RAKIURA TRACK TRANSPORT OPTIONS

This post will let you know your Rakiura Track transport options as well as getting to Rakiura Island.

HOW TO GET TO RAKIURA/STEWART ISLAND

Stewart/Rakiura Island is separated from Bluff on the South Island by the Foveaux Strait. The 28km section of ocean is famous for the source of Bluff oysters, and rough seas. You’ve got two options to get there, by plane or ferry.

FLYING TO RAKIURA/STEWART ISLAND

It is possible to fly to Rakiura Island from Invercargill and Queenstown.

The main airport on Stewart Island is Oban Airport, 2km from the main town. It is officially called Ryan’s Creek Aerodrome.

From Queenstown

If you really want to fly from Queenstown to Stewart Island, you can do this as a day trip with Glenorchy Air from late October to late April departing from Queenstown Airport. You can check the schedule at this link to make a booking.

If you have a bigger group, you can consider charter flights to Stewart Island by contacting Glenorchy Air or Air Milford.

From Invercargill

This is the standard spot to fly to reach Oban airport for those not doing a day trip with daily flights available year round. Timetable available here.

And the perk? It’s not that much more expensive than taking the ferry.

At the time of writing, the prices are:

That includes 15kg of baggage, and transport from the airport to Oban.

The only downside is if the weather is horrendous, they won’t fly and depending on the bookings you might not be able to get there by plane for several days…in which case you’d need to go with the ferry option. You flight is 100% refundable for weather cancellations.

You’ll also need to consider carpark prices for Invercargill Airport.

FERRY TO RAKIURA/STEWART ISLAND

There is one ferry operator, Real NZ, between Bluff and Oban. They have several sailings each day for the ~1 hour ride.

The fares as of time of writing are:

You might find a discounted deal on BookMe too.

The ferry departs from Bluff Ferry Terminal, and arrives at the ferry terminal in Oban.

The ride takes about 1 hour, but crossing the Foveaux Strait isn’t straightforward. The seas get rough and there’s a reasonable chance someone will be throwing the contents of their stomach up into a paperbag. If you’re vulnerable to sea sickness, bring your sea legs and pray for calm seas. The staff on board are great. Despite the (likely) rough crossing, it’s less likely to be cancelled than a flight.

The ferry is great if you’ve got lots of gear, and there’s parking adjacent to the ferry terminal.

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RAKIURA TRACK TRANSPORT OPTIONS

This is what caught me off guard when I first planned to do the Rakiura Track. The trail doesn’t start and finish in Oban. The two official trailheads are:

Lee Bay – 5km from Oban.
Fern Gully Carpark – 2km from Oban.

So the full loop would be ~39km rather than 32km.

So how do you get to the Rakiura Track? These are your four Rakiura Track transport options.

TAXI/SHUTTLE

There are a few taxi options available in Oban, with your accommodation usually able to sort one out easily, or visit the DOC visitor centre in town and they can assist. They all charge about $40 to get to Lee Bay, and $20 to get to Fern Gully. That’s for up to 4 people.

WALK

With the two trailheads being 5km (Lee Bay) and 2km (Fern Gully) from the heart of Oban, it is feasible to walk. Even if you get dropped off at Lee Bay, walking from Fern Gully back to Oban (or vice-versa) is the best option most likely so you don’t need to get back at a certain time to meet the taxi.

While you’re walking on roads, there’s not much in the way of traffic so you shouldn’t have any issues in terms of feeling unsafe.

BOAT

You can get a water taxi/ferry from Oban to some spots on the Rakiura Track, with the logical spots being Port Willam or North Arm. This gives you some flexibility in the way of walking the track, and you can do a day trip even.

I visited Ulva Island aboard Rakiura Charters and they were great.

CAR RENTAL

With ~28km of drivable roads on the entire island, hiring a car isn’t that necessary. But depending on the size of your group, and everyones plan it might work.

Real NZ offers car rentals on Stewart Island starting from $125 for 4 hours (petrol and basic insurance included). You can view full prices here.

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The Rakiura Track is a Great Walk in a special place. It’s not easy to get there (the island and the track), but the experience is (hopefully) worth it. As is Ulva Island.

If you’ve got any questions about how to get to the Rakiura Track (and/or Stewart/Rakiura Island), let me know in the comments below or email jub@churnewzealand.com.

p.s. If you want to look at all the hikes and walks I’ve written about on Chur New Zealand, here’s a map you can scroll about to learn more.