When considering your next New Zealand trip, ensure picturesque Rakiura Stewart Island is on your list, writes KINETA KNIGHT BOOKER.
My dad turned 80 this year, and Stewart Island has always been on his bucket list, so we organised him a trip with all his kids and grandkids. And weeks later, he’s still talking about his “magical”, “unforgettable” time!
I relied on Google to plan our trip to New Zealand’s third-largest island, but to save you the endless hours of research, here are my top tips.
Getting there
There are only two ways to get to Stewart Island: take the one-hour ferry from Bluff or the 20-minute flight from Invercargill.
We chose to take the ferry so we could experience crossing Foveaux Strait, the mass of water separating Stewart Island from the bottom of the South Island. The strait has been described as “one of the roughest and most unpredictable stretches of water in the world”, but we live only once and it was a risk we were willing to take because we knew we’d have to endure it for only a short time.
Here’s a tip: if you’re susceptible to motion sickness, ensure you pack travel sickness tablets such as Sea-Legs or anti-nausea acupressure wristbands. I used both for good measure. Some family members took nothing. Although it was a rough crossing over, we were all just fine. The ferry captains sail the straight dozens of times a week. They are highly experienced seamen.
Here’s another tip: We flew to Invercargill and took the RealNZ bus to Bluff. If you’re driving to Bluff you can park your car in the ferry’s carpark for $25 per night. Make sure you visit Stirling Point to get your photo at the famous signpost which marks the southern end of the country’s State Highway 1.
Accommodation
Finding accommodation was the trickiest part, because once it’s gone, it’s gone. So make sure you book early. Utilise websites such as bookabach, booking.com, airbnb, holidayhouses.co.nz. They also have a backpackers. We stayed in a holiday home where our host Fiona even picked us up and dropped us back to the ferry. They really are the friendliest, most-welcoming people down there.
Food
You can pack your own food and take it over but there is a small supermarket for convenience, and a couple of other dining establishments.
Getting around
It depends where you stay, but if you’re local to Oban you might like to just walk around. We hired a car there from Sharon at the local garage, yet another friendly local, as we wanted to explore further. And some members of my family hired e-bikes which made for some fun adventures. The island also has a taxi service.
What to do
There are many opportunities to pick up a handy two-sided info sheet, including at the Bluff Ferry terminal. We used this a lot, especially for the map, places to explore and where to eat.
There are some good family-friendly walks. We enjoyed both the Fuchsia Walk and Raroa Reserve Track which leads to Thule Bay. Walking among relatively untouched native forest, with tui and bellbirds singing in the trees right above you, and friendly fantails following along for the walk. As Dad would later reflect, a truly “magical”, “unforgettable” experience.
E-bikes are an excellent way to get around. You can hire them for a couple of hours or for the whole time you’re there. The operators give you good ideas of great spots to visit. There’s nothing better than the locals embracing their visitors.
Other things you can do is take a boat over to Ulva Island to see and hear rare bird species, go on a Wild Kiwi Encounter, play giant chess by the sea, go on a fishing charter or go sea kayaking.
There are also many places of interest including visiting the island’s first structure, Acker’s Cottage, built in 1836. Rakiura is also home to the southern-most Dark Sky Sanctuary in the world.
And make sure you visit the museum. The $15p/p (children free) entry fee was well worth it. The island’s history is a rich one, and there’s no better place to find out all about so many of its different aspects than the island’s newest attraction. We all got lost in another world as we were transported to the past through reading, listening and watching the various mediums. Just keep an eye on the time, as you won’t want to miss your ferry back to Bluff, like we almost did!
There are so many things to do down on Stewart Island and there wasn’t a single moment of “I’m bored”. We stayed for just two nights. Next time we will definitely be staying longer.
Read more: <<Travelling with kids >>
