Stewart Island

Separated from the South Island by 30 kilometers of rough and rolling Foveaux Strait sits tranquil and serene Stewart Island with a population of 400 people. This island is mostly hilly with a wet climate and is predominantly covered in native bush where it rains on average 260 days a year.

80% of the island is protected by national park and almost all is owned by the state of N.Z. This being the main reason why the island is a safe haven for many endangered species not least of which is N.Z’s. national bird the Kiwi, and still has almost all of its original wildlife due to the sparse population, undeveloped land and not much deforestation of the many species habitats. There is an exceptionally large bird population here due to the lack of predators such as cats, rats, stoats and ferrets.
 The islands only town is called Oban and is situated on the northeastern side in beautiful Half Moon Bay. Here the locals are very friendly and will chat to you for hours about many a subject not least of which is their specialty food of mutton-bird which is caught off the small islands to the south.

Here the main industry is tourism with farming, forestry and fishing second. Stewart Island boasts many fine isolated beaches with stunning views. The fishing and hunting here are also exceptional.