Things to do on Stewart Island / Rakiura

What Stewart Island is like

The island is roughly triangular, with a long indented coastline: Paterson Inlet cuts deep into the middle, Mason Bay faces the open sea on the west, and Port Pegasus in the far south is reached only by boat. The highest point is Mount Anglem / Hananui, 980 m, in the north. Almost all of it is forest of rimu, kāmahi and southern rātā, much of it never milled, with tracks through it that are famously muddy.

Rakiura is usually translated as "glowing skies", which is fair: the island is far enough south for the aurora australis on good nights, and it was certified as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2019. Captain William Stewart, first officer of the sealing ship Pegasus, charted it in 1809 and gave it his name. Sealers, whalers, timber millers and tin miners followed, and none of those industries lasted. Fishing and tourism keep Oban going now.

Oban itself is small and plain in the best way: a wharf, a pub, a general store, a cafe or two, the DOC visitor centre and houses spread through the bush around the bay. You can walk across it in twenty minutes. Nobody needs a car, and most visitors do not bring one.

Things to do on Stewart Island

• Ulva Island / Te Wharawhara: a 267 hectare island in Paterson Inlet, pest free since 1997 and never milled, reached by water taxi from Golden Bay in about ten minutes. Saddleback, yellowhead, robins, kākā and kākāriki live here in numbers you will not see on the mainland, and kiwi forage in the forest. Go with a guide if you can; they know where the birds are and what you are looking at. It is on 5 of our itineraries, and 2 book a half day guided walk.
• Kiwi: the Stewart Island tokoeka is a large brown kiwi that sometimes forages in daylight, which almost no mainland kiwi does. Guided evening trips from Oban give you the best odds; a sighting is likely but never promised.
• Short walks from Oban: Observation Rock for the view over Paterson Inlet at sunset, the coastal track to Ackers Point, where little penguins come ashore at dusk, and the forest walks around Golden Bay and Horseshoe Bay. The island's walking tracks are on 2 of our itineraries as a free day.
• The Rakiura Track: a Great Walk, a 32.1 km loop over three days from near Oban, with 24 bunk huts at Port William and North Arm. It is open all year, huts and campsites must be booked in advance, and the stretch between the two huts is deep mud after rain.
• On the water: fishing trips for blue cod, cruises on Paterson Inlet, and sea kayaking in the sheltered arms of the inlet. Pelagic birding trips go out for albatross and petrels.
• Stargazing and the aurora: on a clear winter night, walk ten minutes out of the village and look south.

How to get to Stewart Island

There are two ways across. The RealNZ passenger ferry sails from Bluff to Oban, 39 km across Foveaux Strait, in about an hour. The strait has a reputation and deserves it: in a southerly the crossing is rough, and people who get seasick should take something before boarding, not after. The alternative is Stewart Island Flights from Invercargill Airport, about 20 minutes in a small plane, landing on an airstrip a short shuttle ride from Oban. The views are superb, the baggage allowance is small, and low cloud can delay flights.

The ferry carries passengers only, so if you drive to Bluff the car stays there; there is parking near the terminal, and it is worth booking ahead in summer. You will not miss it on the island, where the roads are short and everything in Oban is a walk away. Our Invercargill page covers the night most itineraries spend before crossing.

How many days you need on Stewart Island

A day trip from Bluff is possible, and a few people do it, but with two hours of crossing and the ferry timetable to fit you get perhaps five or six hours on the island. That is enough for Ulva or a walk and lunch, not both, and nowhere near enough for kiwi, which need an evening. We would not send anyone for a day.

Two nights is the minimum we recommend, and it is what most of our itineraries do: the afternoon you arrive for Oban and Observation Rock, a full day for Ulva Island in the morning and a kiwi trip in the evening, and the morning you leave for one more walk. Three nights leaves slack for weather, which matters here, or time for a fishing trip. The Rakiura Track needs three days on its own, plus a night either side.

Weather, and when to go

The climate is cool, damp and changeable rather than extreme. Oban gets around 1,565 mm of rain a year, spread through every month, and the mean temperature is about 10°C. Summer days are mild and long, often in the high teens, and it is rarely hot. Winter averages 6 to 8°C, snow at sea level is uncommon, and the long, clear nights are the best for the aurora. The wind decides more than the temperature does: it shapes the ferry crossing, the flights, and whether boat trips run.

November to April is the main season, with the most boats, guides and open restaurants. December to February is busiest, though busy here means a full ferry, not crowds. Winter is quiet, some businesses shut or shorten their hours, and it suits people who want the aurora and do not mind the cold. Whatever the month, pack a proper rain jacket, warm layers and waterproof boots.

Where to stay, and what things cost

All the accommodation is in or around Oban: a hotel, a few lodges, bed and breakfasts and holiday homes, with DOC huts out in the park. There are not many beds, and in summer they go early. The properties our itineraries use are Church Hill Boutique Lodge, where 3 of them stay, Kaka Retreat (3) and Stewart Island Lodge (1), all in Oban.

Expect island prices. Everything arrives by boat, so food, fuel and drinks cost more than on the mainland, and the general store stocks the basics rather than a full supermarket range. Eating out is limited to a handful of places, and bookings help in summer. The South Sea Hotel on the waterfront is the pub, and the place most people end up in the evening. To see every trip that crosses, browse the Stewart Island tours.