Stewart Island is a remote destination off the south coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s full of incredible scenery including native forest and isolated beaches. If you want to spend a few days experiencing a different side to local life in New Zealand, Stewart Island is the perfect place. In this post, you’ll find the very best things to do on Stewart Island.
Despite being New Zealand’s third largest island, Stewart Island is only home to around 400 people. Most of its residents live in the town of Oban, Stewart Island’s only town. With around 85% of the island being home to the stunning Rakiura National Park, the island feels very unspoiled and is a great destination for nature lovers.
The Department of Conservation have worked hard to protect Stewart Island and the surrounding islands. It’s a haven for wildlife, including birds and marine mammals.
From birdwatching to hiking and scenic flights, there are plenty of activities on Stewart Island for all to enjoy.
Here are the 20 best things to do on Stewart Island.
How to get to Stewart Island
Stewart Island is about 18 miles (30km) from the south coast of New Zealand’s South Island.
The cheapest way to get to Stewart Island is by taking the Stewart Island Ferry from Bluff. The ferry takes passengers across the temperamental Foveaux Strait between the South Island and Stewart Island.
There is only one company who operate ferries between Stewart Island and Bluff. I’d suggest booking in advance, especially in the summer months when the ferry is notorious for selling out in advance. It’s about an hour on the ferry.
It’s important to know that you can’t take your car or campervan to Stewart Island. The ferry is foot-passenger only. It’s unlikely you’ll need to hire a car on Stewart Island, but that option is there if you feel you need to. There is a car park near the ferry terminal where you can leave your vehicle.
You can book your ferry tickets through Klook.
The other way to get to Stewart Island is by flight. The short 20-minute flight from Invercargill Airport will save you time but can be expensive. I’d suggest looking at Stewart Island Flights for their flights from Invercargill.
There are also flights from other areas such as Queenstown, but these tend to be day tours. You fly into Stewart Island, have time to wander round, then fly back.
Stewart Island Helicopters also offer helicopter rides between Bluff and Stewart Island.
The best things to do on Stewart Island
Visit Ulva Island and go birdwatching
Ulva Island is one of few pest-free bird sanctuaries in New Zealand. This means it has been completely eradicated from any introduced pests such as mice, rats and possums making it a haven for birds.
In fact, Ulva Island is one of the best places in New Zealand to go birdwatching. If you’re a nature lover, a visit to Ulva Island is absolutely one of the best things to do in New Zealand.
To get to Ulva Island, you’ll need to take a short ferry ride from Golden Bay Wharf. The best option is to catch the Ulva Island Water Ferry which operates several times per day and costs $20 NZD. The timetable can be found here.
Rakiura Charters also have a water taxi between Golden Bay and Ulva Island, as well as offering guided tours.
Once on Ulva Island, spend two to three hours exploring the many hiking trails and serene beaches. The longest track is the West End Beach Track which takes approximately two-hours. I spent less than three hours on Ulva Island and managed to complete all the tracks.
If you’re an avid birdwatcher, you might find joining a tour a better experience. There are several tours to choose from including 3-hour guided tour which includes a boat trip.
Ulva Island is a haven for New Zealand’s native birds including the Brown Kiwi, Stewart Island Robins, the South Island Kaka and Fantails. It’s also not uncommon to see dolphins and fur seals in the waters around Ulva Island.
Try to see a wild kiwi
Stewart Island is one of the best places in New Zealand to see the native kiwi birds. Many visitors and tourists alike head to Stewart Island for a chance to see this incredible flightless bird.
Despite being native to New Zealand, seeing kiwis in the wild is notoriously difficult. These elusive birds are nocturnal meaning they only come out at night. Despite their large size, they’re also very discreet and tend to stay hidden.
When visiting Stewart Island, you have two different options for seeing a wild kiwi. For the best chance, join an organised tour. These tours take you to where the kiwis are known to be and you’re *almost* guaranteed to see one.
These tours don’t come cheap, however. Luckily, there is also the possibility of seeing a kiwi without joining a tour. I saw a wild kiwi on Stewart Island when I was walking back from Observation Rock. I heard a loud rustling in the bushes and it was a wild kiwi!
The locals recommend searching the rugby field at night for the best chance of seeing a kiwi. The area around the Department of Conservation Viistor Center is also a good place to find them. If you’re staying at the local backpackers hostel, they have a kiwi sighting book. You can check this to see where the latest kiwis have been recently spotted.
