Okarito + Franzjosef, such an isolated part of New Zealand to camp

hey everyone, the suns back for a while and we get to venture out for more activities. We stay at a pretty remote and isolated Okarito Lagoon as well as check out some of the local are, before moving into Franz Josef to brave out the next bout of bad weather.
After leaving Hokitika, 130km North, it feels like we are so far away from everything, the population in Southwestland is tiny villages of sometimes less than 100 people, beautiful place to visit, must be a hard place to live. And it is not only because of the Isolation, but the weather which I guess if you live here you just need to forget about.

Пікірлер: 56

  • @iancooper6584
    @iancooper65847 ай бұрын

    Hey Mike and Family. I am really pleased you enjoyed the place I've called home for the last 25 years and its so pleasing to be reminded every now and again of how other people perceive the village. I even saw my house ! You certainly got a few blue bird days, but, isn't the rain also magnificent. I think I saw you all while you were here. Ian

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    7 ай бұрын

    Pretty iconic part of New Zealand lots to see and do, must be a bit hard for the locals with all the tourists cruising through, but it sure is a beautiful part of New Zealand.

  • @garth2876
    @garth28769 ай бұрын

    Such a beautiful part of the country, definitely pretty isolated from the main centres. I'm hoping for some sunshine next week when we come through - it was pretty wet last time. I have some awesome memories of Fox Glacier in particular from the 80s and seeing an ice fall and dam burst, spreading across the riverbed and sending people running. Nice one kids getting the tent sorted, and how cool for Toby having a bike there.

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    Yea mate, toby loved that bike... If your travelling slow it really is an isolated place, I imagine most people jump from Hokitikia to Fransjosef, and then straight to haast, which wouldn't feel to bad, but it was well over a week for us, and with 5 of us emptying the fridge lol... the 80's would have been so much better for viewing those glaciers, would be interesting to see your thoughts driving through soon.

  • @user-qs6zp8uv7e
    @user-qs6zp8uv7e9 ай бұрын

    Awesome video Mike, West Coast in the sun looks great - a real contrast to the driving rain on other days. good on you guys for taking the plunge and getting the swimming season underway!

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    ha ha, go the swimming, we love to swim, as long as that sun has some heat in it, we are in... West Coast is a beautiful place, but hard to be there in rough weather as there isn't much to do, or even wet weather alternatives.

  • @michaelconnell8624
    @michaelconnell86249 ай бұрын

    Wow!! What awesome sunset images 👍😀

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    So lovely seeing a cool sunset like that, stoked we got to enjoy it with friends.

  • @tinyhousehybrid5210
    @tinyhousehybrid52107 ай бұрын

    Great adventure guys! The kids all seem to just get stuck in, you must be proud of them!

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    7 ай бұрын

    They kids are thriving living outside aye, their confidence is always growing as they learn new things and test their adventure boundries. Def a lot nice getting in the water closer to Dec than end of Sept..

  • @louisaklimentos7583
    @louisaklimentos75839 ай бұрын

    Your country is so beautiful ! I love to visit there one day , I hope . I am from Sydney Australia . Thank you for your amazing video !

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    Yea New Zealand is very unique, some of these places are so beautiful because of the lack of human influence... Keep an eye out on the next video because it gets even more isolated further south.

  • @user-eu5qf4zl9d
    @user-eu5qf4zl9d8 ай бұрын

    I really enjoy your videos. Thanks again for sharing. It rained for the full 3 days of our stay in Franz Josef a few years ago, so all we managed to do was drive out to Okarito in the rain. And Lake Mapourika which you would have passed along the highway was in flood. Completely covered the little jetty. I noticed a white heron fly up during your filming, and you didn't make any mention of them, or that Okarito is their breeding area. Did you get to see many. Would have been pretty special if you did.🕊🕊

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    8 ай бұрын

    Hey yea there were a few white Heron around i didn't actually know they were so special until after we had left, I got a few good shots on my phone of one that was hanging around... I feel like I have seen one of these in Rotorua before, but maybe it was another bird. The rain is hard to manage sometimes, hard to know what to do when there may only be 1 or 2 nice days in a 10 day weather forecast... Glad we enjoyed the spot with some nicer days.

  • @karenhealey935
    @karenhealey9359 ай бұрын

    Congrats on reach over 4,000 subscribers. Have driven past Okarito so many times when heading down the West Coast to Wanaka.

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    yea it's not to far off the main road, nice spot, good walk there, but not a lot else happening. I imagine, when the weather calms down and the wind slows its a beautiful beach.

  • @NomadLifeKiwi
    @NomadLifeKiwi8 ай бұрын

    Nice to see some sunny weather for most of the trip. The kids did a great job putting up the tent, loved the passcode! I’ve always wanted to explore the South Island by motorcycle. Maybe our next trip down there .

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    8 ай бұрын

    Our friend loved riding his motor bike around, would be a great way to explore, chuck a tent in there and away you go. Could prob park up at some off the road places that way as well.

  • @NomadLifeKiwi

    @NomadLifeKiwi

    8 ай бұрын

    yes, that would be amazing! @@leopardsgowild

  • @nzhillbilly6468
    @nzhillbilly64689 ай бұрын

    Absolutely beautiful, another excellent video, love your adventures, superb work, awaiting next video, Thanks for sharing. 👍

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    Oh thanks so much, beautiful area alright, so quiet and peaceful out there... Thanks as always for watching and taking the time to write us a comment. :)

  • @PentaxLife
    @PentaxLife9 ай бұрын

    Way to go great video

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks a lot, very unique spot.

