Herbert consists of a group of houses and three churches clustered around State Highway 1.

[3] The Main South Line also passes through Herbert, and a station existed here until its closure in 1980; only the crossing loop remains.

[5] The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of the decayed wood" for Ōtepopo.

The old stone bridge at Waianakarua is the oldest that is still used by the New Zealand State Highway network.

Among Waianakarua's more well-known landmarks is "The Big Chicken", a topiary bird standing several metres tall, next to which is a Moeraki boulder "egg".

Pig hunting and sea and river fishing are some of the activities available in the Herbert and Waianakarua district.

Herbert is described as a rural settlement by Statistics New Zealand, and covers 1.11 km2 (0.43 sq mi).