Stewart Island

Stewart Island

Stewart Island is located at the very bottom of New Zealand. Visiting Stewart Island and Rakiura National park is certainly a great experience. Rakiura National park compromises 85% of the island making a home for an abundance of spectacular wildlife. Stewart Island has many wonderful attractions, from hunting and fishing to walking and birdwatching amongst the lush rainforest area there is something for everyone here.

Take your tramping boots, because the magnificent forests are perfect for day walks. Unsurprisingly, wildlife flourishes here – the island is a haven for rare birds such as the Stewart Island Robin & Stewart Island Brown Kiwi. There is plenty of great diving spots around Stewart Island, for those daring enough, there is the possibility of cage diving amongst Great White Sharks.

Stewart Island (or Te Punga o Te Waka a Maui, the original Maori name,) positions Stewart Island firmly at the heart of Maori mythology. Translated as “The Anchor Stone of Maui’s Canoe”, it refers to the part played by this Island in the legend of Maui and his crew, who from their canoe (the South Island) caught and raised the great fish, (the North Island).

Accommodation

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Activities

Scenic Highlights

Ulva Island

Ulva Island is a pristine forested island situated within Paterson Inlet. It is an open island sanctuary. It is one of the few predator-free sanctuaries in New Zealand. This beautiful spot has well maintained tracks which offer easy walking and is a wonderful place to sight some of New Zealands most beautiful birds. Whether you go on your own on a self guided venture to find a brown Kiwi or one of the available guides shows you the way to a Stewart Island robin, this is definately a place not to be missed.

Diving

Diving in the water surrounding Stewart Island is an adventure full of interesting encounters. There is a current that comes in from the Australian Great Barrier Reef which provides a home for many diverse marine animals that perhaps wouldn’t be seen at this latitude otherwise.

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Activities

  • Tramping/Hiking along the many walking trails of Stewart Island.
  • Dive in the pristine waters surrounding Stewart Island
  • Enjoy a day fishing for Blue Cod
  • Join a guided Hunt for Virginian White-tail deer
  • Discover the Stewart Island Rakiura Museum
  • Grab your binoculars and enjoy a day of bird watching
  • Try your luck at spotting a Brown Kiwi, New Zealand’s Native bird
  • Spend the day on the water on board your own chartered boat
  • Take to the inlets and waterways on kayak’s for the day