Rakiura Track - Lee Bay — Attraction in Stewart Island / Rakiura Community

MAKE SURE to check for free gas canisters at either Stewart Island Backpackers or the DOC Visitor Centre!! Had to headline that so hopefully people don’t make the same mistake as us (and many others) and buy gas after getting off the plane/boat! Check at those places first as they will most definitely have free gas. The walk is spectacular. Really feels like you’re stepping back in time, to a version of NZ not yet discovered by humans. We went early Feb and were pretty unlucky with weather - lots of rain meant lots of mud! But easy enough to pick your way across. Would definitely recommend bringing walking poles for those sections. Campsites were great with spacious sites and well-maintained cooking shelters. Sadly we weren’t lucky enough to see a kiwi, but we heard them calling a lot during the night and everyone else we met on the walk saw them! The trick is to stay up late rather than set an alarm and try to get up early - we went to do this and it was chucking it down again by the time our alarm went off. If you have an opportunity and the weather is alright then just go for it. It switches up so fast on Stewart Island! We walked the extra 5k from Oban to the start of the track, but taxis are available for those who understandably don’t want the extra miles. You can also take a water taxi to some of the bays and just do sections of the walk eg. Taxi to Port William & do the 4 hour walk back to Lee Bay (start...

Excellant place. Whats not to like about the outdoors. From Lee Bay to Port William is approx 3-4 hours walk on a well maintained track. You can continue on the North west circuit from Port William onto Bungaree which is about the same amount of time again. Or you can head over to the North Arm hut which takes approx 6 - 8 hours. After Port William it really is not so much the distance of the track as opposed to the 'depth of the track'. You can be knee high in mud. There are two huts (Port Willam and North Arm) and three campsites (Maori Beach, Port William and North Arm) on the Rakiura Track. Note, campsites are not adjacent to the huts. Camping is only permitted at the designated campsites. When camping, you may not use hut facilities, but a cooking shelter, water supply and toilet are provided at each site. Dont forget to log your intentions with Dept of Conservation. Hut fees and booking is essential also - particularly in the spring and...

Haven’t done any other great walks but I really enjoyed this one. You can really feel most of this island is untouched and nature rules over anything else. Beautiful beaches, nice up and down tracks, suitable for everyone that is willing to do 32 km in 3 days (not that much). 2nd day you walk completely in the forest, was quite muddy but fun. people who complain about the mud have never been outdoor in the nature, it’s just mud. We also were lucky enough to see a kiwibird. Port William hut was ok, don’t understand why living room and dorms are not connected by a door so that the warm air of the firewood warms up the bed, but great location on the beach. North Arm Hut is simply amazing, a lot of natural light,...