Jackson Bay Okahu in South Westland is the long crescent-shaped bay that runs between the Okuru River and the fishing hamlet of the same name at the bay's south end. The drive to the hamlet of Jackson Bay is about 50 km from Haast. Once there, you are as far south as you can go on the west coast of the South Island on a sealed road, with the exception of the Milford Sound access road.
Despite warnings of slips from the cliffs above the road, there are several places you can stop on the coast as you approach Jackson Bay. These give you an excellent view of the bay. Once at Jackson Bay, park beside the typically rugged West Coast beach.
The nearby tourist information panels provide an excellent history of the area, particularly the attempt to settle the area with over 400 German migrants in 1875. This was a miserable failure due to the tough and remote conditions and the migrants' lack of appropriate pioneering experience. Some died, and most of the rest left.
Claude Ollivier’s grave can be found on the foreshore of Jackson Bay, immediately in front of the beach near the car park entrance. It dates from 1862 and is the earliest recorded European grave on the West Coast.
Nowadays, there is a wharf supporting a handful of fishing boats, a campground, and the fabulous diner-style Craypot restaurant. This unique eating experience in Aotearoa offers a range of local seafood, including blue cod, whitebait and crayfish meals for breakfast through lunch. There is room for freedom camping at the end of the beach.
After the Craypot, head to the Wharekai Te Kou Walk signposted near the main parking area. Or take Jackson River Road, off the main road on the way back, to the short, stunning Lake Ellery Track.
