In this Guide I will show you everything you’re going to need for the Rakiura Great Walk, located in the heart of Stewart Island.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Arrival
- Packing list
- Oban to Port William
- Port William to North Arm
- North Arm back to Oban
- Conclusion Rakiura Great Walk
Overview
Rakiura Great Walk is located on Stewart Island. It’s nearly a loop and can be started either from the parking lot of Lee Bay or Main Road.
The Track takes 2 - 3 days to complete with a distance of 32km. There’re 2 huts and 3 camping sites. It’s a Great Walk and therefore booking is essential.
Arrival
Stewart Island is the third biggest island of New Zealand and a safe heaven for native bird species. No predators are present and here you have the best chance to spot a Kiwi in their natural habitat.
2 options are available to get to Stewart Island. The first one is via plane from Invercargill with Stewart Island Flights. A one way flight is 122,5 NZD. The planes depart from the Invercargill airport.
The other option is via the ferry from Bluff, with RealNZ A one way crossing is 110 NZD. Just follow State Highway 1 to Bluff and you cannot miss the terminal. Moreover, RealNZ is providing safe parking.
- 1 night 25 NZD
- 2 nights 35 NZD
- 3 nights 46 NZD
- 4 nights 57 NZD
- Every additional night 10 NZD
(Stand: Jänner 2024)
Packing list
If you’re going to stay in huts, you don’t have to bring your own tent and mattress. The rest is the same. Moreover, there is no treated drinking water provided, gas cooker and saucepan is necessary!
- 60 - 80 liter backpack
- Tent and mattress (optional)
- Sleeping bag
- Gas cooker with fuel
- Saucepan, cutlery and enough to eat
- 2 - 3 liter drinking water
- Sturdy boots above ankles
- Rain jacket
- Clothes
- Sunscreen and sun protection
- Insect repellent (sandflies want to eat you)
- Toilet paper
- Torch (with red light for Kiwis)
- Power station and charging cable (optional)
- Swin clothes (optional)
Oban to Port William
Upon arriving in Oban you could organize a taxi to get to the starting points. I was going the Rakiura Great Walk anti-clockwise and therefore started at Lee Bay parking lot.
If you opt out from a taxi, like myself, you have to walk 5km to the parking lot. Just follow Horseshoe Bay Road until the junction to Lee Bay Road and continue on this road. It’s easy to see the directions, follow the signs which says Lee Bay via Port William Track. After about 1 hour you arrive at the parking lot.
In this section there is 1 hut and 2 campsites. Port William Hut / Campsite and Maori Beach Campsite. It’s says 4 - 4.5h to Port William and 3h to Maori Beach.
The way is easy to see and there’re enough direction signs. Directly at the beginning you will pass along Anchor Stone. Now you follow the coast for around 1km until you reach Lee Bay. Here you can choose between a high und low tide pass. Just follow the orange arrows.
After another 3km you arrive at Maori Beach campsite. Here you can take a break and take a small detour (5 minutes) to the historic sawmill. Back at the beach there is again a high and low tide pass. The paths cross at the swing bridge.
Now you continue on in the forest for the most of the time, until you reach a junction. Left you can continue on to North Arm Hut (sign says 5h) and going straight you arrive at Port William after 1.9km and 45min. Follow the path in the forest until you reach the beach with a pier. You’ve arrived at Port William, on your left you find the campsite and continuing straight you will arrive at the hut shortly afterwards.
I took me from Oban to Port William a little less than 3 hours.
Port William to North Arm
Welcome in the muddy jungle. In this section you can stay at 1 Hut with 1 Campsite and you will traverse a distance of 13km. First of all, you go back to the junction and this time you follow the path to North Arm Hut. You go all the time in the forest and therefore a good cover against the sun, but on some section the way is extremely muddy. It wasn’t in my favor either, that it rained a bit in the night.
The way is easy to follow, the first section is going up and down and very muddy. The first stop is the historic log hauler. Afterwards the muddy way continues into the woods.
At the halfway point you will find a sign which says, 6.5km and 3h to North Arm Hut or Port William. Here the way is getting less muddy and there are longer section with a good ground. After this challenging section you arrive at North Arm. On the left you find the campground and hut is located straight.
It took me 3.5h for this section and arrived already at 10:30 a.m. at the North Arm. Therefore, I continued my way onto the last section. This wasn’t ideal, but a good training for the Kepler Track, which I have to complete in 2 days.
North Arm back to Oban
After you conquered the muddy jungle, the last section of the Rakiura Great Walk begins. There are no huts nor camping sites! The sign until Halfmoon Bay parking lot says 12km and 4.5h.
You find yourself in the forest again, sometimes you break through to the shore. The way is very easy to follow and not as muddy, but there’re some places. Short before the parking lot you go on a near usable vehicle road. This section is not as challenging as the 2nd part.
After you arrived at the parking lot follow the 2km road until Oban. Just head for the signs which say Halfmoon Bay.
After another exhausting 13km and 3h I arrived at Oban, really exhausted.
Conclusion Rakiura Great Walk
Is it worth to travel extra to the Stewart Island just to hike this Great Walk? If you don’t have to much experience, it’s definitely a enjoyable time. The Rakiura Great Walk is an easy track, with some nice section.
Aber wenn man viel Erfahrung hat, kann man diesen Track auslassen und besser Alternativen wählen. Immerhin kostet die An- und Rückreise über 200 NZD und die Unterkünfte mindestens über 70 NZD. (Stand: Jänner 2024) Dafür bekommt man meiner Meinung nach einen zu geringen Gegenwert.
Furthermore the backpack was heavy and I have to pack more efficient for the Kepler Track!