Tip: kiwis can be stunned by bright lights. Make sure your headlamp has a red light. For the best chance at seeing them, be as quiet as possible and remember not to disturb them.
Hike to Observation Rock
Observation Rock is a short walk from the center of Oban, Stewart Island’s main town. This is the perfect spot to get views of the surrounding scenery including the Paterson Inlet and Ulva Island. It’s also one of the best places on Stewart Island to watch the sunset.
Observation Rock is in the main town of Oban, but it’s a steep (very steep) walk to get there. The track is well sign-posted from Excelsior Road.
Note: Observation Rock is a great place to stargaze and watch the sunset. It’s also where I saw a wild kiwi.
Cage dive with Great White Sharks
Okay, not *technically* in Stewart Island as the boat departs from Bluff, but close enough.
Cage diving with Great White Sharks is one of the most unique things to do in New Zealand. It’s without a doubt the absolute best thing I did in the country. It had been on my bucketlist for years and if I could do it again, I would.
The waters around Stewart Island are notorious for being home to one of the ocean’s top predators, the Great White Shark. Shark Experience Bluff allows you to get up close and personal with this apex predator.
The boat takes you from Bluff across the Foveaux Straight towards Stewart Island. The cage is then lowered into the water allowing passengers to cage dive with Great White Sharks.
This is a thrilling activity that will get the heart pumping to say the least, but it’s one that will be remembered.
Check out my guide for swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura.
Hike the famous Rakiura Track
The Rakiura Track is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks. At 32km (20 miles), it’s the shortest of the Great Walks. The incredible hike takes you through the pristine beaches and lush rainforest on Rakiura National Park. It’s one of the best ways to explore this remote island in New Zealand.
The hike generally takes two to three days to complete but it’s possible to do just part of the hike.
Take a driving tour around the island
A driving tour is one of the best things to do on Stewart Island. The guided tour takes you around the 28km worth of roads to see some of the island’s highlights and learn more about the history of Stewart Island.
If you only have limited time on Stewart Island and are not keen on doing too much walking, this is a good option.
This fantastic 90 minute guided tour around the island includes short stops for photos.
Go for a short hike
If you don’t fancy taking on the Rakiura Track but still want to do some hiking, you’ll be pleased to hear the island is full of short hikes.
One of the best shorter hikes on Stewart Island is the Horseshoe Point Loop. The 5.2mile (8.5km) loop hike takes you along the shores of Halfmoon Bay and Horseshoe Bay. You’ll walk through native forest and along remote beaches, including the famous Bathing Beach and Dead Man Beach.
The hike begins in the town of Oban so you don’t need to worry about sorting any transportation. It’s a truly beautiful hike and is a great alternative to the Rakiura Track.
Take a scenic boat trip
Exploring by boat is one of the best things to do on Stewart Island. This small island is surrounded by inlets and stunning scenery. It also gives you the chance to see marine wildlife such as seals, dolphins and, if you’re very lucky … penguins! Both Little Blue Penguins and Yellow-Eyed Penguins are known to frequent the area.
There are a few options for boat trips on Stewart Island. One of the biggest tour operators is Rakiura Charters, This company offers a variety of boat tours including discovery cruises and guided tours to Ulva Island.
Aihe Eco Charters are another option and also offer a freshwater cruise.
Fly across Stewart Island
Seeing Stewart Island from above is an incredible way to see the island from a different perspective. There are several options for a scenic flight over Stewart Island, including scenic flights from Bluff, Invercargill and even Queenstown.
If you’re already in Stewart Island, consider a scenic flight over the island with Stewart Island Helicopters. The flight takes you across the island with incredible views of the Ruggedy Range, Halfmoon Bay and Paterson’s Inlet.
For those with little time that still want to see Stewart Island, consider a day trip from Bluff or Invercargill. These flights include a transfer and the chance to explore the island.
Glenorchy Air also offer a return trip from Queenstown. This tour flies you to Ryan’s Creek Aerodrome in Stewart Island. You then have five hours to see Stewart Island. Considering the cost of the Stewart Island Ferry and the time it takes to get to Bluff, the Glenorchy Air Flight is very good value.
