New Zealand’s third largest island is Stewart Island which is located 30nm further south from the South Island. It is truly the furthest south you can get in New Zealand. At this point, I have gone to the furthest north point of Cape Reigna in the North island and the the furthest south point in Stewart island.
We arrive to the ferry dock early, so we decide to detour 10nm down the road to Stirling Point which is 46 degrees south on the South Island! That’s pretty far south! I am pointing to each direction I’ve been (Cape Reinga and Stewart island).
We have to take a ferry ride across Foveaux Straight which is known to be a treacherous crossing. Our ferry holds about 100 people and is about 23m long and 8.5m wide. When filled with passengers and cargo, it can weigh up to 70 metric tons! We cruised at 22kts and had a bit of a lumpy ride over, but not terrible. The “no go” threshold is 50kts of wind and or 4.5m seas. Can you imagine? No, hell no!
We get waves crashing on the sides of the window more times than I can count.
We leave the Bluff on the south island around 0945 and arrive into Half Moon Bay (or the city of Oban) around 1045.
Stewart Island Tour
We immediately hop on to the bus to take our 1.5hr Stewart Island tour. It is a small island with only 410 full time residents. There is a small library, community center, museum, market, school (2-12 years), fuel station, shops and eateries.
After we drive through town, we stop at Observation Rock which gives you a beautiful view of the town and harbour.
We drive by bathing beach and Meghan’s beach which have absolutely beautiful sandy beaches.
The very stunning Half Moon Bay took our breath away. Perfect sandy beaches and not a soul on it!
We pass by a telephone tree which actually has a telephone on the tree! We ate at Kai Kart which has been voted the best fish and chips in NZ! They were pretty darn good.
A life size chess set sits on the coast just by the ferry dock. Our ferry is coming in as I snap the photo.
We head back to the hotel just in time to enjoy the sunset at the 7th floor bar.
Anchored to the South Island
Maori creation stories tell how Maui, a legendary Polynesian voyager, pulled up from the sea floor anchor stone Te Puka a Maui (Stewart Island) to act as an anchor for the great ancestral canoe Te Waka o Aoraki (South Island of New Zealand)
The stylized anchor chain is secured firmly on land by a shackle but disappears beneath the Foveaux Straight to remind us of the physical and spiritual connections between the traditional taurapa or stern post o the Te Waka or Aoraki.
The bronze anchor chain is on Stewart Island and the silver is at Sterling Point (Invercargil). Stewart Island anchors more than Maui’s canoe. It anchors in its rocks, rivers, and rugged shores and in its garnishments of plants and animals, the hope of generations unborn that places like this will always exist.
Fun Facts about Stewart island
- Stewart Island is 180,000 hectres (bigger than Hong Kong and Singapore combined)
- 85% of the island is protected as a national park
- 6% is protected by the government DOC
- 6% belong to the Maori tribe
- 3% belong to local NZ
- All households are sold and currently unavailable. It is a 4-year wait to hire the 2 local builders on the island and bringing in housing materials costs 3-4 times more than standard fees.
- There are no mice, ferrets, stokes, or pigs on island. However, they do have rats, possums and feral cats which they are desperately trying to remove from the island.
Fun filled and fabulous day. Wonderful opportunity to go to this little island.
- Kilometers travelled: 75km
- Hotel: Laglands Hotel
- Kilometers walked: 5km
Events from this blog occurred in early March. Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind live events. Our last blog post took us to Invercargil where we visit a rockin transport and motorcycle museum.