Tourist Guide to Stewart Island, New Zealand

Updated on Feb 18, 2024 | New Zealand eTA

The Maori call the Island – Raikura which translates to the land of glowing skies and the name comes from the regular visibility of the Aurora Australis – Southern Lights from the Island. The Island is home to a myriad of birds and the best place to go birdwatching.

The third-largest Island in New Zealand is by far much smaller than the two main islands. As the Islands are isolated, nature is in charge and the surroundings remain untouched by human beings. They are home to less than 500 human beings and more than three times that amount of wildlife.

Summer is considered the best time to visit these islands, but the Island is also a bit crowded by tourists in the season. Hence, many recommendations come to visit the island during the off-season between May to October as well.

Despite the Island’s categorisation as Sub-Antarctic, the beaches and the lush green forest and natural habitats make the Island’s landscape a sub-tropical paradise. The best part about this Island is that almost 90% of the island is National Park and is protected by the Department of Conservation.

Location

The island is located 30km off the southern coast of the South Islands. It is separated from the Southern Islands by the Foveaux Strait. It is 64km long and 40km wide, it has a vast coastline of around 700km but the total area of roads is only 28km.

Getting there

There are two options for one to get to the Island, the first is a ferry service which operates from the Bluff on the South Island to Oban or Half moon bay on the Stewart Island. The ferry is an hour-long journey and is considered a must-have experience before entering the Island.

There is also a flight that takes off from Invercargill airport every day and lasts only about 20 minutes.

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Experiences

Raikura track

The famous hike is one of the ten great walks and the only one on the Island. It is a 32km long hike (loop track) and takes around 3 days to complete and is considered of intermediate difficulty level. There is accommodation available while on the hike at the two paid backcountry huts/three campsites. You can walk along the golden-sand beaches and through the dense forests in the hike. The walk is possible to take on throughout the year.

Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary

The bird sanctuary is located on the Ulva Island for which there is a special Ulva Island Explorer cruise service from Stewart Island that itself is a beautiful way to explore the Paterson Inlet’s coves and beaches. The sanctuary is the best place in New Zealand to go bird watching in an unspoiled and natural environment. Here you can easily spot the National bird Kiwi or the cheeky bird Weka in the wild.

Bathing Beach

The vast coastline of this Island ensures that it is home to some remarkable beaches out of which the Bathing Beach is just one of many. It is named so due to the low tide which makes it a famous beach for people to come and swim in the beach. It is a beach loved by kids as even they get to take a dip on the beach as the waves are rarely roaring and huge.

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Raikura Museum

Despite its size, the small island is home to everything that a tourist would like to visit and explore. The museum on the Island is built for the art buffs and knowledge craving tourists who will get to know much more information about the Island and its history through the art and artifacts. The museum is run by the locals who live there and they will certainly add to the experience of visiting the location.

You can also take on Biking the rugged and natural terrain of the Island, Charter a Plane or a Helicopter to experience the beauty of the island from the skies which gives you an unreal experience as you land on the beaches of the Island, Fishing is a well-taken up tourist activity in the Island as you get the feel of being a real fish-farmer while taking on this activity, Hunting is also a permitted adventure on the Island but you require prior permission before taking on this activity.

Food and Drink

Oban is the only settlement in Raikura where locals stay and the best hotels to eat and drink are located there. It is highly recommended to try the fish and chips while you are on Stewart Island as the fish is local and freshly caught and made for customers and tastes out of this world.

The South Sea Hotel is one of the most iconic places to eat on the Island and carries a rich history of the Islands and continues to carry forward the Island’s legacy.

Iconic South Sea Hotel

The Church Hill Boutique Lodge and Restaurant is a place where you must try the local cuisine as it is impeccable.

Staying there

As Oban is the only settlement in Stewart Island all the major accommodation houses are located here. But while you are going on long-duration hikes the track is well covered with backcountry huts and campsites for tourists to rest.

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