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rakiura track
Enter an unspoilt wilderness on
Stewart Island, ‘The Land of the Glowing Skies’ and see
for yourself its spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
The Rakiura Track is a 36 km,
3 day circular route, which can be walked year round in either
direction, and requires a moderate level of fitness. Hut and
campsite passes are available from the visitor centres in
Invercargill and the island’s main town, Oban. Regular air
services operate to Oban from Dunedin and Invercargill, and a
fast passenger ferry runs from Bluff.
The track starts from Half
Moon Bay via Horseshoe Bay Road and then winds above the
coastline to Maori Beach, and on to Port William Hut. On Day 2
the track leads inland over extensive boardwalks, and through
exceptionally tall rimu forest, thick with tree ferns and
epiphytes. The lush vegetation is a result of regular rainfall,
which can be expected on 250 days of the year. The track then
climbs to a lookout tower with views of Paterson Inlet, the
largest harbour on the island, and descends through sub-alpine
forest to North Arm Hut. On Day 3 the track follows the shoreline
to Sawdust Bay campsite, before heading back to Halfmoon Bay.
Bird life is prolific on the
walk with sightings of bellbirds, tui, fantails, kakas,
parakeets, and wood pigeon. The peacefulness of the bays is
profoundly moving. You will love the spectacular sunsets, the
sight of weka and brown kiwis foraging in the seaweed along the
shore, the gentle lapping of quiet water on sand, and the sweet
dawn chorus of bellbird and tui.
Steward Island along with its
170 satellite islands in turbulent Foveaux Strait, is a truly
remarkable, isolated place. The Rakiura Track gives you a unique
insight into a natural world, which seems to be eons removed from
modern day life.
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