{"id":3559,"date":"2017-08-10T15:15:32","date_gmt":"2017-08-10T19:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adventurousretirement.com\/blog\/?p=3559"},"modified":"2019-10-15T08:01:32","modified_gmt":"2019-10-15T12:01:32","slug":"stewart-island-rakiurai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventurousretirement.com\/blog\/stewart-island-rakiurai\/","title":{"rendered":"Stewart Island\/Rakiura – New Zealand\u2019s 3rd Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stewart Island<\/h1>\n

Stewart Island is an unspoiled naturally beautiful oasis, and only a 1-hour ferry ride<\/a> from Bluff, the southernmost edge of New Zealand\u2019s South Island, 30 km south of New Zealand\u2019s South Island across the Foveaux strait.<\/p>\n

\"Stewart <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Stewart <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

As the closest land mass to Antarctica, it is quite remote and far to travel; most people never visit Stewart Island, including New Zealanders. Stewart Island, and the nearby Ulva Island, are famous for rare birding opportunities, hiking and fishing. Maoris named Stewart Island \u2018The land of the glowing skies\u2019 or Rakiura, for the sunsets or the southern aurora lights. Stewart Island is 85% National Park.<\/p>\n

\"Stewart<\/a>From its coastal beaches and views to its lush forests, Stewart Island has gorgeous bays, golden sand beaches, and hills with dense forests creating spectacular scenery. This hilly, wet island is home to about 400 residents, mostly in the settlement of Oban. In summer tourists and vacationers frequent the island. Stewart Island can be chilly and can get into the 80s F; it was in the 60s F most of the time we were there in the summer. Visitors cannot bring cars, so most people walk or hike when on the island. There are taxis and some rental cars available. We rented an apartment that came with a car, so we were able to see most of the island by car and hiking.<\/p>\n

Since the island is remote with few inhabitants, it does not have any industry other than tourism and fisheries. All provisions are imported to the island. Food is available in the single supermarket in Oban, and at restaurants and inns. For any major healthcare needs, people are flown to the South Island. If you are cooking in, make sure you know the limited hours of the grocery store.<\/p>\n

Why go to Stewart Island?<\/h2>\n

Stewart Island offers a rare opportunity to see the brown kiwi in the wild. At night visitors are often out in the fields near wooded areas with red flashlights hoping to get a glimpse of a Kiwi feeding. At times kiwis can be seen during the day on Ulva Island.<\/p>\n

\"stewart-island-wood-pigeon\"<\/p>\n

Birds of Stewart Island<\/a> include weka, k\u0101k\u0101, albatross, the flightless Stewart Island kiwi, silvereyes, fantails, kerer\u016b, and the blue penguin. The endangered yellow-eyed penguin has a significant number of breeding sites here and large colonies of sooty shearwaters offshore. Sunset is the best time to watch for penguins coming ashore after a day of fishing.<\/p>\n

Stewart Island is known for the world’s southernmost dense forest of podocarps (southern conifers) and hardwoods, with m\u0101nuka shrubland or evergreen tea tree, at higher elevations. It is believed that these trees grew here since the last ice age, almost 12,000 years ago from seeds brought across the strait by seabirds and dispersed by the wind.<\/p>\n

A special treat is a visit to Ulva Island, accessed only from Stewart Island and a predator free sanctuary that allows the extensive New Zealand birdlife to thrive. Either go with a guide or on your own by water taxi. \u00a0We saw:<\/p>\n