When you think of New Zealand, you usually picture two islands. The aptly (but not-so-creatively) named North Island and South Island. Actually, a grand total of 600 islands form this remote and beautiful nation. At the foot of the South Island floats New Zealand’s third-largest island: Rakiura/Stewart Island.
The original Maori name, Te Punga o Te Waka a Maui, translates to ‘the anchor stone of Maui’s canoe.’ Legend has it that Maui and his trusty canoe crew form the shape of New Zealand’s South Island. Together they caught and raised a great fish (or, the North Island). Now you can see where Rakiura/Stewart Island steps into the picture.
Rakiura/Stewart Island might be my favourite place in New Zealand if I really have to pick just one. Trust me, that’s not easy – New Zealand is one of the most magical countries I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.
Table of Contents
An overview of Rakiura/Stewart Island
Rakiura means ‘Glowing Skies’ in the Māori language. This is a reference to the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) which you can sometimes spot from the island during the Kiwi winter (April – September). I visited Rakiura/Stewart Island in late-May, but alas, no glowing skies for me. Although, that gives me the perfect reason to return to this island haven.
Even with a latitude of 47° south, the climate of the island is actually fairly temperature. Summer temperatures hit the mid-20s, whilst days are long – sunrise is at 5 am and sunset at 10 pm. Winters are comparable to those on the South Island. During my late-autumn visit, I was welcomed by roaring sunshine and mild evenings.
Rakiura/Stewart Island is consumed by dense rainforest and wetlands. In fact, the Rakiura National Park covers almost 90% of the island. Within this, the Rakiura Track is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks. Apparently, it’s also one of the most gruelling. More so due to the fact it turns to a swamp during Southland downpours, rather than that the gradient is especially challenging.
Stewart Island is also known for its population of wild kiwi (the native bird, rather than the gumboot wearing humans). Apparently, there are around 20,000 kiwis roaming wild on the island, versus a mere 400 non-feathered kiwis. Most of the human-kiwis live in the township of Oban, which is where the harbour is. This small settlement has a handful of amenities; a Four Square supermarket, school, a selection of guesthouses, and a couple of eateries.
Half Moons and Horseshoes
Access to Rakiura is a one-hour ferry crossing over the Foveaux Strait from Bluff. Notorious for its stomach-churning waves, the day I travelled across the Foveaux Strait was flatter than a pancake. Heading back to the mainland was an entirely different story.
When my boat docked in Oban, the winter sun was beaming and there was barely enough wind to disturb a daisy. I’d left all my worldly possessions in my van, parked at the ‘free’ parking space by the harbour. To distract myself from my fear of a break-in, I went straight out for a walk.
From Oban’s Half Moon Bay, I followed the coastal path north which curves around the periphery of the bush to Horseshoe Bay. Honey-coloured sand coats the beaches of Rakiura/Stewart Island whilst the bush (kiwi forest) is rugged. Blissfully deserted, I crossed paths with only one other hiker that afternoon. This is my kind of hike.
The extent of my conversation was with a kākā, who joined me on a bench in the Botanical Gardens. The kākā is a forest-dwelling parrot, quite similar in appearance to the kea and equally chatty. They’re pretty sociable and tend to loiter around people in the hope that we’ll toss them some picnic scraps.
Sadly not, kākā pal. The DOC plead with tourists and kiwis alike not to give the birds food, as they should stick to their natural diet.
Kiwi Hunting on Rakiura
That evening I did as all visitors to Rakiura/Stewart Island do. I dined on fish and chips, then headed to Traill Park Rugby Field to stalk kiwis. Again, the birds, not the unsuspecting pub dwellers and fishermen.
Leaving my hostel in the pitch black, I soon got confused about the direction Google Maps sent me on. Firstly, I ended up in someone’s back garden. Then, Google ushered me down a track snaking through the bush. Dense, fern-filled, pollution-free New Zealand bush. This spooky, Blair Witch-esque route didn’t have a single shard of urban pollution to light up my fumble through the woods.
Successfully un-murdered, the bush did lead me into the field. During the summer season, you can expect a hefty number of kiwi-seekers. On this crisp, near-winter evening, it was just me and one elderly couple. We, quite literally, bumped into each other in the dark and they told me that they’d not so much heard a bush rustle.
Creeping around with my red-lighted torch, slowly, I remained overly confident that I’d spot the elusive, flightless bird. The pitch was deadly quiet, prime kiwi spotting conditions. Sure enough, there was a scuffle coming from a few yards from me. Through the gloom, I just about made out a blacker patch of black that seemed to be moving. I stood meditatively silent for 10 minutes or so, relishing the thrill of being in proximity to the rarely-seen bird.
Walking back to my hostel, I realised that it was probably a possum.
Ulva Island
Waking up on Rakiura to rain, I dediced to catch the ferry to Ulva Island (Te Wharawhara). This is an even smaller island, cradled by Rakiura in the Paterson Inlet (Whaka A Te Wera).
Ulva Island is home to a plethora of birds native to New Zealand, such as tui, tomtit, weka, wood pigeons and fernbirds. It is predator-free, which means there are no rodents, dogs, or cats to threaten the lives of the birds. The sanctuary of Ulva Island is also one of the only places where nocturnal kiwi birds roam during the daytime. That means there is a chance of sighting one (not for me, though!).
The forest canopy covers most of the walking track, so it’s a good shout for a rainy day and the trees will protect you from rain. I did get wetter than expected as the beaches are exposed and the rainfall was particularly heavy when I visited.
You can walk around the whole island in less than a few hours. Although it’s recommended to walk at a snail’s pace for the chance to spot more wildlife. So that’s exactly what I did.
The whole forest hums with birdsong and during my visit, the ambient patter of rainfall. I personally love walking in the rain and it was a dreamy day which made me so grateful for being in such an untouched pocket of New Zealand at its purest.
To round off the day, a sea lion waved my boat farewell from the harbour as we pulled out of the jetty. Then we were joined by a pod of dolphins, who followed us all the way back to Rakiura.
Why is Rakiura/Stewart Island so special?
Now, I have a Big Thing for islands. Rakiura was guaranteed to steal my heart. I’m also drawn to places where wilderness rules the coup. With 90% of the island being bush, that’s about as wild as an island can get. Plus, New Zealand’s native bird outnumbers its native humans on Rakiura/Stewart Island. Even more perfect!
I was lucky during my stay that the island was so quiet, thanks for that low season. So lucky, in fact, that I got an entire dorm room to myself in the hostel. That’s always a welcome surprise.
Sadly, I didn’t have time to tramp the Rakiura Track whilst I was on the island. My Southland road trip was more condensed than I would have liked on account of it being sandwiched between Workaway and house-sitting gigs. But, it’s on my list of things I wish I’d done in New Zealand (next time, Aotearoa).
New Zealand is an other-worldly place to visit, with wildlife and beautiful nature found in every region. But for the chance to see New Zealand in its most untouched, natural state, Rakiura/Stewart Island feels as close as we can get.
0 Comments