New Zealand’s third largest island, Stewart Island is a unique, curious place that is well worth a visit.
It could be said that you haven’t really seen all of the country until you’ve crossed the wild and woolly Foveaux Strait and come to Rakiura. ‘The Land of Glowing Skies’. Yep, if the conditions are right you can see the Aurora Australis from here. That alone is worth the trip.
Beautiful sandy beaches, some outstanding hikes, and a chance to see the Stewart Island kiwi or tokoeka in the wild: all only 40km from the mainland.
It is a world away, though, truly unspoilt and so home to more birdlife than you could possibly imagine. Around eighty-five percent of the island is protected in a national park, so if it’s wildlife, not nightlife that you’re after, you’ve got your spot. Yes, there’s Oban, the friendly town centre, but you’ll be lucky to spot an ATM (tip: it’s in the Four Square), let alone ultra-fast broadband. But you might spot birds of a rare and curious nature – the kiwi even come out in the daytime here – and there are beaches that look like they were last visited by humans 800 years ago. And you’ll be able to grab some of that pāua, crayfish and other ocean delights in much abundance.
If you’re frustrated that in all your trekking about the other two islands you haven’t quite captured that ‘getting right away from it all’ feeling, Stewart Island is the place to you. If you can’t relax and feel far from the madding crowd here, then you’ll need to book a lunar escape. Nothing else for it.
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