  • @owenpotter2459
    @owenpotter24599 ай бұрын

    A bit of a mixed bag of weather there. Both extremes! It's funny. For some reason I always placed Feanz Josef on the other side of the Alps. I seem to remember Mum and Dad having photos of the glacier when they were there in the 1950s before they were married. It was much further downbthe valley then. A year on from selling my caravan and I find I'm really missing it!

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    I reckon you just got to go for a cruise in the boat mate, and you'll be getting those nice travel vibes, bit of an explore once the pack house season is over.

  • @owenpotter2459

    @owenpotter2459

    9 ай бұрын

    @@leopardsgowild and some boat work too.

  • @bmzedku3774
    @bmzedku37748 ай бұрын

    Okarito was Keri Hulme 's home (she wrote iconic book The Bone People)

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    8 ай бұрын

    Oh interesting. Okarito is such a cool little village, I can only imagine what it looks like in summer... The bone people, the claim to fam for Okarito.

  • @bmzedku3774

    @bmzedku3774

    8 ай бұрын

    @@leopardsgowild we had 4 seasons in one day last time we were there in summer :) such a beautiful place though whatever the weather

  • @Saarvl-sl5zz
    @Saarvl-sl5zz9 ай бұрын

    Love your music choices, can you please share some artists

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    So all the music is off Musicbed, should be an easy search if you type in 1 line of lyrics into google... I just can't handle any more admin work sorry lol...As much as I love the editing process, copying links and adding files, is not so much fun...

  • @CHillAdventures
    @CHillAdventures9 ай бұрын

    GREAT EPISODE MIKE!!!!! toby rippin that bike!!!!! glad the warm is coming back around~~ look forward to next episode as always!!!!!! stay rad my friend!!!!

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks bro... Loving these warmer days, but here in the South, the spring brings some very strong winds, up to 100miles an hour winds, seen a few videos of campers blowing over in the wind this spring... We are a bit heavier so hopefully we'll be sweet... Hope you are doing well friend.

  • @CHillAdventures

    @CHillAdventures

    9 ай бұрын

    @@leopardsgowild all good over here ,, ❤️✌️

  • @RadRoadAdventures
    @RadRoadAdventures9 ай бұрын

    It's always hard when remote areas limit your time for one reason or another. You got some good days in there. Well done on the first dip of the season

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    yea mate, it's just a matter of $$$ which has been our limiting factor, if you were cruising through the west coast in a week or 10 days it wouldn't even be a problem... Especially if you wanted to eat out a couple of meals... That lake was so beautiful, what a spo t for the first swim.

  • @ruthtucker3205
    @ruthtucker32059 ай бұрын

    Hey there, really enjoying your vids, we're about to head overseas for two years travling the world with our two kids. Would love to know the camera gear and editing software you use. Sorry if you have mentioned this previously. Thanks Ruth

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    WOW what an awesome adventure you are about to go on... So we are really basic, all the videos' are shot of 1 gopro 10 and 1 DJImini2 drone, thats it, we don't use phone, or any big camera set up. Pretty happy with how the gopro does, love it's colours, and smoothness, plus it's so easy to record and carry.

  • @ruthtucker3205

    @ruthtucker3205

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks so much for the response. I totally agree, the colors on your video are mint.

  • @lukeduke3001
    @lukeduke3001Ай бұрын

    Keeping it real thanks kiwis

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    Ай бұрын

    thats the one, living it like the rest of us would bro. kids are keen as on their bombs.

  • @Flyingkiwisnz
    @Flyingkiwisnz9 ай бұрын

    Have you toured the north island yet?

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    We are from the North, so yes but no longer as extensively as the South

  • @craignelson-swiftyenzed7578
    @craignelson-swiftyenzed75789 ай бұрын

    Bike rack for Christmas?

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    would love to, but I don't think we can afford the weight... we need a big caravan, thats light weight which can take loads of weight...

  • @craignelson-swiftyenzed7578

    @craignelson-swiftyenzed7578

    9 ай бұрын

    @@leopardsgowild Weight. Yup.

  • @Spiderman1a
    @Spiderman1a6 ай бұрын

    The music is annoying sometimes .......it's good to just listen to sounds of nature.

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    6 ай бұрын

    Is this a troll account?

  • @Spiderman1a

    @Spiderman1a

    6 ай бұрын

    @@leopardsgowild yeah whatever ....🤣

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    6 ай бұрын

    @Spiderman1a if there are good sounds of nature then I point that out, otherwise you might be hearing helicopters, boats, wind or just nothing

  • @Spiderman1a

    @Spiderman1a

    6 ай бұрын

    @@leopardsgowild the comic dude from Rotorua .....lol

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    6 ай бұрын

    @@Spiderman1a I'm confused again

  • @hopaea7
    @hopaea79 ай бұрын

    Not a good idea to have your feet on the dash while traveling 😬

  • @leopardsgowild

    @leopardsgowild

    9 ай бұрын

    but it is such a comfortable way to travel... Have you tried it... Yes I have.