Go Aurora hunting (and stargaze)
Stewart Island’s name in Te Reo Maori, ‘Rakiura’, translates to ‘glowing skies’. This is because it is one of the best places in New Zealand to see the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights.
The Southern Lights are technically visible all year round, but the best time to see them tends to be in the winter months (April – September).
Stewart Island is also an epic destination for stargazing. With little light pollution, the night sky is truly magnificent. In fact, Stewart Island was declared a Dark Sky Sanctuary back in 2019.
Stargazing and aurora hunting is without a doubt one of the most incredible things to do on Stewart Island.
Tip: Observation Rock is one of the best places to both stargaze and (hopefully) see those iconic Southern Lights.
Hire a bike
Stewart Island has around 28 km of roads (17 miles) which can all be explored by bike (or electric bike). If you have limited time on Stewart Island, hiring a bike is an excellent way to see as much of the island as possible.
There are a couple of places to hire a bike on Stewart Island including Stewart Island Electric Bikes.
Try fishing
The waters surrounding Stewart Island are teeming with life, including the famous Blue Cod. If you want to try your hand at fishing, you have a couple of options including tour packages with Gravity Fishing or Tequila fishing Charters.
Go to the local pub quiz
Stewart Island is home to the South Sea Pub, Oban’s local spot for a pint. Every Sunday, the locals gather in the pub for the famous pub quiz.
The locals welcome visitors with open arms to the pub and encourage them to join in with the pub quiz.
It’s a lively evening and a great way to experience local life on this remote island.
PS – they serve delicious pizza in the pub!
Planning a trip to New Zealand? Here are the South Island’s top destinations.
Visit the museum
If you want to learn more about Stewart Island, consider visiting the Rakiura Museum. The building houses various items, photographs and archive materials in relation to the local history of Stewart Island.
It costs $10 NZD for adults to enter. It’s the perfect thing to do when it rains in Stewart Island.
Practice your photography on a tour
Stewart Island is a great place to learn or practice your wildlife photography skills. Ruggedy Range offers photography tours on Ulva Island as well as tours focussing on marine animals.
You can check out the tour options on their website.
Learn to carve Jade
Fancy carving your own Jade pendant? Well, on Stewart Island you can. Rakiura Jade offer carving workshops where you can carve your own pendant made from Greenstone found on Stewart Island.
Relax on a beach
Stewart Island is full of remote, serene and beautiful beaches. While the weather does tend to stay quite cool on Stewart Island, it’s still a fantastic place to relax on a beach.
Bathing Beach is known to be one of the best beaches on Stewart Island. Its location in Halfmoon Bay offers stunning scenery and a peaceful setting. Just be sure to check the tide as it can be quite extreme here. At low tide, it might not be the most pleasant experience.
If you’re planning to do the Horseshoe Loop Walk, there are a few beaches along the way where you can relax.
Try some fish and chips
Stewart Island is famous for its Blue Cod and you can try it for yourself at Kai Kart. I don’t say this lightly, I think this was the best fish and chips I’ve ever had.
The fish was divine and the chips were delicious (the jalapeno poppers were also a win!). Check the opening hours before you go to Kai Kart as it’s only open on certain evenings. When I was there, they had a board outside with the latest hours.
The South Sea Hotel also serves Blue Cod.
Go snorkeling
Want to explore the waters around Stewart Island? Dive Rakiura offer snorkelling and freediving tours.
The 3-hour tour takes you into the waters of the Paterson Inlet. The area is home to a unique kelp forest with an array of marine life.
All equipment is provided by the company.
Visit the theatre
Despite its tiny size, Stewart Island is home to a local theatre called the Bunkhouse.
The theatre shows a film called ‘A Locals Tail’ and portrays island life from the a dog’s perspective.
It’s a great thing to do on Stewart Island, especially in wet weather.
The theatre often closes during the winter and only operates seasonally, but the latest schedule is available on their website.
How long to spend on Stewart Island
If you’re not planning to hike the famous Rakiura Track, plan to spend at least two nights on Stewart Island. This gives you a full day to explore the island, visit Ulva Island, go kiwi spotting, and do any other activities you want to do.
Stewart Island is the perfect place to slow down and embrace traditional “island life” in New Zealand, so it would be easy to spend longer than two nights here.
For those taking on the Rakiura Track, I’d suggest adding an extra day before or after the hike to rest and see more of the island’s attractions.
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