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Access to Stewart Island - Travel OptionsStewart Island is separated from Mainland New Zealand by Foveaux Strait.This was a formidable barrier for early Maori in their double canoes or sealers in whaleboats, Even now, many Southland residents, who see the Island from their windows every day, regard it as a foreign and exotic land. Nothing could be further from the truth. Air Travel has made the world a smaller place. Stewart Island Flights flies 9-seat Britten Norman Islander aircraft with several twenty minute flights daily. You land at Ryan's Creek airfield on Stewart Island. A five minute mini-bus trip takes you to Oban Township, on the waterfront of Halfmoon Bay. In summer you can be on the Island as early as 8:30am, with no need to depart again until 6:00pm. A good, full day visit, and back for dinner in Invercargill if you so desire. Sea Travel is also faster and less strenuous than in the days of paddle-power. Fast catamarans make the crossing from Bluff (thirty minutes drive south of Invercargill) in an hour. There are many sailings daily all year round (more in summer). You can easily have most of a day on the island in summer and still return to Invercargill in the evening. A day-trip to Stewart Island is something many folk remember all their lives. However, you should stay longer to savour the true Island flavour. There are no high-rise luxury hotels or casinos, but you'll find comfortable accommodation to suit most tastes and pockets.
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