Rakiura National Park new Zealand
New Zealand Rakiura National ParkHalf-moon Bay, Stewart Iceland, is the place where most sailors enter the paradise first. In the forests, pristine sandy areas and flooded areas you will find a variety of wild animals - seal, roe deer, penguin, kiwifruit, weka and many other game. That is why the national park is always well visited - whether for hiking, birdwatching, snorkeling, angling or hiking.
The director of the visitor centre, Diana Morris, says that the routes, one of the largest train maps on the islands, offer different abilities so that they attract a large number of tourists every year. This necklace sculptures symbolizes the beginning of the Rakiura track. All this can be seen from the highest point of the island: Hananui or Mt Anglem, which lies at 980m.
"We have a true mix of tracks," says Morris. It has gravel roads for those who want to stroll and many less groomed places for the adventure hikers. But it is worth to be ready, because the subclimate of the isle is not very foreseeable - but that is what makes it so attractive.
Whilst the strolls are certainly an attraction for tens of thousand of visitors every year, the animal world is just as appealing, says Morris. Snorkeling is common in Patterson Island, where Oban, the only city on Stewart Island, is located. It is sheltered so that the diversity of marine life and the predator-free island of Ulva - a five-minute Oban waterside taxicab - are sure to please.
Caca, redhead parakeets and ties can be found on the small islet, while the shrub is also home to kiwis. Tourists can participate in accompanied hikes, serious birdwatching and try to check the full listing of birdlife around the isle. The Rakiura National Park is a place to visit by air or air.
Southland National Park | Rakiura, New Zealand
About 85% of the 1570 sq. km of Stewart Island form the Rakiura National Park, a pristine wildlife landscape. The park, which opened in 2002, is the newest of New Zealand's national parks. North of Rakiura National Park overlooks the southern island, the stormy Foveaux Strait. The park is encircled by the Southern Ocean to the East, North, World War II and the Southern Ocean - just out of the frozen Antarctic rain.
As you enter the park you will come across an amazing array of unspoilt eco-systems and environments, from thick coastline rainforest and fresh water wetland to huge sandy dune and granitic mountains. Besides the breathtaking landscape, Rakiura National Park also offers an extraordinary chance to see the local game. Kiwi, Weka, Kaka, Tui, Bellbirds, Kereru and the seldom Saddleback can be seen in the park, and at nights one can also listen to the cries of Ruru (native owls).
One of New Zealand's Great Walks, the Rakiura Track, is the best way to discover this area. The 36 km long walk usually lasts three full day and offers a great opportunity to discover the landscape and local area.
It' also one of the few New Zealand trails that is hitchhiking all year round. The unspoilt, predator-free, open archipelago reserve of Stewart Iceland is home to a wealth of bird life, lush virgin forests and well-maintained hiking trails. There is a three-hour walk to the picturesque Kaipipi Bay, one of the liveliest centers on the islands in its prime, with two saw mills.
If you want to go to Rakiura National Park for a full outing, the simple 6-7 hours drive back to Maori Beach is an ideal option. A 9-11 week hitchhiking experience on the north shore of Stewart Island with extensive sandy beach, lush bird life and breathtaking countryside. About 85% of the 1570 sq. km of Stewart Island form the newest of New Zealand's national parks; a pristine wildlife area.
This is one of New Zealand's Great Walks and is ideal for those with moderately fit and leads hikers through indigenous forests and across the beach. There is a two-hour hike along an old saw mill path through the Fern Drain, which meanders along a creek surrounded by wonderful fern and cut forests. The picturesque path connects Thule Road with Kaipipi Road near Oban and offers an outstanding view of the Paterson Inlet meandering along the water.
This 4-5 hours stroll is unbeatable for a panorama view over Oban - although it is precipitous and often slimy, so nothing for the faint-hearted. The unspoilt, predator-free, open archipelago reserve of Stewart Iceland is home to a wealth of bird life, lush virgin forests and well-maintained hiking trails. There is a three-hour path to the picturesque Kaipipi Bay, one of the liveliest centers on the islands in its prime, with two saw mills.
If you want to go to Rakiura National Park for a full outing, the simple 6-7 hours drive back to Maori Beach is an ideal option. A 9-11 week hitchhiking experience on the north shore of Stewart Island with extensive sandy beach, lush bird life and breathtaking countryside. About 85% of the 1570 sq. km of Stewart Island form the newest of New Zealand's national parks; a pristine wildlife area.
This is one of New Zealand's Great Walks and is ideal for those with moderately fit and leads hikers through indigenous forests and across the beach. There is a two-hour hike along an old saw mill path through the Fern Drain, which winds along a creek surrounded by wonderful fern and cut forests.