Why you've got to see this faraway corner of New Zealand

Rakiura/Stewart Island

Most New Zealanders have never been to Rakiura/Stewart Island - myself included. So when friends suggested a weekend trip, well of course I jumped.

In my mind it was remote, hard-to-get-to, cut off from the mainland by the famously rugged Foveaux Strait, home of Bluff oysters and treacherous waters. (Apparently 23 people perished there between 1998-2012.)

People said the island had soft, magical light and semi-tropical rainforests. There was a warm current running offshore so it never got super cold, its beaches were silvery gold and you might trip over a kiwi in broad daylight. They also said the ferry ride over was petrifying when the waves were big - which was almost always, and that the birdlife on Ulva Island was incredible and had to be seen to be believed. 

Well, much of that turned out to be true: the beaches, the rainforest, the glimmering light (Rakiura translates to mean 'Glowing Skies') ....but there was plenty more to discover!

Birds, birds, birds! 

We stayed at Jensen Bay House which had expansive views over Halfmoon Bay. In the morning a friendly kaka (forest parrot) came visiting, tapping on the window with its beak, eating from our hands and even hopping up onto a shoulder.

After breakfast we took the ferry to Ulva Island, a flourishing sanctuary for native plant and birdlife that's largely disappeared from the mainland. The ride over was my first encounter with the stately mollymawks, small albatross common around the island. They came gliding in looking for fishing offcuts, severe black brows and slanted eyes giving off a grave, even menacing aspect but the way they float through the air is all elegance and light.

After twenty minutes we disembarked onto a miniature Gondwanaland! Ulva Island is covered in ancient forest filled with an amazing variety of birds from kereru, South Island saddleback and yellowhead to yellow-crowned and red-fronted parakeet, South Island kaka and Stewart Island robin. Yellow-eyed penguin use the island to breed and it's reputedly a great place to spot a kiwi. Sadly we seemed to be lacking the kiwi-spotting gene but hey, all the more reason for a return trip!  

The wild coast

Seaspray spattered our faces as our boat raced through choppy waters. Ahead a windswept beach swarmed with giant sea lions. As we drew close, our guide leaned over the side of the boat and roared a wild greeting across the waves. The sea lions carried on play-fighting and dancing, blissfully unaware or uninterested.

It was late afternoon and we were kitted out in neoprene shoes for a walk along the coastal edge of Paterson Inlet. Laying anchor we clambered aboard a rubber dinghy which motored to shore and deposited us on the beach - a safe distance from all the action mind you. 

 As we splashed along the shoreline, the seaweed was like nothing I'd seen before: a rich, living kaleidoscope of colour and texture. Stewart Island has more varieties of seaweed than anywhere else in New Zealand and more than 700 kilometres of coastline to explore. 

We squeezed our way through narrow crevices, scrambled up rocks and waded through salty water before stopping for a slug of Jameson's and turning to retrace our steps before the tide turned and we had to spend the night with all those sea lions. 

The seafood is some of the freshest you'll find

Tuck into a blue cod burger from the fish and chip caravan in Oban. You can eat them outside on picnic tables or walk over to the beach and watch the fishing boats coming in. Be warned: you'll want to go back the next day for another round. For the really fresh stuff book a trip on a fishing boat and catch your own. It's filleted and goes in a chilly bag for you to take home and impress your friends.

And no trip to Stewart Island would be complete without a visit to the South Seas Hotel, where fresh local salmon features on the dinner menu. This multi-purpose island icon has a welcoming vibe and provides accomodation, coffee and cake, a drink at the pub or meals in the dining room. Make sure you book for dinner because it gets busy. If you feel like a drink or a game of pool later on the public bar is a friendly spot popular with the locals. 

You can fly over Foveaux Strait in a jiffy 

Avoid that potential rough crossing by taking a flight from Invercargill. Stewart Island Flights have small (10-seater) planes flying daily to and from Oban. The views are spectacular and it only takes 20 minutes. 

Walking anywhere is beautiful

Even up to and around the six-hole golf course! But if you want to pack your hiking boots, there are heaps of short walks or multi-day tracks, including the Rakiura Great Walk. About 85 percent of the island is national park so there's no shortage of opportunities for bush bathing. 

November to April is the most popular time to visit Stewart Island but don't worry too much about that; we were there in March and it wasn't at all crowded. It rains all year round so take wet weather gear when you do go. With an average temperature of 10 degrees in winter and 17 in summer it's surprisingly temperate, and there are plenty of accomodation options to choose from. So whether you're after cosy winter log fires or long summer nights, I reckon any time is a fine time to visit this special little island.