Rakiura Track

Walk Overview

The Rakiura Track is one of New Zealand’s nine “Great Walks” as designated by the New Zealand Government’s Department of Conservation (DOC). This walk is located on New Zealand’s third largest island, the remote Stewart Island, that lies 30 km off the south coast of the South Island.

The walk route is entirely within Stewart Island’s Rakiura National Park. Some 85% of Stewart Island falls within the Rakiura National Park. Rakiura is the Maori name for the island and translates as ‘The Land of the Glowing Skies’. It’s thought that this is a reference to the night displays of Aurora Australis, or the Southern Lights, that can be seen from the island, as well as the colourful sunsets. 

The Rakiura Track provides a highly appealing smorgasbord of walking delights. Attractions include picturesque beaches and inlets, dense forests of native podocarp, gentle ridges and mountain views. Each of the huts has an idyllic waterside location.

Given its location, the Rakiura Track is one of the lesser known and less undertaken of the Great Walks. As its attractions are no less outstanding, this provides an enticing opportunity for those wishing to experience a less trodden path. 

The walk is a circular walk and can be walked in either direction. There is no particular advantage doing it one way or the other. The walk is well marked and sign posted.

There are two DOC huts and three campsites along the track located at intervals that enable the walk to be done at a fairly leisurely rate over three days. Huts and campsites must be pre-booked year round.

Further information:

• A three day itinerary is described below.

• For more information on walking on Stewart Island, click the button below.

Itinerary

The walk takes 3 days to complete. An itinerary completing the entire track is shown below.

Day 1

Lee Bay Car Park to Port William Hut

Distance: 8km

Time: 4 hours

Accommodation or Camping: Huts or Camping

Day 2

Port William Hut to North Arm Hut

Distance: 13km

Time: 6 hours

Accommodation or Camping: Huts or Camping

Day 3

North Arm Hut to Fern Gully Car Park

Distance: 11km

Time: 5 hours

Accommodation or Camping: Hotel, motel, B&B in Oban

Walk Options

Guided

The tour operators that offer the full walk generally follow the three day walking itinerary described above.

Typically, the package offered by these operators includes:

• Transfers to and from Stewart Island

• 3 day tour with professional guides

• 2 nights accommodation in DOC huts

• All meals

• Transfers between Oban and the start and finish of the track

Assisted self-guided

Some tour operators offer self-guided services for the Rakiura Track, such as equipment hire and provisioning assistance.

Spaces at the two DOC huts and three campsites must be pre-booked all year round. The two DOC huts each take 24 people. The DOC huts include bunks with mattresses, running water, heating, long drop toilets and during the busier summer months a DOC ranger may be present.

Independent

Spaces at the two DOC huts and three campsites must be pre-booked all year round. The two DOC huts each take 24 people. The DOC huts include bunks with mattresses, running water, heating, long drop toilets and during the busier summer months a DOC ranger may be present.

Essential Information

Access

Stewart Island can be reached by ferry from the town of Bluff on the south coast of the South Island. The boat trip takes about an hour. Alternatively, you can take a 20 minute flight from Invercargill. In each case, you will arrive at Stewart Island’s only town, Oban.

The starting point for the Rakiura Track is either the Lee Bay car park or the Fern Gully car park. Each is only a short distance from Oban.

Shuttle buses to the two starting points run from Oban and can be booked at the same time as you book the DOC huts or campsites.

Water taxis also operate out of Oban. These provide another option for getting to or from Lee Bay and also allow you to shorten the walk by getting a water taxi to one of the DOC huts. 

Park entry

No entry permit is needed for access to the Rakiura National Park but tickets must be obtained for use of the DOC huts and campsites on the Rakiura Track. Tickets can be bought online and printed yourself or collected from the DOC Visitor Centre at Oban.

Best time

The walk can be done all year round.

For most of the other Great Walks, the DOC encourages walkers to undertake the walk in the “Great Walk season” (from mid-October to the end of April). For the Rakiura Track, the DOC encourages walkers to consider winter, noting “During the winter months, the island’s weather is cool yet settled, making the Rakiura Track a great winter escape!”. No doubt that’s true, but with huts nicely located beside beaches, the walk in the warmer months is very appealing. 

Difficulty

This walk is rated by the DOC as “Intermediate: Great Walk/Easier tramping track”.

Accommodation

In addition to the DOC huts described in ‘Walk Options’ above, there is a good range of accommodation options at Oban. 

Some of the accommodation providers are attuned to walkers’ needs or offer amenities suited to walkers. 

We can assist walkers in choosing the accommodation options which best suit their needs.

Assistance

We can assist walkers with various aspects of their walking holidays.