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Ōkārito
Ōkārito is a small coastal settlement on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, southwest of Hokitika, and from . It is built at the southern end of the Ōkārito Lagoon at the mouth of the Ōkārito River. The settlement of The Forks is located just inland, on the banks of the river. Name Ōkārito's name is from the Māori , place of, and , the young shoots of the bulrush or raupō (''Typha orientalis''), a valued food source. Another account has Ōkārito taking its name from a rangatira named Kārito, whose daughters Mapourika and Wahapako gave their names to nearby Lake Mapourika and Lake Wahapo. The settlement's official name has been spelled with macrons over the vowels since 2010, although it is still commonly seen written as "Okarito". History Māori occupation and seasonal harvesting in area began over 600 years ago. The Ōkārito historic gold mining settlement is home to Donovan's Store, the oldest known building on the West Coast, and the Ōkār ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ōkārito Lagoon
Ōkārito Lagoon is a coastal lagoon on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is located south of Hokitika, and covers an area of about , making it the largest unmodified coastal wetland in New Zealand. It preserves a sequence of vegetation types from mature rimu forest through mānuka scrub to brackish water that has been lost in much of the rest of the West Coast. Ōkārito Lagoon is the main feeding ground for New Zealand's only breeding population of rare white heron. The settlement of Ōkārito is at the southern end of the lagoon. Name The lagoon's name is from the Māori , place of, and , the young shoots of the bulrush or raupō (''Typha orientalis''), a valued food source. Another account has Ōkārito taking its name from a rangatira named Kārito, whose daughters Mapourika and Wahapako gave their names to nearby Lake Mapourika and Lake Wahapo. The lagoon's official name has been spelled with macrons over the vowels since 2010, although it is still ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
