Stewart Island, also known as Rakiura, is New Zealand‘s third-largest island, located off the southern end of the gorgeous (and imaginatively named) South Island. It feels wild, rugged and remote compared to the rest of the country, especially when mobile coverage is limited (Tip: Don’t use 2Degrees if you plan to be here).

Most of the people who arrive are either cruise ship tourists or trampers planning to tackle two of NZ’s great walks – the Rakiura track (29km) and the North West circuit (125km). For folks who aren’t keen on getting their feet muddy, the $155 return trip from Bluff can seem like a waste of money, but I found several things that made my 4-day stay worthwhile.

Bird Spotting

Bring your binoculars – this place is an ornithologist’s dream. All sorts of flying and flightless birds inhabit Stewart Island, including kaka, penguins, bellbirds, muttonbirds and the famous but elusive kiwis. A full list can be found here.

Even a non-enthusiast can appreciate waking up to the birdsong every morning. Kaka like the one pictured below are frequent visitors to the backpacker hostels in the late afternoons, and they are not shy about opening windows and gatecrashing barbecues to get an easy treat.

There are late night tours to Mason Bay to spot one or more of the 20,000 kiwi birds that roam the island. but forget that. Your chance are as good if you grab a red torchlight and walk the bush that surrounds the village, just as I did. Just don’t disturb the neighbours on the way there.

A water taxi takes visitors to nearby Ulva Island, a predator-free sanctuary for rare and endangered birds native birds. The air here is filled with the calls of bellbirds, tui and more, and Stewart Island robins often follow people around the trails. Kiwis have been spotted in the daytime here too.

Underwater Life

Boats can be chartered for dives although one will need to bring equipment to the island as there are no dive shops. There are plenty of kelp beds around the island teeming with marine life. Where there is cold water and kelp, fur seals and sea lions live and breed. And where there are seals and sea lions, great white sharks can also be found.

Don’t let that put you off visiting the Stewart Island though! It’d take either a freak accident or sheer stupidity to get bitten. Two companies conduct and provide the equipment for cage dives in the chilly waters of the Foveaux Strait, but the locals are not particularly happy about that. If you want to go ahead, you can read about my experience here.

Shark conservationist Ocean Ramsey has also written about her visit and observations from around the same time on her website. And great whites are not the only species of shark that have made these waters their home…

Seafood

What good is an island destination that does not boast great seafood? Rakiura does not disappoint in this respect. The two fine dining restaurants on the island serve up succulent Big Glory Bay oysters and salmon that are farmed nearby. They don’t come cheap, of course.

For those who prefer to prepare their own meals, hot smoked salmon is cured and sold at 11 Miro Crescent, just a 15-minute walk from the pier. I first tried it at the Christchurch Farmers Market (where it sells for a few dollars more) and it won me over. The flesh is not too salty and has medium firmness, unlike the usual smoked salmon varieties.

Fishing charters are also available (with a minimum two on the boat to go) and even a beginner can catch some blue cod for dinner. The people on board will even scale, gut, fillet and pack the fish for the trip back to hotel/hostel kitchen. My friend Bryony went on such a trip.

Something unexpected bit her next catch – a 5-foot blue shark! I’m proud of her for requesting its release.

Beach Combing

There are plenty of sandy beaches around the island, and it’s possible to spend an entire day alone on one of these with just a book.

Okay, not really. It’ll be just you and the bloodsucking sandflies – pack some insect repellent!

Take It Easy

And on the rare occasion that the weather stays fine for a few hours (it changes very quickly here), take a walk around Oban, the only settlement on Stewart Island. Little swimming coves and remnants of its whaling history can be found all along the coast.

When there are only two places to bond with other people in the evenings (the hostel fireplace and the pub at the South Sea), it’s also a great place to get to know them on the backpacking circuit. When I was at Bunkers most of the guests stayed a few days to make the most of the cost of getting there, and I also met the same faces before and after they started their treks, so one gets to know them a little better than in other parts of the country.

As for the residents, In a town of just 400, everyone knows everyone else, including the long-term travellers. There are no secrets, and it shows.

Have you been to Stewart Island before? What was your stay like?