Bluff/Stewart Island

Home of the world famous Bluff Oyster, and the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in New Zealand. Bluff is located at the very south of the South Island and is the gateway to Stewart Island. Stirling Point, with its famous signpost and walking tracks, is the beginning of State Highway 1 which traverses the length of the country to Cape Reinga in the far north. Across the Foveaux Strait is Rakiura or Stewart Island – one of the best places to see our native Kiwi in the wild, as well as taste the local seafood and explore some of the country’s best walks.

Culture

Rakiura’s (land of the glowing skies) rich Maori history dates back to the 13th Century when Maori first started visiting seasonally to harvest titi or the chicks of the sooty shearwater. It is a practice that is still done today and if you’re lucky you may get a chance to taste this delicacy. The island was also referred to the Island as Te Punga o te Waka a Maui (the anchor of Maui’s canoe) – the chain sculpture going into the sea at the entrance to Rakiura National Park and coming up on land at Bluff symbolises this story.

Fishing

The area is renowed for its Blue Cod fishery as well as oysters and the country’s biggest paua or abalone. But its waters are also home to the country’s largest concentration of Great White Sharks.

Diving

Must Do's

A night-time adventure to see Kiwis in the wild.

A visit to Ulva Island.

Explore Rakiura National Park.

Cage dive with the White Sharks.

Want To Visit?

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