Rakiura Track
Encyclopedia
The Rakiura Track is a 29 km tramping track located on Stewart Island/Rakiura
, New Zealand
. It is one of the New Zealand Great Walks
. It generally follows the coastline for a large parts of its length, passing small inlets, large bays and mudflats, before crossing steep hills covered in bush (dense forest) during its middle section.
It lies within the Rakiura National Park
and can be walked over a one to three day period. There are two huts on the track, at Port William and the North Arm of Paterson Inlet
, and many people overnight at each. There are also camping sites available at Maori Beach, Port William and Sawdust Bay.
Large sections of the track have wooden boardwalk
s covered with wiremesh to protect the track from deterioration. Without these, the track often degrades into mud, as Stewart Island receives immense amounts of rain during the year. In general, the track is well-maintained, and of easy to medium difficulty. The given track length does not include several additional km sections of paved road at the start and end of the walk from Half Moon Bay.
The track is equipped with huts for the use of permit-carrying walkers, and the huts are equipped with firewood, which is in fact, often flown in by helicopter as no roads connect to many of the huts and walkers are not supposed to cut their own wood. There are no cooking facilities in the huts so walkers are advised to carry their own stoves and cooking equipment. There is a supermarket in Oban where gas canisters can be purchased as well as other necessary supplies.
Walking the Rakiura Track also offers the unusual opportunity to see kiwis in their natural environment.
In order to get to Stewart Island walkers have the choice of a commercial ferry operator or alternatively Stewart Island Flights
operates a service from Invercargill Airport to Stewart Island.
Stewart Island/Rakiura
Stewart Island/Rakiura is the third-largest island of New Zealand. It lies south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. Its permanent population is slightly over 400 people, most of whom live in the settlement of Oban.- History and naming :...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is one of the New Zealand Great Walks
New Zealand Great Walks
The New Zealand Great Walks are a set of popular tramping tracks. They are New Zealand's premier tracks, through areas of some of the best scenery in the country...
. It generally follows the coastline for a large parts of its length, passing small inlets, large bays and mudflats, before crossing steep hills covered in bush (dense forest) during its middle section.
It lies within the Rakiura National Park
Rakiura National Park
Rakiura National Park is a nature reserve park located on Stewart Island/Rakiura, New Zealand. It is the 14th of New Zealand's national parks and was officially opened on 9 March 2002. It covers 1,570 km², which is about 85% of Stewart Island, New Zealand's third-largest island...
and can be walked over a one to three day period. There are two huts on the track, at Port William and the North Arm of Paterson Inlet
Paterson Inlet, New Zealand
Paterson Inlet is a large natural harbour in the eastern coast of Stewart Island/Rakiura, New Zealand, much of which is unspoilt forest.This region was first inhabited by the Māori, who settled at a locale known as The Neck, which is a long peninsula that extends across the mouth of the inlet from...
, and many people overnight at each. There are also camping sites available at Maori Beach, Port William and Sawdust Bay.
Large sections of the track have wooden boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
s covered with wiremesh to protect the track from deterioration. Without these, the track often degrades into mud, as Stewart Island receives immense amounts of rain during the year. In general, the track is well-maintained, and of easy to medium difficulty. The given track length does not include several additional km sections of paved road at the start and end of the walk from Half Moon Bay.
The track is equipped with huts for the use of permit-carrying walkers, and the huts are equipped with firewood, which is in fact, often flown in by helicopter as no roads connect to many of the huts and walkers are not supposed to cut their own wood. There are no cooking facilities in the huts so walkers are advised to carry their own stoves and cooking equipment. There is a supermarket in Oban where gas canisters can be purchased as well as other necessary supplies.
Walking the Rakiura Track also offers the unusual opportunity to see kiwis in their natural environment.
In order to get to Stewart Island walkers have the choice of a commercial ferry operator or alternatively Stewart Island Flights
Stewart Island Flights
Stewart Island Flights is a regional New Zealand airline offering scheduled and scenic flights from its base in Invercargill to Stewart Island. It is a locally owned and operated company. Stewart Island Flights was previously called Southern Air and then Southern Air 1997 Ltd.- Services :Scheduled...
operates a service from Invercargill Airport to Stewart Island.
External links
- Rakiura Track (from the Department of Conservation website)