Stewart Island, the southern-most island of New Zealand, shows as a dot on the map (if it appears at all). Don't be fooled. Stewart Island is large, 64 km long, and 40 km across (at its widest point). It has a 700 km coastline, but there are only 20 km of roads!
You won't walk round the Island in a day. Even ten days tramping only skirts the northern third. Few people can claim to have seen anywhere near the whole of Stewart Island. However, there is much to see.
Terrain is rugged. Stewart Island is made of granite, some of the oldest rock in New Zealand. A wide range of minerals are present, though not in commercial quantities. Tin was mined at Port Pegasus for a few years in the 1890's. There's black iron sand on some beaches, others are white with quartz or red with garnet. Most beaches are gold, sparkling in the sun. Don't bother bring a gold-pan though - it's mainly "fool's gold"!
The sparsely populated island of 1700 square km and 1600km of coastline lies in the extreme South of New Zealand. It is recommended in particular to visitors who wish to escape civilization for a while. In addition to quiet, untouched nature and wind the island offers magnificent sunsets. Various hiking trails, some of them taking a few days, cross the island. The only town is the harbor village of Oban.
Our Tours to This Region
 South Island: Nature, Wildlife and Maori Culture
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| The rugged mountains of Waituna Beach |
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