[180,91,326,134],"filter_categories":[254,218,53],"filter_topic":[168],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n