Product Overview

Stewart Island is a haven for nature lovers and walkers, protected within Rakiura National Park, making it a sanctuary for native birds and plants. Stewart Island Lodge offers bed and breakfast style accommodation, and trips include Village and Bays Tour, Paterson Inlet to Ulva Island and Wild Kiwi Encounter.

Product Description

Stewart Island Ferry Services

Experience Foveaux Strait on board our express catamarans. During the one-hour crossing between Bluff and Stewart Island keep a lookout for wildlife, especially seabirds. Watching mollymawks (albatross) soaring behind the ferry is a fantastic sight.

Village & Bays Tours

Gain an entertaining insight into New Zealand’s southernmost community, and learn about the history and environment of Stewart Island.

Unspoiled, incredibly beautiful, and steeped in stories, Stewart Island (known as Rakiura – glowing skies - by Maori) is well worth this informative introduction.  Our local guides enjoy sharing their knowledge of the area on this mini-bus tour of the Island. You will have plenty of time to get off the bus for photo stops and short walks.

Ulva Island Explorer

Discover Stewart Island from the water on a leisurely cruise of beautiful Paterson Inlet and a guided walk in Ulva Island Wildlife Sanctuary.

The cruise will showcase some of Paterson Inlet’s stunning scenery with its hidden coves and unspoilt beaches. You’ll hear fascinating stories of early Maori history and European settlement from your guide as we pass various landmarks. Your guide is passionate about this area, provides informative commentary and is more than happy to answer questions. While on board, keep a look out for fur seals and penguins – we see a lot of them around this area.

Wild Kiwi Encounter

At dusk depart from Stewart Island's Halfmoon Bay in our catamaran for a cruise across Paterson Inlet to Little Glory Cove.  During the cruise pass Ulva Island (a predator-free sanctuary) and learn about Stewart Island's rich history. Once at Little Glory Cove, disembark onto a wharf at the southern part of the peninsula known as The Neck.

The walk, led by your nature guide, is on a well-formed track across the peninsula, through spectacular coastal forest to a secluded sandy beach.  

Stewart Island Lodge

Come and stay with us in our peaceful bed and breakfast accommodation at Stewart Island Lodge. 

Private and secluded, Stewart Island Lodge is a wonderful place to relax in great comfort while providing a base for your Island exploration. It’s just five minutes’ walk from the village centre where there are restaurants and a small pub.

 

Departure Times

Stewart Island Ferry Services

From	To	Departure
Bluff	Oban	9:45am
		5:15pm
Oban	Bluff	8:00am
		3:30pm

Village & Bays Tours

• 11:00am - daily

Ulva Island Explorer

• 12:45pm - daily

Wild Kiwi Encounter

• From 7:00pm

Duration

Stewart Island Ferry Services

•  1 hour

Village & Bays Tours

•  1 hour

Ulva Island Explorer

• 2.5 hours

Wild Kiwi Encounter

• 4 hours

What To Bring

Non-slip shoes/boots, waterproof jacket, warm sweater/fleece jacket, sunscreen/ sunglasses, insect repellent and camera.

Company Info

RealNZ offers experiences in some of the most untouched regions of New Zealand including Stewart Island, Fiordland and Queenstown. Trips include day and overnight cruises through Milford and Doubtful Sounds, glowworm caves in Te Anau, and a guided walk on the Milford Track. In Queenstown we offer BBQ dining options, cycle trails and farm tours at Walter Peak High Country Farm, cruises on the heritage steamship TSS Earnslaw, as well as whitewater rafting trips and thrilling jet boat experiences. Cardrona Alpine Resort is an alpine playground in both summer and winter including wide open ski slopes in winter or dial up the excitement on mountain bike and carting trails in summer. Treble Cone, the home of skiing in Wanaka, is the South Island’s largest ski area in both terrain and vertical metres. The International Antarctic Centre is Christchurch’s leading visitor attraction offering a fun and interactive experience of Antarctica.