Travelling to Rakiura Stewart Island

To reach Rakiura Stewart Island, most people take a medium-sized catamaran ferry, from Bluff to Oban (Halfmoon Bay). The boat trip takes an hour and can be rough and choppy. If you are prone to motion sickness, we recommend gingernut biscuits or ginger tea to calm your stomach.

The other option is to take a small plane from Invercargill Airport with Stewart Island Flights. On a clear day, the views of the islands are pretty incredible. The plane normally takes you to Oban airport, but you can have a beach landing on the island's west side at Mason Bay.

Once in Oban, everything is easily walkable, including access to the multi-day tracks. The road network is limited; however, you can rent a small car or bike to get around more quickly.

8 images


We're on Instagram

Follow Trip Ideas for more great content like this